The term "blotted" in the Bible often refers to the act of erasing or removing something, typically in the context of sin, guilt, or names from a record. This concept is deeply rooted in the biblical understanding of God's justice and mercy, as well as the permanence or impermanence of one's standing before God.

Old Testament Usage

In the Old Testament, the idea of being "blotted out" is frequently associated with the removal of sin or the erasure of one's name from a record. For instance, in Exodus 32:32-33, Moses intercedes for the Israelites after they have sinned by worshiping the golden calf. He pleads with God, saying, "But now, if You would only forgive their sin. But if not, please blot me out of the book You have written." The LORD responds, "Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot out of My book." Here, the "book" symbolizes God's record of those who are righteous and belong to Him.

Similarly, in Psalm 51:1-2, David cries out for mercy after his sin with Bathsheba, asking God to "blot out my transgressions." This plea highlights the desire for divine forgiveness and the removal of sin's stain from one's life.

New Testament Usage

In the New Testament, the concept of blotting out is often linked to the forgiveness and redemption found in Christ. Colossians 2:14 speaks of Christ having "canceled the debt ascribed to us in the decrees that stood against us. He took it away, nailing it to the cross." The term "canceled" here can be understood as "blotted out," indicating the complete removal of the record of our sins through the sacrificial work of Jesus.

Revelation 3:5 also touches on this theme, where Jesus promises, "The one who overcomes will be clothed in white garments, and I will never blot out his name from the Book of Life, but I will confess his name before My Father and His angels." This assurance underscores the eternal security of those who remain faithful to Christ, contrasting with the potential for names to be blotted out due to unfaithfulness or sin.

Theological Implications

The concept of being "blotted out" carries significant theological weight, emphasizing both the seriousness of sin and the profound nature of God's forgiveness. It serves as a reminder of the consequences of sin, which can lead to separation from God and the loss of one's place in His eternal kingdom. At the same time, it highlights the hope and assurance found in God's mercy, where sins can be completely erased through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.

The imagery of blotting out also reflects the ancient practice of writing on papyrus or parchment, where ink could be removed or overwritten. This metaphor illustrates the transformative power of God's grace, which not only forgives but also renews and restores the believer to a right relationship with Him.

In summary, the biblical concept of "blotted" underscores the dual themes of judgment and redemption, calling believers to live in holiness and faithfulness while resting in the assurance of God's unfailing love and forgiveness.(imp. & p. p.) of Blot.4229a. machah -- to wipe, wipe out
... root Definition to wipe, wipe out NASB Word Usage blot (12), blotted (11), destroys
(1), utterly blot (1), wash off (1), wipe (1), wipe...away (1), wiped (1 ...
/hebrew/4229a.htm - 5k

The Handwriting Blotted Out
... The Handwriting Blotted Out. We have ... earth. But thank God for the gospel we
preach! If we repent, our sins will all be blotted out. "You ...
/.../moody/weighed and wanting/the handwriting blotted out.htm

Whether Anyone May be Blotted Out of the Book of Life?
... THE BOOK OF LIFE (THREE ARTICLES) Whether anyone may be blotted out of the book
of life? ... Therefore neither can anyone be blotted out from the book of life. ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether anyone may be blotted.htm

Whether a Character Can be Blotted Out from the Soul?
... OF THE OTHER EFFECT OF THE SACRAMENTS, WHICH IS A CHARACTER (SIX ARTICLES)
Whether a character can be blotted out from the soul? ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether a character can be.htm

Writing Blotted Out and Mist Melted
... WRITING BLOTTED OUT AND MIST MELTED. 'I have blotted out, as a thick cloud,
thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins.'"Isaiah 44:22. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture h/writing blotted out and mist.htm

Moses' Prayer to be Blotted Out of God's Book.
... SERMON VIII. Moses' Prayer to be blotted out of God's Book. Exodus
xxxii.31, 32. "And Moses returned unto the Lord and said. Oh! ...
/.../lee/sermons on various important subjects/sermon viii moses prayer to.htm

Moses' Prayer to be Blotted Out of God's Book.
... SERMON VII. Moses' Prayer to be blotted out of God's Book. Exodus
xxxii.31, 32. "And Moses returned unto the Lord and said, 'Oh! ...
/.../lee/sermons on various important subjects/sermon vii moses prayer to.htm

The Image of God is not Wholly Blotted Out in These Unbelievers ...
... A Treatise on the spirit and the letter, Chapter 48."The Image of God is
Not Wholly Blotted Out in These Unbelievers; Venial Sins. ...
/.../augustine/anti-pelagian writings/chapter 48 the image of god.htm

Whether the Law of Nature Can be Abolished from the Heart of Man?
... a gloss says that "the law of righteousness, which sin had blotted out, is graven
on the heart of man when he is restored by grace." But the law of ...
//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether the law of nature.htm

The Divinity of the Holy Spirit is Supported by a Passage of St. . ...
... That erasure betrayed you more, that erasure condemned you more; and you were not
able to obliterate the truth, but that erasure blotted out your names from ...
/.../ambrose/works and letters of st ambrose/chapter x the divinity of.htm

The Nature of Justification
... 861) and that justification consists in this, that sin (original and mortal) is
no longer "imputed" to the sinner; that is to say, it is not blotted out but ...
/.../pohle/grace actual and habitual/section 1 the nature of.htm

Blotted (15 Occurrences)
...Blotted (15 Occurrences). ... Numbers 5:23 And the priest hath written these execrations
in a book, and hath blotted 'them' out with the bitter waters, (YLT). ...
/b/blotted.htm - 11k

Blot (23 Occurrences)
... British and American) has "spot." Blot out (machah, "to wipe out," exaleipho, "to
smear out"), to obliterate or destroy: "That a tribe be not blotted out" (the ...
/b/blot.htm - 16k

Life (6001 Occurrences)
... To be blotted out of the Book of Life is to be cut off from God's favor, to suffer
an untimely death, as when Moses pleads that he be blotted out of God's book ...
/l/life.htm - 51k

Wiped (25 Occurrences)
... Acts 3:19 "Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out,
so that there may come times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord, (See ...
/w/wiped.htm - 14k

Creatures (83 Occurrences)
... Genesis 7:23 And He blotted out every living substance which was upon the face of
the ground, both man, and cattle, and creeping thing, and fowl of the heaven ...
/c/creatures.htm - 31k

Forgive (81 Occurrences)
... anger of Jehovah smoke, also His zeal, against that man, and lain down on him hath
all the oath which is written in this book, and Jehovah hath blotted out his ...
/f/forgive.htm - 33k

Vexed (37 Occurrences)
... Nehemiah 4:5 and cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out
from before thee; for they have provoked thee to anger before the builders. ...
/v/vexed.htm - 16k

Name (10157 Occurrences)
... 7:9, 23, etc.); it might be an "evil name" (Deuteronomy 22:14, 19); the "name" is
also equivalent to a "people" or "nation" (which might be "blotted out," ie ...
/n/name.htm - 23k

Insults (34 Occurrences)
... Nehemiah 4:5 and do not cover over their iniquity, and their sin from before Thee
let not be blotted out, for they have provoked to anger -- over-against those ...
/i/insults.htm - 15k

Repent (74 Occurrences)
... Acts 3:19 "Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out,
so that there may come times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord, (WEB ...
/r/repent.htm - 29k

How should a Christian deal with feelings of guilt regarding past sins, whether pre- or post-salvation? | GotQuestions.org

What is a levirate marriage? | GotQuestions.org

Were fish and sea creatures also destroyed during the Flood (Genesis 6-8)? | GotQuestions.org

Blotted: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus