Hebrew Form Guide

מֵעֲוֺנִ֑י (mê·‘ă·wō·nî) in Psalms 51:2: Preposition-m | Noun - common singular construct | first person common singular

מֵעֲוֺנִ֑י (mê·‘ă·wō·nî) in Psalms 51:2

Source Word

מֵעֲוֺנִ֑י mê·‘ă·wō·nî Preposition-m | Noun - common singular construct | first person common singular

The BSB+ row for Psalms 51:2 links the English rendering "of my iniquity" with מֵעֲוֺנִ֑י, Strong's H5771, and the morphology tag Prep-m | N-csc | 1cs.

How The Form Affects Interpretation

The form makes the confession concrete: the phrase is not simply about iniquity as a concept, but about the speaker's own iniquity in a plea for washing.

How To Communicate It

When teaching Psalms 51:2, use this form to show how the grammar serves confession: David is not discussing iniquity in the abstract; he is asking to be washed clean from his own iniquity.

What Not To Say

  • Grammar should serve context, not override it.
  • Do not make the prefixed min settle every theology of cleansing or removal by itself.
  • Do not treat the construct form as the whole meaning of iniquity.
  • Do not make the first-person suffix a private devotional application apart from the psalm's confession before God.
  • Do not treat this occurrence as a complete word study for every use of H5771.
  • Do not use the grammar profile as a shortcut around the wording and logic of the verse.

What Does The Label Mean?

Profile

Hebrew-nominal

Part of Speech

Noun

Form Label

Preposition-m | Noun - common singular construct | first person common singular

Attached Prefixes

Mem preposition

Suffix

First person common singular

Gender

Common

Number

Singular

State

Construct

Verse Role

This form carries the BSB rendering "of my iniquity" within Psalms 51:2. Psalm 51 gives language for confession, cleansing, restoration, renewed joy, and renewed praise before God.

What The Form Does In This Verse

Attached To

David's plea to be washed clean in Psalm 51:2

Governed By

The imperative request for cleansing from guilt and sin

Role In The Phrase

The prefixed min marks the relation of removal or separation, the construct noun names iniquity, and the first-person suffix makes the confession personal: my iniquity.

What It Is Not Doing

The form does not by itself define the whole biblical doctrine of sin, guilt, cleansing, or forgiveness; Psalm 51 supplies the confession and plea.

How Much The Form Matters Here

Interpretive Weight

High: The form makes Psalm 51:2's confession personal and shows the relation between the washing request and the speaker's iniquity.

Syntax Profile

Prefixed min with construct noun and first-person suffix. marks the iniquity from which the speaker asks to be washed. Attached to the plea to be washed clean in Psalm 51:2. Governed by the request for cleansing. The construct noun and suffix make the phrase personal, while the surrounding imperatives supply the cleansing frame.

Reader Question

What is the speaker asking to be washed from? He asks to be washed from his own iniquity.

Translation Effect

Direct: The prefixed min and first-person suffix directly support the English phrase "of my iniquity."

Where Caution Is Needed

The prefixed min can express related ideas such as from or of; the washing request decides the relation here. The personal suffix should deepen the confession, not turn the psalm into a grammar-based theory of guilt by itself.

Fallacies To Avoid

Min preposition alone proves a complete cleansing doctrine: The preposition supports the relation of the plea, but Psalm 51 supplies the theology of mercy and cleansing. first-person suffix makes the verse only private: The suffix is personal, but the psalm gives Scripture-shaped language for confession before God.

How The Interpretation Is Derived

Textual Witness

The BSB+ row for Psalms 51:2 links the English rendering "of my iniquity" with מֵעֲוֺנִ֑י, Strong's H5771, and the morphology tag Prep-m | N-csc | 1cs.

Lexical Identity

H5771 is represented here by the lemma עָוֺן. This guide is limited to the occurrence rendered "of my iniquity" in Psalms 51:2.

Grammar In Context

The prefixed min sets the iniquity in relation to the washing request, the construct form carries the noun phrase, and the first-person suffix keeps the confession personal rather than abstract.

Passage Meaning

Psalm 51 is a plea for mercy, washing, cleansing, renewed joy, and restored praise before God.

Canonical Fit

The form fits Scripture's pattern that true confession names sin personally and looks to God for cleansing that sinners cannot manufacture for themselves.

Communication Use

When teaching Psalms 51:2, use this form to show how the grammar serves confession: David is not discussing iniquity in the abstract; he is asking to be washed clean from his own iniquity.

Do Not Derive

Do not use the prefixed min, construct state, or suffix alone to define every category of sin or atonement. The form identifies the personal iniquity phrase inside the psalm's plea.