The Power of Forgiveness
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
There are four aspects to forgiveness from the Hebrew and Aramaic word pictures for forgiveness that show we have “power in the blood” of Jesus Christ. The first is kaphar which means to “cover the mouth for the person.” The substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus was foreshadowed on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) when the blood was sprinkled on the mercy seat. The second word is khasa where God “shuts the case” and pardons the sin. The third is nasa where the sin and guilt is “taken off and lifted away” just like the goat in the wilderness on the Day of Atonement. The fourth word is only used of God, salakh, and not only is the guilt taken away, but the entire debt is paid and erased. The word used in the New Testament combines all of these aspects and is shebaq. God had sent our sins away in Christ. Oh what a Savior!
The Father’s Forgiveness
Aba — “the strong one of the family”
Action: the one who decides
Summary of Forgiveness:
| Action | Hebrew | Aramaic |
|---|---|---|
| Cover | Kaphar | n/a |
| Pardon | Kasah | Khasa |
| Lift off and carry away | Nasa | n/a |
| Empty the debt | Salakh | n/a |
| Send away, dismiss | Shebaq | Shewaq |
Kaphar— (atonement) — “to cover the mouth for the person“
Leviticus 17:11 NET
for the life of every living thing is in the blood. So I myself have assigned it to you on the altar to make atonement for your lives, for the blood makes atonement by means of the life.
Khasa — pardon (propitiation)—“the fence of support of the strong one”
Romans 3:24—25 APNT
and they are freely justified by grace and by the redemption that is in Jesus Christ
(this [one] whom God determined beforehand [to be] a pardon by the faith of his blood because of our sins that we had previously sinned).
Nasa — (expiation) —“life changed by a strong one”
Psalm 32:1 NET
How blessed is the one whose rebellious acts are forgiven [nasa], whose sin is pardoned [kasah]! Scapegoat on Day of Atonement
Salakh — only used of God — “the protection of the shepherding of the fence”
Colossians 2:14 APNT
And he has blotted out, by his commandments, the handwriting of our debts that was against us and he took it from the middle and fastened it to his cross.
Shevaq — send away, dismiss (remission) — “change inside following after”
Matthew 6:12—15 APNT
and forgive us our debts, as also we have forgiven our debtors.
And do not let us enter into trial, but deliver us from the Evil [one], because the kingdom and the power and the glory are yours, forever and ever.’
For if you forgive men their offenses, your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive men, your Father will also not forgive you your offenses.
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