חָנֵּ֣נִי (ḥān·nê·nî) in Psalms 51:1: Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular | first person common singular
חָנֵּ֣נִי (ḥān·nê·nî) in Psalms 51:1
Source Word
The BSB+ row for Psalms 51:1 links the English rendering "Have mercy on me" with חָנֵּ֣נִי, Strong's H2603, and the parsing label V-Qal-Imp-ms | 1cs.
How The Form Affects Interpretation
The form matters because it carries Psalm 51's opening plea: "Have mercy on me." It makes the prayer personal and urgent while the verse grounds mercy in God's character.
How To Communicate It
Explain this as an imperative used in prayerful appeal. That lets readers hear the urgency of the plea without suggesting the speaker has authority over God.
What Not To Say
- Grammar should serve context, not override it.
- Do not make the imperative label prove more than the sentence supports.
- Do not use the stem label by itself to settle a theological claim.
- Do not treat this occurrence as a complete word study for the whole Hebrew lemma.
- Do not treat the attached suffix as a full theology of the participant; let the verse identify the relationship.
What Does The Label Mean?
Hebrew-verb
Verb
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular | first person common singular
First person common singular
Qal
Imperative
Not marked
Masculine
Singular
The imperative presents the form as a directed command or appeal in Psalms 51:1, but the verse still supplies the speaker, audience, and purpose.
This form carries the BSB rendering "Have mercy on me" within Psalms 51:1. Psalm 51 gives language for confession, cleansing, restoration, renewed joy, and renewed praise before God.
What The Form Does In This Verse
The mercy appeal rendered "Have mercy on me" in Psalms 51:1
The imperative opens the psalm's plea to God according to his loving devotion.
It presents a direct appeal for mercy, with the first-person suffix marking the speaker as the one asking to receive mercy.
It does not imply that the speaker commands God with authority over him, and it does not make the imperative alone carry the whole theology of mercy.
How Much The Form Matters Here
High: The form carries Psalm 51's opening appeal for mercy.
Imperative used as prayerful appeal with first-person suffix. asks God to show mercy to the speaker. Attached to the opening plea for mercy in Psalms 51:1. Governed by the prayer address to God. The imperative marks urgent appeal, not human authority over God.
What is the speaker asking God to do at the start of the psalm? The speaker asks God to have mercy on him.
Direct: The imperative and first-person suffix directly support the English phrase "Have mercy on me."
Imperatives in prayer are appeals to God, not attempts to control God. The first-person suffix makes the plea personal, but the verse grounds mercy in God's character.
Imperative means the speaker commands God with authority: In prayer, an imperative can express urgent dependent appeal rather than authority over God. suffix proves only private individual concern: The suffix marks the speaker's plea, while the psalm also serves Scripture's worship and repentance language.
How The Interpretation Is Derived
The BSB+ row for Psalms 51:1 links the English rendering "Have mercy on me" with חָנֵּ֣נִי, Strong's H2603, and the parsing label V-Qal-Imp-ms | 1cs.
H2603 is represented here by the lemma חָנַן. In this occurrence, the public guide is limited to the BSB rendering "Have mercy on me" rather than every possible gloss of the entry.
The Qal imperative with first-person suffix opens Psalm 51 as an urgent appeal: "Have mercy on me." The form is grammatically imperative, but as prayer it is a dependent plea grounded in God's mercy, not a command over God.
Psalm 51 gives language for confession, cleansing, restoration, renewed joy, and renewed praise before God.
The form fits Scripture's pattern of repentance, mercy, cleansing, and restored worship before the Lord.
When teaching Psalms 51:1, show how the imperative gives urgency to the plea while the verse anchors that plea in God's loving devotion and compassion.
Do not derive a full word study, grammar doctrine, or full doctrine of mercy from V-Qal-Imp-ms | 1cs alone. The form identifies the occurrence-level appeal.