This psalm has similar themes to Psalm 51 and it is regarded as having been composed by David at the same time, after his repentance over his sin with Bathsheba. Certainly he was glad that his sins had been pardoned by God (vv. 1-2). In these verses, he uses three words to describe his wrong behaviour — sin, transgression and iniquity — and in doing so he reveals that he has discovered the awful wrongness of his actions.
Before he had been brought to repentance, he had suffered emotionally and physically because of divine chastisement (vv. 3-4). But when he repented, he experienced divine restoration. His repentance was expressed by confession, which is more than an admittance of sin; it includes appreciating to some extent the awfulness of sin in God’s estimation (v. 5).
David urges all who fall into sin to follow his example of confession. It is the path of deliverance from trouble (v. 6). David discovered that the God he had sinned against could be his protector, perhaps from God’s accusing law or even from accusations by others. God is not only David’s private restorer — he also shouts out on behalf of David (v. 7).
David reveals in verse 8 that he had been restored to his position as a teacher (he had prayed for such restoration in Psalm 51, which could indicate that it was written before Psalm 32). He knew by personal experience the danger of falling stubbornly into sin and of how the Lord’s restoration occurs. He wanted to teach others about those realities, and through this psalm he teaches us (vv. 8-9).
He concludes by contrasting the wicked and the righteous. The wicked have a road marked by sorrow whereas the believer in Jesus enjoys covenant blessings. Therefore, his followers should be marked by great joy (vv. 9-10).
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