Who forgives all your iniquities; who heals all your diseases;
forgiveth
Psalm 32:1-5 A Psalm of David, Maschil. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered…
Psalm 51:1-3 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions…
Psalm 130:8 And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.
healeth
Psalm 30:2 O LORD my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me.
Psalm 38:1-7 A Psalm of David, to bring to remembrance. O LORD, rebuke me not in thy wrath: neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure…
Psalm 41:3,4,8 The LORD will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness…
and heals all your diseases
This phrase speaks to God's power to heal physical, emotional, and spiritual ailments. In the biblical context, disease often symbolized the consequences of sin and separation from God. Healing, therefore, is not just physical but also a restoration of the relationship with God. The ministry of Jesus is marked by numerous healings, demonstrating His authority over sickness and His compassion (Matthew 8:16-17). This healing is also prophetic, pointing to the ultimate healing and restoration in the new creation (Revelation 21:4). The promise of healing reflects God's comprehensive care for His people, addressing both the root of sin and its manifestations.
• The verse looks back to “Bless the LORD, O my soul” (Psalm 103:2), so the “He” is the covenant LORD, personally acting, not an impersonal force.
• Forgiveness flows from His character: “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious” (Exodus 34:6-7).
• Scripture never separates God’s love from His holiness. He has authority to cancel guilt because the just penalty will be fully satisfied in the sacrifice He provides (Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24).
• 1 John 1:9 affirms the same certainty: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
• “All” removes exceptions—every act, thought, and motive that misses God’s standard is included.
• David knew aggravating sins—adultery, murder—yet experienced total pardon (2 Samuel 12:13).
• Micah 7:19 celebrates this breadth: “You will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.”
• The scope is individual (“your”), assuring believers that personal histories do not overtax God’s grace.
• Forgiveness is joined to healing because sin introduced death and brokenness into creation (Romans 5:12). God’s remedy addresses root and symptom.
• Exodus 15:26 calls Him “the LORD who heals you,” revealing healing as an aspect of His covenant care.
• Healing encompasses restoration of body, mind, and spirit, shown when Jesus said, “Your sins are forgiven” and then raised the paralytic (Luke 5:20-24).
• The same inclusive “all” appears—no sickness outruns His power. Leprosy (Matthew 8:2-3), blindness (John 9:1-7), and fever (Mark 1:30-31) all yielded instantly to Christ.
• Physical maladies preview the deeper disorder of the fall; every cure signs the coming day when “there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain” (Revelation 21:4).
• James 5:14-16 ties forgiveness and bodily healing together in church life, keeping this promise current until that final wholeness.
Psalm 103:3 sets forth the LORD as the complete Redeemer. He wipes out every sin and repairs every fracture sin caused. The verse assures believers that God’s grace is exhaustive—no guilt remains, no disease is beyond His reach. In the cross and the empty tomb we already taste this reality, and in the resurrection to come we will enjoy it in full.
(3) Forgiveth.--The first "benefit" to one who aims at the higher life is the knowledge of the Divine readiness to forgive and renew, and this, as Augustine remarks, implies a quick moral sense: "God's benefits will not be before our eyes unless our sins are also before our eyes."Diseases.--Here chiefly in a moral sense, as the parallelism "iniquity" shows, even if the next verse, taken literally, implies an allusion to physical suffering as well.
Verse 3. - Who forgiveth all thine iniquities. This is the first and greatest of "benefits," and is therefore placed first, as that for which we ought, above all else, to bless God. God's forgiveness of sin is a frequent topic with the psalmists (see Psalm 25:11, 18; Psalm 32:1; Psalm 51:9; Psalm 85:2; Psalm 86:5, etc.). Who healeth all thy diseases. This is best understood literally - not as mere "parallelism." Among the greatest blessings which we receive of God is recovery from sickness.