Biblical forgiveness is far more than overlooking an offense or suppressing hurt. The primary Hebrew and Greek words reveal forgiveness as an intentional act of releasing guilt, canceling a debt, and restoring relationship where repentance and reconciliation are possible.
Definition of Forgiveness
Old Testament (Hebrew)
סָלַח (sālaḥ) – “to forgive, to pardon.”
This verb is used almost exclusively of God’s forgiveness. It conveys the idea of God removing guilt from the sinner.
Psalm 103:2–3 (NASB)
“Bless the LORD, O my soul,
And do not forget any of His benefits;
Who pardons all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases.”
Daniel 9:9 (NASB)
“To the Lord our God belong compassion and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against Him.”
נָשָׂא (nāśā’) – “to lift, carry away, bear away.”
The imagery is of sin being lifted off a person.
Psalm 32:1 (NASB)
“How blessed is he whose wrongdoing is forgiven,
Whose sin is covered!”
New Testament (Greek)
ἀφίημι (aphiēmi)
Meaning:
- to send away
- to release
- to let go
- to cancel a debt
It was also used for canceling financial obligations.
Jesus used this word when teaching about forgiveness.
Matthew 6:12 (NASB)
“And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”
ἄφεσις (aphesis)
Meaning:
- release
- remission
- freedom
- pardon
This word also describes the forgiveness Christ purchased through His blood.
Ephesians 1:7 (NASB)
“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our wrongdoings, according to the riches of His grace.”
What Biblical Forgiveness Is
Biblical forgiveness means:
- Releasing a person from the debt they owe you.
- Refusing personal revenge.
- Entrusting justice to God.
- Choosing mercy instead of bitterness.
- Seeking reconciliation when it is biblically possible.
Forgiveness is not pretending the offense never happened. It is surrendering your right to personal vengeance.
Key Scriptures on Forgiveness
God Forgives Completely
Isaiah 43:25 (NASB)
“I, only I, am the one who wipes out your wrongdoings for My own sake, And I will not remember your sins.”
Psalm 103:12 (NASB)
“As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our wrongdoings from us.”
Micah 7:18–19 (NASB)
“Who is a God like You, who pardons wrongdoing
And passes over a rebellious act…
Yes, You will cast all their sins
Into the depths of the sea.”
Forgive Others
Matthew 6:14–15 (NASB)
“For if you forgive other people for their offenses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive other people, then your Father will not forgive your offenses.”
Mark 11:25 (NASB)
“Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your offenses.”
Luke 6:37 (NASB)
“Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned.”
Forgive Repeatedly
Matthew 18:21–22 (NASB)
“Peter came up and said to Him, ‘Lord, how many times shall my brother sin against me and I still forgive him? Up to seven times?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy-seven times.'”
Forgive as Christ Forgave
Ephesians 4:31–32 (NASB)
“All bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and slander must be removed from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”
Colossians 3:12–13 (NASB)
“Bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so must you do also.”
Love Covers Offenses
1 Peter 4:8 (NASB)
“Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.”
Forgiveness Through Christ
Acts 13:38–39 (NASB)
“Therefore let it be known to you, brothers, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses.”
1 John 1:9 (NASB)
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
A Biblical Summary
Forgiveness is the gracious decision to release the offender from the personal debt incurred by sin, relinquish the desire for revenge, and entrust justice to God, just as God in Christ has released us from the guilt and penalty of our sins. It does not necessarily mean that trust is immediately restored or that earthly consequences disappear, but it does free the believer from the bondage of bitterness and reflects the mercy God has shown us in Christ (Romans 12:17–21; Ephesians 4:32).
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