Ivan is tongue-tied when the police finds knife in his bag. The moral shock he undergoes as an innocent victim of circumstances allows him to have faith in justice. But the moment his wife expresses her suspicion over his involvement in the murder, he loses all hopes. It is then that he starts believing in God and divine justice. Tsar can’t give him freedom. His judgement is based on evidences given by crooked people.
God need not be given any evidences of innocence. He knows the truth but his mills of justice grind very slow. Ivan loses interest in escaping dr leaving the prison. He had no one to go back to. At this juncture, Semyonich confesses his guilt of murdering the merchant. When the pardon arrives as a cruel joke, Ivan is dead. So, ‘God knows the truth but waits’ is the most appropriate title for this story.