*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.
For thy name's sake, O Jehovah! As in the original text the copulative and is inserted between the two clauses of this verse, some think that the first clause is incomplete, and that some word ought to be supplied; and then they read these words, Be thou merciful to mine iniquity, etc., as a distinct sentence by itself. And thus, according to their opinion, the sense would be, Lord, although I have not fully kept thy covenant, yet do not on that account cease to show thy kindness towards me; and that mine iniquity may not prevent thy goodness from being extended towards me, do thou graciously pardon it. But I am rather of the opinion of others, who consider that the copulative is here, as it is in many other places, superfluous, so that the whole verse may form one connected sentence. As to the tense of the verb, there is also a diversity of opinion among interpreters. Some render it in the past tense thus, Thou hast been merciful, as if David here renders thanks to God because he had pardoned his sin. But the other interpretation, which is the one more generally received, is also the most correct, namely, that David, in order to obtain pardon, again resorts to the mercy of God as his only refuge. The letter v, vau, which is equivalent to and, has often the force of changing the tense in the Hebrew verbs, so that the future tense is often taken in the sense of the optative. Moreover, I connect this verse with the preceding one in this way: The prophet, having reflected upon this, that God is kind and faithful to those who serve him, now examines his own heart, and acknowledges that he cannot be accounted of their number, unless God grant unto him the forgiveness of his sins; and, therefore, he betakes himself to prayer for pardon: as in Psalm 19:13, after having spoken of the reward which is laid up for the faithful who keep the law, he instantly exclaims, "Who can understand his errors?" Accordingly, although David is not ignorant that God promises liberally to bestow upon those who keep his covenant every thing which pertains to a life of happiness, yet, at the same time, considering how far he is as yet from the perfect righteousness of the law, he does not rest his confidence upon it, but seeks a remedy for the manifold offenses of which he feels himself to be guilty. And thus, in order that God may reckon us of the number of his servants, we ought always to come to him, entreating him, after the example of David, in his fatherly loving-kindness, to bear with our infirmities, because, without the free remission of our sins, we have no reason to expect any reward of our works. At the same time, let it be observed, that in order to show more distinctly that he depends entirely upon the free grace of God, he expressly says, for thy name's sake; meaning by this, that God, as often as he vouchsafes to pardon his people, does so from no other cause than his own good pleasure; just as he had said a little before, in the same verse, for thy goodness' sake. He was also constrained, by a consideration of the magnitude of his offense, to call upon the name of God: for he immediately adds, by way of confession, because mine iniquity is great, or manifold, (for the word rv, rab, may be translated in both ways;) as if he had said, My sins are, indeed, like a heavy burden which overwhelms me, so that the multitude or enormity of them might well deprive me of all hope of pardon; but, Lord, the infinite glory of thy name will not suffer thee to cast me off.
For thy name's sake, O Lord - See the notes at Psalm 23:3. The idea here is that God would do this on His own account, or for the honor of His own name. This is A reason, and one of the main reasons, why God ever pardons iniquity. It is that the honor of His name may be promoted; that His glorious character may be displayed; that he may show himself to the universe to be merciful and gracious. There are, doubtless, other reasons why He pardons sin - reasons drawn from the bearing which the act of mercy will have on the welfare of the universe; but still the main reason is, that His own honor will thus be promoted, and His true character thus made known. See the notes at Isaiah 43:25; notes at Isaiah 48:9. Compare Psalm 6:4; and Psalm 25:7.
Pardon mine iniquity - This prayer seems to have been offered in view of the remembered transgressions of his early years, Psalm 25:7. These recollected sins apparently pressed upon his mind all through the psalm, and were the main reason of the supplications which occur in it. Compare Psalm 25:16-18.
For it is great - As this translation stands, the fact that his sin was great was a reason why God should pardon it. This is a reason, because:
(a) it would be felt that the sin was so great that it could not be removed by anyone but God, and that unless "forgiven" it would sink the soul down to death; and
(b) because the mere fact of its magnitude would tend to illustrate the mercy of the Lord.
Undoubtedly, these are reasons why we may pray for the forgiveness of sin; but it may be doubted whether this is the exact idea of the psalmist, and whether the word "although" would not better express the true sense - "although it is great." It is true that the general sense of the particle here rendered "for" - כי kı̂y - is "because" or "since;" but it may also mean "although," as in Exodus 13:17, "God led them not the way through the land of the Philistines, although - (כי kı̂y) - that was near," that is, that was nearest, or was the most direct way. So in Deuteronomy 29:19, "I shall have peace, though - (כי kı̂y) - I walk in the imagination of mine heart." Also Joshua 17:18, "Thou shalt drive out the Canaanites, though - (כי kı̂y) - they have iron chariots, and though they be strong." Thus understood, the prayer of the psalmist here is, that God would pardon his offences "although" they were so great. His mind is fixed upon the "greatness" of the offences; upon the obstacles in the way of pardon; upon his own unworthiness; upon the fact that he had no claim to mercy; and he presents this strong and earnest plea that God would have mercy on him "although" his sins were so numerous and so aggravated. In this prayer all can join; this is a petition the force of which all true penitents deeply feel.
For thy name's sake, O Lord, pardon - I have sinned; I need mercy; there is no reason why thou shouldst show it, but what thou drawest from the goodness of thy own nature.
For thy (h) name's sake, O LORD, pardon mine iniquity; for it [is] great.
(h) For no other respect.
For thy name's sake, O Lord, pardon mine iniquity,.... Which to do is one of the promises and blessings of the covenant. The psalmist may have reference to his sin with Bathsheba, as Kimchi observes; since it was foretold to him, that, on account of that sin, evil should arise to him out of his own house, 2-Samuel 12:11; meaning that his son should rise up in rebellion against him; which was now the case, and which, no doubt, brought afresh this sin to his mind; and the guilt of it lay heavy upon his conscience; and therefore he prays for an application of pardoning grace and mercy; or he may have respect to original sin, the sin of his nature, which so easily beset him; the loathsome disease his loins were filled with; the law in his members warring against the law of his mind; and which a view of every actual sin led him to the consideration and acknowledgment of, as did that now mentioned, Psalm 51:4; or, "iniquity" may be put for "iniquities", and the sense be, that he desired a manifestation of the pardon of all his sins; for when God forgives sin, he forgives all iniquities: and David here prays for pardon in a way of mercy, and upon the foot of satisfaction; for he prays that God would "mercifully pardon" (a), as the word signifies; or, according to his tender mercies, blot out his transgressions, and cleanse him from his sins; or that he would be "propitious" (b) to him; or forgive him in a propitiatory way, or through the propitiation of Christ, whom God had set forth in his purposes and promises to be the propitiation for the remission of sins; and therefore he entreats this favour "for his name's sake"; not for his own merits and good works, but for the Lord's sake, for his mercy's sake, or for his Son's sake; see Isaiah 43:25; compared with Ephesians 5:32. The argument or reason he urges is,
for it is great; being committed against the great God, against great light and knowledge, and attended with very aggravating circumstances; or "much" (c), he being guilty of many sins; his sins were great, both as to quality and quantity: this seems to be rather a reason against than a reason for the pardon of sin; it denotes the sense the psalmist had of his iniquity, and his importunity for the pardon of it; just as a person, sensible of the violence and malignity of his disease, entreats the physician with the greater eagerness and importunity to do his utmost for him; see Psalm 41:4; or the words may be rendered, "though it is great" (d); so Aben Ezra understands them;
"though it is so very heinous and provoking, yet since forgiveness is with thee, and thou hast promised it in covenant, and hast proclaimed thy name, a God gracious and merciful, pardon it;''
unless the words are to be connected, as they are by some Jewish (e) interpreters, with the phrase "thy name's sake, for it is great"; that is, thy name is great, and that it may appear to be so, as it is proclaimed, forgive mine iniquity.
(a) "mercifully pardon"; so Ainsworth. (b) Sept. "propitiaberis", V. L. "propitius esto", Musculus. (c) "multum", V. L. "multa", Pagninus, Montanus, Tigurine version. (d) "quamvis", Gejerus, Schmidt, (e) Vide Abendanae Not. in Miclol Yophi in loc.
God's perfections of love, mercy, goodness, and truth are manifested (his name, compare Psalm 9:10) in pardoning sin, and the greatness of sin renders pardon more needed.
The perf. consec. is attached to the יהי, which is, according to the sense, implied in למען שׁמך, just as in other instances it follows adverbial members of a clause, placed first for the sake of emphasis, when those members have reference to the future, Ges. ֗126, rem. 1. Separate and manifold sins (Psalm 25:7) are all comprehended in עון, which is in other instances also the collective word for the corruption and the guilt of sin. כּי gives the ground of the need and urgency of the petition. A great and multiform load of sin lies upon him, but the name of God, i.e., His nature that has become manifest in His mercy and truth, permits him to ask and to hope for forgiveness, not for the sake of anything whatever that he has done, but just for the sake of this name (Jeremiah 14:7; Isaiah 43:25). How happy therefore is he who fears God, in this matter!
For - Or, though (as this particle is often rendered) it be great. Possibly he speaks of his sin against Uriah and Bathsheba. Great - Or, much or manifold. For the Hebrew word signifies both great and much.
*More commentary available at chapter level.