Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Romans 4:7
[Saying,] Blessed [are] they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
7. Blessed, &c.] The Gr. is verbatim from LXX. It is worth remarking that the words (in the Psalm) following this quotation (“and in whose spirit is no guile”) are in full accord with its application here. The “guile” there is evidently “ insincerity in coming as a penitent to God.” The “blessed” are they who are really forgiven who have really sought forgiveness.
are forgiven ] Gr. aorist; were forgiven. The probable reference is to the definite act, past and complete, of remission. So just below, were covered.
covered ] The literal translation of the Hebrew word very often translated “atoned for.”
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Blessed – Happy are they: they are highly favored; see the note at Mat 5:3.
Whose sins are covered – Are concealed; or hidden from the view. On which God will no more look, and which he will no more remember. By these words, says Calvin (in loco), we are taught that justification with Paul is nothing else but pardon of sin. The word cover here has no reference to the atonement, but is expressive of hiding, or concealing that is, of forgiving sin.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 7. Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven] That is, the man is truly happy whose iniquities , whose transgressions of the law are forgiven; for by these he was exposed to the most grievous punishment. Whose sins, , his innumerable deviations from the strict rule of truth and righteousness, are covered-entirely removed out of sight, and thrown into oblivion. See the meaning of the word sin in Clarke’s note on “Ge 13:13“.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
This testimony is taken out of Psa 32:1, and it is well enough accommodated to the occasion, for those two, to remit sin, and to impute righteousness, are inseparable. The one is put here figuratively for the other. They mistake, who take occasion from hence to make justification to consist only in remission of sin: the text will not bear it. The apostles design is, not hereby to declare the full nature of justification, which he had done before; but only to prove the freedom of it from any respect to works, in the instance of this principal and essential part of it. Remission of sin and the imputation of righteousness differ, as the cause and the effect. Remission of sin presupposeth imputation of righteousness; and he that hath his sins remitted, hath Christs righteousness first imputed, that so they may be remitted and forgiven to sinners.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
7, 8. Saying,Blessed, c. (Psa 32:1Psa 32:2). David here sings inexpress terms only of “transgression forgiven, sin covered,iniquity not imputed”; but as the negative blessing necessarilyincludes the positive, the passage is strictly in point.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Saying, blessed are they,…. These words are cited from
Ps 32:1, and contain the proof of the happiness of justified persons. In this citation the singular number is changed into the plural, to take in all sorts of men, Jews and Gentiles, and very agreeably to the sense of the original; for the word may be rendered “blessed are they”, or, “O the blessednesses”; that is, of everyone of them,
whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered: such whom God justifies by imputing the righteousness of his Son to them, he removes their iniquities from them, which is meant by their being “forgiven”, and that “as far as the east is from the west”, Ps 103:12; he casts them behind his back, Isa 38:17, and into the depths of the sea, Mic 7:19, so that they shall never be found more: such whom he clothes with the robe of righteousness, and garments of salvation,
Isa 61:10, “their sins are covered”; from the eye of divine justice, and shall never be seen more, or be brought against them to their condemnation, and therefore must be happy persons. The e Jews tell us, that
“on the day of atonement Satan comes to accuse Israel, and he particularizes their sins, and the holy blessed God he particularizes their good works, and takes a pair of balances, and puts their sins against their good works, and weighs the one against the other; and when the two scales of the balances are alike, Satan goes to bring in other sins to overweigh; what does the holy blessed God do? he takes the sins out of the scale, and hides them
, “under his purple garment”; and when Satan comes and finds no iniquity there, as it is said “the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none”, Jer 50:20; and when Satan sees this, he says before him, Lord of the world, “thou hast taken away the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin”, Ps 85:2. Selah.”
The purple garment they explain by , “his garment of mercy”; which is true of the mercy of God covering the sins of his people, through the purple blood of his Son; which is the purple covering of Christ, So 3:10, under which the saints go safe to glory, and by which blood their crimson and scarlet sins are blotted out, so as never to be seen more.
e Caphtor, fol. 59. 1, 2.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Blessed (). See on Mt 5:3.
Are forgiven (). First aorist passive indicative of , without augment (, regular form). Paul quotes Ps 32:1f. and as from David. Paul thus confirms his interpretation of Ge 15:6.
Iniquities (). Violations of law whereas (sins) include all kinds.
Are covered (). First aorist passive of , old verb, to cover over (upon, ) as a shroud. Only here in N.T.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Iniquities [] . Lit., lawlessnesses.
Are forgiven [] . Lit., were forgiven. See on Mt 6:12; Jas 5:15; 1Jo 1:9. Also on remission, Luk 3:3.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “Saying, blessed are they,” (makarioi) “Blessed are the ones,” (they), a quotation, citation of David’s testimony regarding the means, method, or instrument by which man was made righteous before God, Psa 32:1-2.
2) “Whose iniquities are forgiven,” (on aphetheson hai anomiai) “Whose lawlessnesses (iniquities) were forgiven or pardoned;” thru imputed righteousness of God, to the one trusting in Him; Psa 85:2; Eph 1:7; Eph 4:32; 1Jn 2:12.
3) – And whose sins are covered,” (kai on epekauphthesan hai hamartiai) “And whose lawlessnesses (iniquities) were covered! Paid for, could not be charged against them any more. If covered, no more seen or noticed, and if noticed, could be punished no more, Jer 31:34. Heb 8:12; Heb 10:17-18; Isa 38:17.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(7) Forgiven.The stress is upon this word; whose sins are not abolished, but forgiven; not annihilated, but covered up, removed from sight, hidden by the absolving grace of God.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
7. Forgiven covered A parallelism expressing the same thing in varied language. Covered, as it were, from God’s sight by Christ’s mediation and God’s mercy.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
DISCOURSE: 1837
THE PARDONED BLESSED
Rom 4:7-8. Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin [Note: The Authors uniform rule has been, where passages in the Old Testament are cited in the New Testament (which in some instances occurs several times), to treat them only once. Here he deviates from his accustomed plan, because, in his Discourse on Psa 32:1-6. his object was to trace Davids experience as there delineated: whereas the two first verses of that Psalm which are here cited, being of singular importance in relation to Christian experience in general, he treats them here again: and, if this Discourse be made use of by any one, the two first verses of Psalms 32. may be adopted as the text, in preference to them as here cited by the Apostle. In that case, however, the Exordium must be a little changed.].
TO enter into the real scope of these words, it will be proper to compare them with the Psalm from whence they are cited. In themselves, they are simple, and easy to be understood: but taken in their connexion with the context before us, and with the interpretation put upon them by the Apostle, they are involved in considerable difficulty: and more especially, when we observe the peculiar omission of the closing words of David, which seem necessary to a just exhibition of his mind, and a full comprehension of his meaning, we are rather surprised at the way in which they are here referred to, and at the obscurity that is thrown around them. On comparing the two passages together, we find the Apostle, in appearance at least, adding to Davids words what he never distinctly uttered, and omitting a very essential part of what he did utter. But the Apostle spake by inspiration of God; and if we attentively consider his statement, we shall not only find it unexceptionable, but shall feel greatly indebted to him for throwing much additional light upon a most interesting and important passage of Holy Writ.
To unfold these words so that they may be clearly and fully understood, I will,
I.
Explain their true import
This will appear if we consider Davids words,
1.
According to the plain meaning of the terms themselves
[Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. It is an acknowledged truth, that sin, by whomsoever committed, involves the soul in guilt, and subjects it to Gods heavy displeasure. And how terrible his wrath is, no words can express, no imagination can conceive. But, if a man have attained the forgiveness of his sins, his obligation to punishment is cancelled, and he is liberated from all the miseries to which, without such forgiveness, he must have been subjected to all eternity. Now who that contemplates this great deliverance, must not congratulate the man on his escape? Who must not account him blessed? To have the punishment due to his offences mitigated, or to have them shortened to the space of ten thousand years, would be a state of comparative blessedness; but to have it altogether remitted, must surely entitle the man to conceive of himself as truly blessed.]
2.
According to the construction put upon them by St. Paul
[St. Paul says, that David in these words described the blessedness of the man, to whom God imputeth righteousness without works [Note: ver. 6.]. Now this does not appear in the words themselves, nor should we ever have known that such an idea was comprehended in them, if we had not been assured of it by God himself, that is, by an Apostle writing under his immediate inspiration. But, being so instructed, we know for certain that this construction of the words is unquestionably correct.
The fact is, that no one ever has his sins pardoned without having at the same time the righteousness of Christ imputed to him for his acceptance before God. We sometimes distinguish between the active and passive righteousness of Christ, as if his death atoned for our sins, and his obedience to the law constituted a meritorious righteousness, to be made over to us in a way of imputation [Note: Rom 5:19.]: and this may perhaps be warranted by what is said by the Apostle, Christ, who knew no sin, was made sin (a sin-offering) for us, that we (who neither had, nor could have, any righteousness of our own) might be made the righteousness of God in him [Note: 2Co 5:21.]. But whatever ground there may appear to be in Scripture for this distinction, the two can never be separated from each other: the whole of Christs life and sufferings constituted his one obedience unto death, by which salvation, in its full extent, was purchased for us [Note: Php 2:8.]: and he who partakes of salvation, receives it, not in part only, but in the full extent to which it has been obtained for him. It is obvious that a man whose iniquities stood in need of pardon, could not purchase heaven by any merits of his own. He could neither possess, nor procure by any works of his own, a righteousness wherein to stand before God. Yet such a righteousness he must have: and if he ever possess such a righteousness, it must be, by having the righteousness of another imputed to him. When therefore the Apostle quotes the words of David, he puts upon them the true construction which they were designed to bear: for though David, in words, speaks only of a non-imputation of sin, he must of necessity be considered as speaking also of an imputation of righteousness without works, seeing that the one is of necessity involved in the other, and can never exist without it.
Now then take the words of David in this sense, and say whether that man who is clothed in the robe of the Redeemers righteousness, and so covered, that God himself cannot behold a spot or blemish in him, be not blessed [Note: Eph 5:27.]? Surely it is impossible to entertain a doubt of this, or to withhold for a moment our assent to Davids assertion, according to the construction put upon it by the Apostle Paul.]
3.
According as they stood associated in Davids mind
[David says, Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. But these concluding words the Apostle entirely omits. What was his reason for this? Did Paul conceive that any man who was not purged from guile could be happy? or had he less jealousy on the subject of holiness than David? Why then did he stop short, and quote the words of David in such an imperfect way? Did he act thus by accident only, or by design? Surely this matter needs explanation.
I doubt not but that he acted thus by design, exactly as our blessed Lord himself did in his first sermon that he ever preached, when, in citing the words of the Prophet Isaiah, he stopped short, when he came to the words which were irrelevant to his present subject, and never mentioned them at all [Note: Compare Isa 61:1-2. with Luk 4:17-19. where our Lord stopped short in the middle of the sentence, omitting all mention of vengeance when he wished to impress his hearers with nothing but the words of grace.] The Apostle was engaged in a most important topic, and establishing by argument the doctrine of justification by faith without works. He had shewn that Abraham, who had so abounded in good works, had nothing whereof he could glory, and that he had been justified solely by faith in the promised Seed [Note: ver. 13.]. He proceeds then to establish the same doctrine from the words of David, who had pronounced that man blessed, not whose good works could avail, whether in whole or in part, for his justification before God, but, whose transgressions were forgiven, and whose sins were covered; and who, consequently, if saved at all, must be saved by a righteousness imputed to him. But, if the Apostle had proceeded to cite the remaining words of David, he would have obscured his argument, and given occasion to an adversary to misrepresent, or at all events to misunderstand, his meaning. An adversary, if the last clause of Davids words had been inserted by Paul, might have said, I agree with you, Paul: we are to be justified by faith: but then it is not by faith as apprehending the righteousness of another, but by faith as working out a righteousness for itself; or, in other words, not by faith without works, but by faith as an active, operative, sanctifying principle: and the person who possesses and exercises such a faith, has somewhat of his own to glory in. Now this would have utterly subverted the Apostles argument: and therefore the Apostle, not choosing to give occasion for any such objection to his statement, altogether omitted the words on which the adversary would have founded it. He could indeed easily have answered the objection: but he judged it best to cut off all occasion for it.
But David had no such reason for restraining his words; and therefore he gave full scope to what was in his mind: and knowing that the justifying office of Christ is never separated from the sanctifying office of the Holy Spirit, and that no man under the power of sin could be blessed, he added, and in whose spirit there is no guile. He knew it would be to no purpose that a man was pardoned, if he was not also renewed in the spirit of his mind. Suppose Satan himself to be pardoned; suppose further, that he was admitted into heaven; he could not be happy even there, unless he was made a new creature: for, being enslaved by all manner of evil dispositions, and under the influence of all his malignant habits, he would, though in heaven, be a devil still; and consequently far from any thing approximating to real blessedness. The very essence of happiness lies in a conformity to the Divine image: and he only who possesses that, is happy. The truly blessed man, and the only man that can be called blessed, is the Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile.]
The words of my text being thus explained, I proceed to,
II.
Confirm the sentiment contained in them
Here I speak without hesitation. The man thus justified through faith in Christ, and thus renewed by the Holy Spirit, is blessed. For,
1.
In him are all the wonders of redeeming love accomplished
[What did the Father design in giving his only dear Son to take our nature upon him? What, but that we might be saved from wrath through him [Note: Joh 3:16 and 1Jn 4:10.]? And for what end did the Lord Jesus Christ shed his precious blood for us upon the cross, but to redeem us from all iniquity, and to purify unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works [Note: Tit 2:14.]? And for what purpose did the Holy Ghost come down and dwell in our hearts, but to transform us into the Divine image, and to make us meet for the inheritance which Christ has purchased for us? Now in the person before described, all these things are already attained. His sins are pardoned: the robe of Christs righteousness is put upon him [Note: Rom 3:22.]: and he is sanctified throughout in body, soul, and spirit [Note: 1Th 5:23.]. Is not he then blessed? If not, I only ask, where will you find a blessed man on earth?]
2.
In him all the great ends of life are answered
[For what has God preserved our souls in life unto this hour, and given us so many opportunities for spiritual improvement? Has it not been that we might be brought to the knowledge of him, and into a state of acceptance with him, and to a conformity to his blessed image? That God has assigned us many works to do, and many duties to perform, I readily acknowledge: but they are all in subserviency to the great work of salvation. That is the one thing needful: and whatever we may have done, or whatever we may have attained, without that, we have done nothing, and attained nothing. Suppose us to have laboured successfully, and acquired crowns and kingdoms, what would they be in comparison of pardon, and peace, and holiness? Ask Solomon, who possessed a greater measure of earthly joys than any other man, what he thought of them? He pronounced them all to be vanity and vexation of spirit: so far were they from rendering him truly blessed. The man possessed of earthly things knows not how soon he may have to relinquish them, and to curse the day that he ever attained them: but the man whom David pronounces blessed, is prepared for every thing. He is prepared either for life, or death. If God see fit that he should live, he is prepared to fill up any station either of action or of suffering. In action, he will do every thing for Gods honour; and in suffering, he will receive it all as from God, and improve it all for the advancement of his souls eternal welfare. On the other hand, if God see fit to call him hence, he is ready to depart, at whatever hour his Lord shall call him. In fact, though willing to continue on earth his appointed time, he is longing to be dissolved, that he may be with Christ. He numbers death amongst his richest treasures; and, in whatever shape it may come, he welcomes it, as Jacob did the waggons that were to bear him to the presence of his exalted and beloved Joseph.
I ask then now again, is not this man justly called blessed?]
3.
In him is the felicity of heaven already begun
[Wherein does the blessedness of heaven consist? Is it not in near access to God, in an assured consciousness of his love, and in an incessant ascription of praise to him? All this is begun in the believing and renewed soul. God has shined into the heart of him whom he has pardoned and sanctified, and has revealed to him all the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ [Note: 2Co 4:6.]. He even dwells in the bosom of the believer, and sheds abroad his love there, and enables him to rejoice in the Saviour with a joy that is unspeakable and glorified, that is, of the very same nature with that which the glorified saints and angels possess in heaven. True, he enjoys these things but in part: but still the little he does enjoy, is both an earnest and a foretaste of what he shall one day be filled with to the utmost extent of his capacity for ever and ever.
It is needless that I pronounce him blessed: for I am well assured that there is not a soul here present that has not already anticipated me in this, and said, O that I were that happy man!]
Let me in conclusion address a few words to,
1.
Those who are seeking their happiness in earthly things
[I will suppose you to have attained all that mortal man can possess: find me in all the sacred volume one single passage that pronounces you blessed. Find me but one single passage, and I will say, Go on, and prosper. But I need only appeal to your own experience. What has all that you have ever attained done for you? Has it made you truly happy? You know it has not Nothing short of that state which we have before contemplated can make you happy. Seek then blessedness where alone it can be found. Seek it in a reconciled God and Saviour. Seek it in a sense of his pardoning love, and in conformity to his mind and will. The creature, in its utmost fulness, is only a cistern that will hold no water: but in your Saviour you shall find a Fountain of living waters.]
2.
Those who profess to have attained the blessedness here spoken of
[What manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness! Do but look at the millions around you, who are yet unpardoned, unsanctified, unsaved! What do you owe to God, who has made such a difference between you and others, yea, and between you and your former selves! Surely there should be no bounds to your gratitude, no limits to your devotion to such a Benefactor ]
Fuente: Charles Simeon’s Horae Homileticae (Old and New Testaments)
7 Saying , Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
Ver. 7. Are covered ] Sic velantur ut in iudicio non revelentur; so covered as that he never see them again, but as the Israelites saw the Egyptians dead on the shore.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Blessed. App-63.
iniquities. App-128.
forgiven. App-174.
sins. App-128.
covered = covered over. Greek. epikalupto. Only here.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Rom 4:7. ) So the LXX., Psa 32:1. The synonymous words are, , , , that sin committed may be accounted as not committed.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Rom 4:7
Rom 4:7
saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven,-Those to whom God reckons righteousness apart from works are those whose sins have been forgiven.
and whose sins are covered.-[The fact of the preceding statement expressed in different words. To cover sins is the same as to forgive iniquities.]
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
iniquites, sins
Sin. (See Scofield “Rom 3:23”).
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
Psa 32:1, Psa 32:2, Psa 51:8, Psa 51:9, Psa 85:2, Psa 130:3, Psa 130:4, Isa 40:1, Isa 40:2, Jer 33:8, Jer 33:9, Mic 7:18-20, Mat 9:2, Luk 7:47-50
Reciprocal: Gen 28:4 – the blessing Exo 34:7 – forgiving Num 22:12 – for they Num 23:21 – hath not Rom 7:17 – it is no more Rom 8:1 – no 1Jo 2:12 – your
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
THE COVERING OF SIN
Blessed are they whose sins are covered.
Rom 4:7
How to get sin covered has been the question which has exercised mans thoughts ever since he became a sinner. Consider
I. What cannot cover sin.
(a) Distance from God does not cover up our sins. Wherever in the universeout of ChristGods eye sees a sinner, there He sees the uncovered sin.
(b) Sins are not covered by lapse of time. Every unforgiven sin cries aloud for vengeance.
(c) Concealment from fellow-men of no avail. There is nothing covered that shall not be revealed.
(d) Suffering has no power to cover sin, even though it be the direct consequence and manifest punishment of sin. Without shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins.
(e) Every effort by keeping Gods commandments to cover past sin is vain.
(f) Repentance, sorrow for sin, is powerless to do away one particle of sin. Verse preceding text shows that.
II. With what can sin be covered?The covering must be one that will stand in the Judgment Day. Obviously, it must be of Gods providing. Has God furnished it? Hearken while he speaks. I, even I, am He that blotteth out thy transgressions. He Who knew no sin was made sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. The sprinkled blood of Jesus Christ, Gods Son, is the only covering for sin. It is of Gods providing: it is adequate and effectual. On this covering Gods eye rests with satisfaction. When I see the blood I will pass over you. The source and origin of salvation is Gods forbearing love to man as, and while, a sinner. Christ Jesus crucified for us, living for usthis is the covering for our soul.
Rev. E. P. Hathaway.
Illustration
A woman came to a clergyman, carrying in her hands a quantity of wet sand. Do you see what this is, sir? she said. Yes. It is wet sand. But do you know what it means? I do not know exactly what you mean by it. What is it? Ah, sir! she said, thats me, and the multitude of my sins cant be numbered; and she gave way to passionate weeping. The minister, calming her, asked her where she had procured the sand. On the shore. Go back then and take a spade with you and dig till you raise a good mound, shovel it as high as ever you can and leave it. Stand back on the shore and see the effect of the waves upon it. The meaning came home to the woman. The blood of Christ would wash all her sins away. Her sin would be covered.
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary
4:7
Rom 4:7. If a man’s debts are forgiven, that is not the same as actually paying them. (See Mat 18:27 Mat 18:32 Mat 18:34.) When God forgives a man of his sins, it is not because he has actually paid the debt with meritorious works, for that cannot be done. Instead, it is because the debt has been covered by the blood of Christ (chapter 3:. 26, 27).
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Rom 4:7. Blessed are they, etc. The quotation is made exactly from the LXX.
Whoso sins are covered. The idea of the first clause is repeated under another figure, according to the parallelism of Hebrew poetry. Their sins are hid by God Himself, which is the same as forgiven, not reckoned.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
saying [Psa 32:1-2], Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, And whose sins are covered.