Here is my literal translation of this verse:
“In answer to Your name YHVH, even forgive my perversion because it [is] great.”
And so we come to verse 11. I suspect this verse is the middle of the Psalm, perhaps the apex of a chiasm. Commentators for centuries have noted that this verse seems “out of place” in the middle of this long series (vv 8-15) of statements of faith about God. I suspect its very abruptness was deliberate, that it is part of the overall logical structure of the Psalm itself. Obviously, the structure is of significance, seeing this is an acrostic Psalm. As I study along, I’m gathering lots of mental notes (particularly of repetitions) but I will wait until I’ve studied it all before looking hard at its structure.
At any rate, since I strongly suspect this is the middle or apex, I will go ahead and presume the verse is highly significant to the overall meaning of the Psalm. There are actually two stratospheric points that stand out to me in this verse. In this blog, I’ll record my thoughts concerning the first, and call it "Part 1."
But before I record those thoughts, five grammatical observations: First, the opening phrase, “In answer to Your name YHVH” is structurally identical to the “in answer to Your goodness YHVH” in verse 7. Interesting. Second, in the Hebrew, a conjunctive vav precedes the verb “forgive.” I translated it “even” but only because I didn’t know what else to do with it. It seems an odd place for a vav. I guess for now I’ll just note it. Might be significant in the structure of the Psalm, especially if this verse itself is the middle or apex. Third, the word translated “forgive” is the Hebrew word salak, which is only ever used of God’s forgiveness of man. Hebrew had many words for “forgive” but this one was never used of people forgiving each other. Its occurrence is entirely of divine initiative. Again, interesting. Fourth, I think it worth noting that the word “it” is emphatic in the Hebrew: “Forgive my perversion, for it is great.” Last of all, I note the Hebrew word I have translated “perversion.” There are several Hebrew words for sin. This one in particular means literally “to be twisted.” I could translate it “my twistedness.” However, I think “perversion” is probably the best English word to express the idea, as long as one doesn’t necessarily limit it to some kind of sexual connotation. It is just “twistedness” or “perversion” in whatever way I have taken God’s good creation and wickedly contorted it. The word sees God’s perfect beautiful creation and it is as if someone took hold of the movie screen and twisted it. The beautiful picture is still there, it’s just “twisted.” It’s contorted. Things are out of place. Redemption, in one sense, is about smoothing out all those wrinkles and restoring the picture to God’s intended beauty.
So what do I learn in this Psalm?
First of all, Him: I am moved to marvel at God in a way I can’t say I’ve ever quite comprehended before. Note the “because.” David asks God to forgive his perversion because it is great. Would not human nature be to say, “Please forgive my sin … it was just a small one You know, and, uh, I was really tired at the time, and, uh, I was confused, and I didn’t really mean it, and, uh …?” Do we not naturally feel it important to convince others that they should forgive us because, after all, it wasn’t that bad? Yet David says, “Forgive my sin, for it is great”(!). And, as I noted above, he even says the “it” emphatically. No holds barred. No pulled punches. Just lay it out there for all its heinous ugly inexcusable evil. It is great. It is almost like suggesting it might be unforgivable(!).
But then I note this forgiveness is “in answer to Your name.” “Name” in the OT, of course, means something like “reputation.” Your “name” expresses who you are. David wants God to forgive his great sin in answer to Who God is. And Who is He? Exodus 34:6,7: “And the Lord passed by before him and proclaimed, ‘The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abundant in goodness and faithfulness, keeping love for thousands, forgiving perversion and rebellion and sin …’”
He is a God of forgiveness. It is His nature to forgive. He forgives because He is Himself forgiving(!). He, in fact, proclaims that is Who He is. Perhaps that is why David chose the word for “forgive” that can only come from God. Only God can be moved to forgiveness by showing Him the greatness of our offense(!). David understood this about God. He knew Him. He knew God. It probably sounds reckless to say this, but, when dealing with God, it is in a sense true that the greater the sin the more He is moved to forgive it. It is actually the more to His glory to forgive greater sin. Jonathan Edwards said, “It is the honor of Christ to save the greatest sinners, when they come to Him, as it is the honour of a physician that he cures the most desperate diseases or wounds.”
I don’t think I’ve ever quite seen it this way. Or at least the enormity of it. God is Himself a well of forgiveness. The deeper I must draw only magnifies the greatness of the well.
Wow. He is so amazing. There seriously is no end of knowing Him. To know Him better is to realize His perfections only run deeper than I’ve ever known before. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me. Wow. This is, as Spurgeon described the last verse, another “pearl for a child’s neck,” of course. It doesn’t make me want to sin more, but rather so fills me with awe and gratitude, it makes me want to sin less. But what an amazing comfort, to know that forgiveness is not something God does; it is Who He is. That is why no sin is too great. My evil little heart is desperately wicked and deceitful above all things. It is a veritable well of corruption shockingly capable of the most unimaginable and unspeakable evil. I want that it should be redeemed and sanctified and given entirely to Him. Yet, when that evil heart gets out of control there is no sin it can churn out but what I may find forgiveness in the great loving heart of my saving God. Wow.
I need that.
“… because”
“Jesus, I am resting, resting, in the joy of what Thou art.
I am finding out the greatness of Thy loving heart.”
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