Psalms 25:11 - Exposition

For thy Name's sake, O Lord, pardon mine iniquity . The psalmist here resumes the attitude of prayer, which he had laid aside in Psalms 25:8 . The" sins of his youth," and his other "transgressions," which he had asked God to forget ( Psalms 25:7 ), rankle in his own memory, and force him to cry out again and again for pardon (see Psalms 25:18 ; Psalms 32:5 ; Psalms 38:18 ; Psalms 39:8 ; Psalms 41:4 , etc.). Here he beseeches God to pardon him "for his Name's sake," i.e. for the honour of his Name, that his mercy may Be known far and wide, and his goodness cause all the world to praise him. He enforces his plea by the confession, For it ( i.e. his iniquity) is great; so great, that his need of forgiveness is excessive: so great, that to forgive it will be truly Godlike; so great, that, unless forgiven, he must be lost. (For his "great sin," see 2 Samuel 11:4-17 .)