בְּרָא־ (bə·rā-) in Psalms 51:10: Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
בְּרָא־ (bə·rā-) in Psalms 51:10
Source Word
The BSB+ row for Psalms 51:10 links the English rendering "Create" with בְּרָא־, Strong's H1254, and the morphology label V-Qal-Imp-ms.
How The Form Affects Interpretation
The form makes the request urgent and direct: the speaker asks God Himself to create a clean heart.
How To Communicate It
In explanation, this form can help readers see that the grammar is a plea for divine action, not a technique for self-renewal.
What Not To Say
- Grammar should serve context, not override it.
- Do not treat an imperative addressed to God as human authority over God.
- Do not make the Qal stem prove a doctrine of creation by itself.
- Do not turn the form into a complete doctrine of regeneration without the passage and canon.
- Keep the petition inside Psalm 51's confession and mercy context.
What Does The Label Mean?
Hebrew-verb
Verb
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Qal
Imperative
Not marked
Not marked
Not marked
The imperative form gives direct force to the action, while the verse and passage determine the scope of the command or appeal.
This form carries the BSB rendering "Create" within Psalms 51:10. Psalm 51 gives language for confession, cleansing, restoration, renewed joy, and renewed praise before God.
What The Form Does In This Verse
David's prayer in Psalm 51:10, asking God to create in him a clean heart
The Qal imperative masculine singular addressed to God within a petition
It gives the petition its direct appeal: the speaker asks God to create the clean heart he needs.
It does not make the worshiper command God as a superior or settle every doctrine of creation, cleansing, or renewal by itself.
How Much The Form Matters Here
High: The imperative carries the central request of a major penitential prayer.
Qal imperative masculine singular addressed to God. expresses a direct plea for God to act. Attached to the prayer request for a clean heart. Governed by the petition context of Psalm 51. Imperatives in prayer can be direct petitions without implying human control over God.
What is the speaker asking God to do? To create a clean heart in him.
Direct: The imperative directly supports the rendering "Create."
An imperative addressed to God functions as petition in prayer, not as superior command. The Qal stem identifies the form but does not settle the theology of creation or renewal by itself. The request should be read with the confession and cleansing language of the psalm.
Imperative means humans command God: In prayer, the imperative can express urgent dependence and petition. Qal means create is simple: The stem label does not define the theological depth of the request. grammar alone proves regeneration doctrine: The form marks the petition; doctrinal synthesis needs the psalm and canon.
How The Interpretation Is Derived
The BSB+ row for Psalms 51:10 links the English rendering "Create" with בְּרָא־, Strong's H1254, and the morphology label V-Qal-Imp-ms.
H1254 is represented here by the lemma בָּרָא. In this occurrence, the public guide is limited to the BSB rendering "Create" rather than every possible gloss of the entry.
The imperative form gives direct request force, while the prayer setting shows that this is a plea for divine action.
Psalm 51 gives language for confession, cleansing, restoration, renewed joy, and renewed praise before God.
The form fits Scripture's language of confession, mercy, cleansing, restored joy, and renewed obedience.
When teaching Psalm 51:10, use this form to show the directness of the prayer while keeping the request humble and dependent on God.
Do not derive a full theology of creation, regeneration, or prayer from V-Qal-Imp-ms alone. The form marks a direct petition in Psalm 51.