Psalm Category:Song of Thanksgiving

Central Thought:Psalm 32 reminds us that one of the glorious truths of the gospel is that we are wholly and truly pardoned of our sins and made righteous by Jesus Christ.

Key Word: Esem (v. 3). Esem is translated in the NIV as “bones” and by the NASB as “body.” The word is used in the Old Testament to refer to our skeletal structure (Num. 19:18), but sometimes it is used to speak about the core of our being or seat of our emotions (see Jer. 20:9). The psalmist is most likely using the word in this latter sense. He is saying that the failure to confess sin is ultimately destructive to the core of our being (see also Ps. 38:3). Don’t ever underestimate the devastating impact of retaining your sins.

Psalm 32

One of the themes of Victor Hugo’s novel Les Misérablesis the transforming power of pardon. Early in the story, the main character, Jean Valjean, is released ...