Forgiveness;
There are seven words In Scripture which denote the idea of Forgiveness;
Three in Hebrew
1.Kapar= “To cover” – Ez 16:63
2.Nasa = “ To Bear”-”Take away”[guilt]; -Ex 32:32
3.Salah = “To Pardon” -”Ex 34:9 -The first Occurance.The meaning “to forgive” is limited to Biblical and rabbinic Hebrew;In Akkadian,the word means “to sprinkle”, and in Aramaic and Syriac signifies “to pour out” “-Vines p86
Nasa is used of both Divine and human forgiveness.
The other two…, are used of only Divine forgiveness
In the Greek N.T.the words for Forgiveness are
1.Apolyein= “To put away”…e.g. , a wife but only once to signify forgiveness ,Lk. 6:37
2.Paresis= found only once…ROM 3:23 suggests”disregarding”, but with out any suggestion of indifference.
3.Charizesthai= is used only of Luke & Paul and only to the latter in the sense of to forgive sins”
…2 Cor 2:7, Eph 4:32 ,Col 2 :13, 3:13etc. It especially expressess the Graciousness of God’s forgiveness.
The most Common N.T. word…is
4, ASPESIS= It conveys the idea of “Sending away” or “Letting go”. The noun occurs fifteen times.
The verb with the same meaning is used about forty times.
There are NO LIMITATIONS whatever to forgiveeness of one’s fellows
-Lk 17:4 , Matt18:22 Both of which signify “Limitlessness”
It is to be an attitude of MIND even before the offending party asks for Pardon,as is implied by Jesus
– Matt 18:35
For man to RECEIVE forgiveness Repenatnce is neccessary.-Lk 17:3-4
For the Holy God to EXTEND forgiveness,The shedding of blood-Heb 9:22
until no life is left [Lev 17:11] is PREREQUISITE-ultimately the once for all Heb 9:26
spilling of Christ’s Blood and His rising again -Rom 4:25”
P.226-Bakers Dictionary of Theology.