Quotes & Notes
- Love covereth a multitude of sins-Yea, "love covereth all
things." He that loves another, covers his faults, how many soever they
be. He turns away his own eyes from them; and, as far as is possible,
hides them from others. And he continually prays that all the sinner's
iniquities may be forgiven and his sins covered. Meantime the God of
love measures to him with the same measure into his bosom. -
John Wesley Notes
- He commends charity towards one another, because it buries a
multitude of sins, and therefore preserves and maintains peace and
harmony: for they who love one another easily forgive one another their
offences. - 1599 Geneva Bible Notes
- Intense love; for love shall cover a multitude of sins. A loving
disposition leads us to pass by the faults of others, to forgive
offences against ourselves, and to excuse and lessen, as far as is
consistent with truth, the transgressions of men. It does not mean that
our love to others will induce God to pardon our offences.
- Adam Clarke Commentary
- Love to another shall so cover or hide a great many
imperfections in him, that you will not notice them. This passage is
quoted from Pr 10:12: "Love covereth all sins." For the truth of it we
have only to appeal to the experience of every one.
- (a.) True love to another makes us kind to his imperfections,
charitable towards his faults, and often blind even to the existence
of faults. We would not see the imperfections of those whom we love;
and our attachment for what we esteem their real excellencies, makes
us insensible to their errors.
- (b.) If we love them we are ready to cover over their faults, even
those which we may see in them. Of love the Christian poet says--- "Tis
gentle, delicate, and kind. To faults compassionate or blind."
- Albert Barnes Commentary
- The oldest manuscripts have "covereth." Quoted from Pr 10:12;
compare Pr 17:9. "Covereth" so as not harshly to condemn or expose
faults; but forbearingly to bear the other's burdens, forgiving and
forgetting past offenses. Perhaps the additional idea is included, By
prayer for them, love tries to have them covered by God; and so being
the instrument of converting the sinner from his error, "covereth a (not
'the,' as English Version) multitude of sins"; but the former idea from
Proverbs is the prominent one. It is not, as Rome teaches, "covereth"
his own sins; for then the Greek middle voice would be used; and Pr
10:12; 17:9 support the Protestant view. "As God with His love covers my
sins if I believe, so must I also cover the sins of my neighbor"
[LUTHER]. Compare the conduct of Shem and Japheth to Noah (Ge 9:23), in
contrast to Ham's exposure of his father's shame. We ought to cover
others' sins only where love itself does not require the contrary.
- Jamieson-Faussett-Brown
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