Pardon

Charles Buck Theological Dictionary

The act of forgiving an offender, or removing the guilt of sin, that the punishment due to it may not be inflicted. Of the nature of pardon it may be observed, that the Scripture represents it by various phrases: a lifting up, or taking away,  Psalms 32:1; a covering of it,  Psalms 85:2; a non-imputation of it,  Psalms 32:2 . a blotting it out, Psa 43: 25; a non-remembrance of it,  Hebrews 8:12 . Is. 43: 25.

1. It is an act of free grace,  Psalms 51:1 .  Isaiah 43:25 .

2. A point of justice, God having received satisfaction by the blood of Christ,  1 John 1:9 .

3. A complete act, a forgiveness of all the sins of his people,  1 John 1:7 .  Psalms 103:2-3 .

4. An act that never will be repealed,  Micah 7:19 . The author or cause of pardon is not any creature, angel, or man; but God. Ministers are said to remit sin declaratively, but not authoriatively; that is, they preach and declare that there is remission of sins in Christ; but to pretend to absolve men is the height of blasphemy,  1 Thessalonians 2:4 .  Revelation 13:5-6 .

See Absolution, Indulgences There is nothing that man has, or can do, by which pardon can be procured: wealth cannot buy pardon,  Proverbs 11:1-31;  Proverbs 12:1-28;  Proverbs 13:1-25;  Proverbs 14:1-35;  Proverbs 15:1-33;  Proverbs 16:1-33;  Proverbs 17:1-28;  Proverbs 18:1-24;  Proverbs 19:1-29;  Proverbs 20:1-30;  Proverbs 21:1-31;  Proverbs 22:1-29;  Proverbs 23:1-35;  Proverbs 24:1-34;  Proverbs 25:1-28;  Proverbs 26:1-28;  Proverbs 27:1-27;  Proverbs 28:1-28;  Proverbs 29:1-27;  Proverbs 30:1-33;  Proverbs 31:1-4; human works or righteousness cannot merit it,  Romans 11:6; nor can water baptism wash away sin. It is the prerogative of God alone to forgive,  Mark 2:7; the first cause of which is his own sovereign grace and mercy,  Ephesians 1:7 . The meritorious cause is the blood of Christ,  Hebrews 9:14 .  1 John 1:7 . Pardon of sin and justification are considered by some as the same thing: and it must be confessed that there is a close connexion; in many parts they agree, and it is without doubt that every sinner who shall be found pardoned at the great day, will likewise be justified; yet they have been distinguished thus:

1. An innocent person, when falsely accused and acquitted, is justified, but not pardoned; and a criminal may be pardoned, though he cannot be justified or declared innocent. Pardon is of men that are sinners, and who remain such, though pardoned sinners; but justification is a pronouncing persons righteous, as if they had never sinned.

2. Pardon frees from punishment, but does not entitle to everlasting life; but justification does,  Romans 5:1-21 : If we were only pardoned, we should, indeed, escape the pains of hell, but could have no claim to the joys of heaven; for these are more than the most perfect works of man could merit; therefore they must be what the Scriptures declare

"the gift of God." After all, however, though these two may be distinguished, yet they cannot be separated; and, in reality, one is not prior to the other; for he that is pardoned by the death of Christ, is at the same time justified by his life,  Romans 5:10 .  Acts 13:38-39 .

See Grace, Mercy Charnock's works, Vol. 2: p. 101; Gill's Body of Div. art. Pardon; Owen on Psalm cxxx; Hervey's Works. vol. 2: p. 352.

Morrish Bible Dictionary

Four Hebrew words are so translated.

1. kaphar, 'to cover,' same as 'to make atonement,' forgive. 2 Chr. 30:18.

2. nasa, 'to lift up,' forgive.   Exodus 23:21;  1 Samuel 15:25;  Job 7:21;  Micah 7 : 18.

3. salach, 'to pass over,' forgive; used only of God's forgiveness.   Exodus 34:9;  Numbers 14:19,20;  2 Kings 5:18;  2 Kings 24:4;  Nehemiah 9:17;  Psalm 25:11;  Isaiah 55:7;  Jeremiah 5:1,7;  Jeremiah 33:8;  Jeremiah 50:20;  Lamentations 3:42 .

4. ratsah, 'to delight in,' receive graciously, forgive,   Isaiah 40:2 .

King James Dictionary

P`Ardon, L per and dono, to give per having the sense of the English for in forgive, and re in L. remitto, properly to give back or away.

1. To forgive to remit as an offense or crime. Guilt implies a being bound or subjected to censure, penalty or punishment. To pardon, is to give up this obligation, and release the offender. We apply the word to the crime or to the person. We pardon an offense, when we remove it from the offender and consider him as not guilty we pardon the offender, when we release or absolve him from his liability to suffer punishment.

I pray thee, pardon my sin.  1 Samuel 15

2. To remit, as a penalty.

I pardon thee thy life before thou ask it.

3. To excuse, as for a fault. 4. Pardon me, is a phrase used when one asks for excuse, or makes an apology, and it is often used in this sense, when a person means civilly to deny or contradict what another affirms.

P`ARDON, n. Forgiveness the release of an offense or of the obligation of the offender to suffer a penalty, or to bear the displeasure of the offended party. We seek the pardon of sins, transgressions and offenses.

1. Remission of a penalty. An amnesty is a general pardon. 2. Forgiveness received.

Webster's Dictionary

(1): ( v. t.) To remit the penalty of; to suffer to pass without punishment; to forgive; - applied to offenses.

(2): ( v. t.) To refrain from exacting as a penalty.

(3): ( v. t.) An official warrant of remission of penalty.

(4): ( v. t.) The act of pardoning; forgiveness, as of an offender, or of an offense; release from penalty; remission of punishment; absolution.

(5): ( v. t.) A release, by a sovereign, or officer having jurisdiction, from the penalties of an offense, being distinguished from amenesty, which is a general obliteration and canceling of a particular line of past offenses.

(6): ( v. t.) To absolve from the consequences of a fault or the punishment of crime; to free from penalty; - applied to the offender.

(7): ( v. t.) To give leave (of departure) to.

(8): ( v. t.) The state of being forgiven.

Holman Bible Dictionary

 Numbers 14:19 Micah 7:18 1 Chronicles 29:18 Isaiah 55:7AtonementForgiveness

Easton's Bible Dictionary

 Isaiah 43:25 Nehemiah 9:17 Psalm 86:5 Isaiah 55:7 Romans 5:20

Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology

See Forgiveness

Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament

See Forgiveness.

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

PARDON. See Forgiveness.

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

(prop. some form of כָּפִר , To Cover , i.e. forgive) is in theology the act of forgiving an offender, or removing the guilt of sin, that the punishment due to it may not be inflicted. On the nature of pardon, it may be observed that the Scripture represents it by various phrases: a lifting up or taking away of sin ( Psalms 32:1), a covering of it ( Psalms 85:2), a non-imputation of it ( Psalms 32:2), a blotting of it out ( Psalms 51:1), a non- remembrance of it ( Hebrews 8:12;  Isaiah 43:25). In character,

1, It is an act of free grace ( Psalms 51:1;  Isaiah 43:25);

2, a point of justice, God having received satisfaction by the blood of Christ ( 1 John 1:9);

3, a complete act, a forgiveness of all the sins of his people ( 1 John 1:7;  Psalms 103:2-3);

4, an act that will never be repealed ( Micah 7:19). The author or cause of pardon is not any creature, angel, or man; but God. Ministers preach and declare that there is remission of sins in Christ; but to pretend to absolve men is the height of blasphemy ( 1 Thessalonians 2:4;  Revelation 13:5-6). (See Absolution); (See Indulgences); and the article below, Pardons There is nothing that man has done or can do by which pardon can be procured: wealth cannot buy pardon ( Proverbs 11:4), human works or righteousness cannot merit it ( Romans 11:6), nor can water baptism wash away sin. It is the prerogative of God alone to forgive ( Mark 2:7), the first cause of which is his own sovereign grace and mercy ( Ephesians 1:7). The meritorious cause is the blood of Christ ( Hebrews 9:14;  1 John 1:7). It is to be sought by prayer. (See Forgiveness).

Pardon of sin and justification are considered by some as the same thing, and it must be confessed that there is a close connection; in many parts they agree, and without doubt every sinner who shall be found pardoned at the great day will likewise be justified; yet they have been distinguished thus:

1. An innocent person, when falsely accused and acquitted, is justified, but not pardoned; and a criminal may be pardoned, though he cannot be justified or declared innocent. Pardon is of men that are sinners, and who remain such, though pardoned sinners; but justification is a pronouncing persons righteous, as if they had never sinned.

2. Pardon frees from punishment, but does not entitle to everlasting life; but justification does (Romans 5). If we were only pardoned, we should, indeed, escape the pains of hell, but could have no claim to the joys of heaven; for these are more than the most perfect works of man could merit; therefore they must be what the Scripture declares — "the gift of God." After all, however, though these two may be distinguished, yet they cannot be separated; and, in reality, one is not prior to the other; for he that is pardoned by the death of Christ is at the same time justified by his life — ( Romans 5:10;  Acts 13:38-39). See Charnock, Works, 2:101; Gill, Body Of Divinity , s.v.; Owen, On Psalms 130 ; Hervey, Works, 2:352; Dwight, Theology ; Fuller, Works; Griffin, On Atonement , Appendix; Knapp, Theology , p. 385; New Englander , Jan. 1875, art. 3. (See Justification).