Pardon

Pardon in Scripture denotes the divine act of forgiveness by which God releases the guilty from the penalty and guilt of sin, restoring the broken covenant relationship. The Old Testament presents pardon as freely given (Isaiah 43:25), readily available to those who repent (Nehemiah 9:17; Psalm 86:5), and linked to God's abundant mercy rather than human merit. Isaiah 55:7 extends the invitation to the wicked to return to the Lord, for he will abundantly pardon (yarbeh lisloach — he will multiply forgiveness).

Pardon in the OT is grounded in the sacrificial system and God's covenant steadfast love (hesed), while the NT grounds it in the atoning work of Christ. Paul's language of justification and Romans 5:20 — where sin abounded, grace did much more abound — reflects the same theology of abundant divine forgiveness. Micah 7:18 celebrates God as one who delighteth in mercy, pardoning iniquity as an expression of his very character, not merely his policy.