FORGIVENESS (For-gIv'n6s), (Heb. kaw far', to cover, to hide, to purge, to do away, Deut. xxi:8, et al.; 1'4;1, naw-saw', to lift up, to take away, Gen. I:17, et al.; 1.11?3, saw-lakh', and ciolrnu, afee'ay-mee, to send away, let off, Ps. ciii:3, et al., Matt. vi:12, and most of the New Testament places; xaplitwat, khar-idzom-ahee, to give gladly or freely, Luke vii:42, et al.). (Barnes, Bib. Diet.) Forgiveness is an act of God toward man, and of man toward his fellow. To forgive sin is the exclusive prerogative of God, of whose law sin is the transgression (Ps. cxxx :4). Our Lord, by virtue of his Divine nature, assumed the pre rogative and exercised the power of forgiving sins, which the scribes and Pharisees, viewing him merely as a man, made the occasion of a charge of blasphemy (Mark ii :5). The gospel makes known not only that there is forgiveness with God, but also how such forgiveness is made compatible with the Divine justice.
Forgiveness, full. free and everlasting. is offered to all who will believe and obey the gospel (Acts xiii :38, 39; t John ii :12). The duty of mutual forgiveness is urged upon man with the most solemn sanctions.
While Christ forbids retaliation and revenge, he does not command us to forgive, in the strict sense of the word, only on condition of repent ance; but when this takes place the forgive ness must be prompt and cordial (Luke xvii :3, 4)• We are bound to this, under the penalty of not having our own sins forgiven by God; or the canceling of the act of forgiveness if we have been pardoned (Matt. vi :I2-I5 ; XVIII :15-35). The for giving spirit Christ enjoins.
FORK (fOrk), (Neb. 117)17 11:'151P, shel-oshe' kil lesh-one', three of prongs), a three-pronged fork for pitching hay, or straw (I Sam. xii1:21).