Whom will the Lord cleanse from all their sin?

The restoration of the land is not simply about the land; it is ultimately about the people who live in it. The land was always supposed to be the place where the Lord’s people would experience his covenant blessings. But to restore them to the land of blessing means cleansing them from all the guilt of their sin against the Lord. This the Lord promises to do, and he will forgive all the guilt of their sin and rebellion against him.

The Hebrew word taher, translated as cleanse sees sin as defilement and awon, translated as sin describes the offense and the guilt it causes. The Hebrew word used for commit is hata and speaks of missing the mark or falling short of what the Lord requires and pasa, translated as rebellion refers to acting in defiance against the Lord. In this way, every aspect of the people’s sin is described and dealt with comprehensively by the Lord. The language here reminds the reader of the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:30)¹.