Psalms 32:1

“Of David. A maskil. Happy is he whose transgression is taken away, whose sin is covered.”
Psalms 32:1 · direct translation from the Hebrew

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With the Hebrew beneath

Of David.לְדָוִדA maskil.מַשְׂכִּילHappy isאַשְׁרֵיhe whose transgressionפֶּשַׁעis taken away,נְשׂוּיwhose sinחֲטָאָהis covered.כְּסוּי

Quotation · Romans 4:7-8

Go to Romans 4:7-8

Paul quotes the beginning of Psalm 32, attributed to David in its title.

Formula: καθάπερ καὶ Δαυὶδ λέγει “just as David also speaks” (Romans 4:6)

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: Μακάριοι ὧν ἀφέθησαν αἱ ἀνομίαι καὶ ὧν ἐπεκαλύφθησαν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι μακάριος ἀνὴρ οὗ οὐ μὴ λογίσηται κύριος ἁμαρτίαν

Hebrew (Masoretic text): לְדָוִד מַשְׂכִּיל אַשְׁרֵי נְשׂוּי פֶּשַׁע כְּסוּי חֲטָאָה אַשְׁרֵי אָדָם לֹא יַחְשֹׁב יְהוָה לוֹ עָוֺן וְאֵין בְּרוּחוֹ רְמִיָּה

Septuagint (Psalms 31:1-2 in the Septuagint numbering): Μακάριοι ὧν ἀφέθησαν αἱ ἀνομίαι, καὶ ὧν ἐπεκαλύφθησαν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι. μακάριος ἀνὴρ οὗ οὐ μὴ λογίσηται Κύριος ἁμαρτίαν, οὐδέ ἐστιν ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτοῦ δόλος.

The Greek of the NT matches the Septuagint word for word in 18 consecutive words: “Μακάριοι ὧν ἀφέθησαν αἱ ἀνομίαι καὶ ὧν ἐπεκαλύφθησαν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι μακάριος ἀνὴρ οὗ οὐ μὴ λογίσηται κύριος ἁμαρτίαν.”

Septuagint, Swete’s text, First1KGreek transcription (with reading errors), CC BY-SA 4.0

Psalms 32:1, word by word

Of Davidדָוִדdavid

David

David, youngest son of Jesse, of Bethlehem; the second king of Israel. The name means "beloved."

Where else “david” appears

A maskilמַשְׂכִּילmaskil

maskil

Maskil: a word in the title of thirteen psalms. It comes from "understand" and probably names a skillful or teaching poem. Its exact sense is not known.

Where else “maskil” appears

Happy isאַשְׁרֵיashre

happy, blessed

Happy, blessed: an exclamation for the good that someone has.

Where else “ashre” appears

he whose transgressionפֶּשַׁעpesha

transgression

A serious wrong against someone: rebellion, transgression.

Where else “pesha” appears

is taken awayנְשׂוּיnesuy

forgive

To take away someone's sin, forgive.

Where else “nesuy” appears

whose sinחֲטָאָהchataa

sin

A grave wrong against God, like that of the golden calf.

Where else “chataa” appears

is coveredכְּסוּיkesuy

cover

To put something over a thing so that it can no longer be seen.

Where else “kesuy” appears

Translation note

“Of David. A maskil” is the title. “Maskil”: a Hebrew word left as it is; it names a kind of psalm, perhaps “a poem for instruction.” Romans 4:7-8 quotes verses 1 and 2.

Parallel passages

Other books that tell the same thing or quote these words.

Quotation · Romans 4:7-8

Paul quotes the beginning of Psalm 32, attributed to David in its title.

See them side by side

Psalms 32:1

¹Of David. A maskil. Happy is he whose transgression is taken away, whose sin is covered.

Romans 4:7-8

⁷Happy are those whose iniquities were forgiven and whose sins were covered;

The context

1 · This verse (above)

2Happy is the human being against whom YHWH does not count iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

Read all of Psalms 32

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