אֵדָ֑ע (’ê·ḏā‘) in Psalms 51:3: Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular
אֵדָ֑ע (’ê·ḏā‘) in Psalms 51:3
Source Word
The BSB+ row for Psalms 51:3 links the English rendering "know" with אֵדָ֑ע, Strong's H3045, and the morphology tag V-Qal-Imperf-1cs.
How The Form Affects Interpretation
The form matters because it carries the speaker's acknowledgment: "I know my transgressions." It strengthens the confession without making grammar replace the psalm's full repentance language.
How To Communicate It
Explain this as a first-person imperfect in confession. That clarifies personal acknowledgment without overbuilding a doctrine of repentance from the form alone.
What Not To Say
- Grammar should serve context, not override it.
- Do not make the imperfect 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 use the grammar profile as a shortcut around the wording and logic of the verse.
What Does The Label Mean?
Hebrew-verb
Verb
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular
Qal
Imperfect
First person
Common
Singular
The imperfect form presents the action as unfolding, expected, desired, or modal in context; Psalms 51:3 determines how that force is heard.
This form carries the BSB rendering "know" within Psalms 51:3. Psalm 51 gives language for confession, cleansing, restoration, renewed joy, and renewed praise before God.
What The Form Does In This Verse
The confession rendered "know" in Psalms 51:3
The form belongs to the speaker's admission that he knows his transgressions.
It presents the speaker's personal acknowledgment of sin before God.
It does not make the imperfect label alone prove constant psychological awareness, and it does not turn knowledge of sin into the whole doctrine of repentance apart from the psalm.
How Much The Form Matters Here
High: The form carries the speaker's first-person acknowledgment of sin in a central confession psalm.
Qal imperfect first common singular. states the speaker's acknowledgment before God. Attached to the confession that the speaker knows his transgressions. Governed by the personal confession clause in Psalm 51:3. The imperfect belongs to the confession and should not be used alone to define repentance.
What does the speaker acknowledge? He acknowledges that he knows his transgressions.
Direct: The first common singular form directly supports the personal rendering "I know."
The imperfect form should be read in the confession context, not as a universal tense rule. The form names acknowledgment, while the psalm supplies the full repentance setting.
Imperfect proves constant psychological awareness: The form carries personal acknowledgment in this line; it does not define the whole inner state by itself. grammar alone defines repentance: The grammar names the confession; the psalm gives the wider repentance movement.
How The Interpretation Is Derived
The BSB+ row for Psalms 51:3 links the English rendering "know" with אֵדָ֑ע, Strong's H3045, and the morphology tag V-Qal-Imperf-1cs.
H3045 is represented here by the lemma יָדַע. In this occurrence, the public guide is limited to the BSB rendering "know" rather than every possible gloss of the entry.
The Qal imperfect first common singular carries the speaker's admission: "I know." In context, it is part of confession, naming personal acknowledgment of transgression before God.
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 Psalms 51:3, use the form to show that confession includes personal acknowledgment of sin, while keeping the doctrine of repentance tied to the whole psalm.
Do not derive a full word study, grammar doctrine, or doctrine of repentance from V-Qal-Imperf-1cs alone. The form identifies the occurrence-level confession.