Hebrew Form Guide

פְ֭שָׁעַי (p̄ə·šā·‘ay) in Psalms 51:3: Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular

פְ֭שָׁעַי (p̄ə·šā·‘ay) in Psalms 51:3

Source Word

פְ֭שָׁעַיp̄ə·šā·‘ayNoun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular

At Psalms 51:3, the Psalms 51:3 source token פְ֭שָׁעַי is H6588, N-mpc | 1cs. The H6588 Psalms 51:3 BSB+ word table row therefore anchors this guide.

How The Form Affects Interpretation

My transgressions directly expresses the construct plural plus first-person suffix and preserves the confession's personal ownership. David does not distance himself from wrongdoing: he acknowledges his own transgressions and the persistent awareness of his sin.

How To Communicate It

Emphasize the first-person suffix as honest ownership, then keep confession joined to the psalm's petitions for divine mercy and transformation.

What Not To Say

  • Grammatical form should serve context, not override it.
  • Do not use the plural to speculate about an exact offense list, and do not treat self-knowledge as the saving agent instead of God's mercy.
  • The plural may gather multiple acts or rebellion as a category, but it does not enumerate the psalmist's offenses.
  • Read my transgressions within Psalms 51:3 as the H6588 occurrence; broader theology requires the passage.

What Does The Label Mean?

Profile

Hebrew-nominal

Part of Speech

Noun

Form Label

Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular

Stem

Not applicable

Aspect

Not applicable

Person

Not applicable

Gender

Masculine

Number

Plural

State

Construct

Suffix

First person Common Singular

Aspect Note

This noun phrase has no verbal aspect; possession and plurality sharpen the psalmist's ownership of guilt.

Verse Role

The construct plural binds directly to the first-person suffix, yielding my transgressions as the object of I know.

What The Form Does In This Verse

Attached To

The verb I know in David's explanation of his appeal for cleansing

Governed By

The confession that his sin remains continually before him

Role In The Phrase

The masculine plural construct noun names repeated rebellion, and the first common singular suffix makes the confession explicitly personal.

What It Is Not Doing

Plural number does not provide a count of offenses, and the suffix does not imply that transgression is David's permanent identity.

How Much The Form Matters Here

Interpretive Weight

High: David does not distance himself from wrongdoing: he acknowledges his own transgressions and the persistent awareness of his sin.

Syntax Profile

The construct plural binds directly to the first-person suffix, yielding my transgressions as the object of I know.. The masculine plural construct noun names repeated rebellion, and the first common singular suffix makes the confession explicitly personal.. Attached to the verb I know in David's explanation of his appeal for cleansing. Governed by the confession that his sin remains continually before him. Plural number does not provide a count of offenses, and the suffix does not imply that transgression is David's permanent identity.

Reader Question

What does the first common singular suffix add to transgressions? It makes the acknowledgment personal: these are my transgressions, not merely wrongdoing observed in someone else.

Translation Effect

Direct: My transgressions directly expresses the construct plural plus first-person suffix and preserves the confession's personal ownership.

Where Caution Is Needed

The plural may gather multiple acts or rebellion as a category, but it does not enumerate the psalmist's offenses. Know can include sustained awareness, while the noun form itself contributes possession rather than mental aspect.

Fallacies To Avoid

Plural reveals the exact number of sins: Number marks the noun as plural but supplies no numerical inventory. my means guilt is an unchangeable identity: The suffix owns the confessed wrongdoing within a prayer seeking cleansing and renewal. morphology replaces literary context: The H6588 form clarifies the my transgressions relation in Psalms 51:3; the surrounding passage establishes its scope.

How The Interpretation Is Derived

Textual Witness

At Psalms 51:3, the Psalms 51:3 source token פְ֭שָׁעַי is H6588, N-mpc | 1cs. The H6588 Psalms 51:3 BSB+ word table row therefore anchors this guide.

Lexical Identity

פֶּשַׁע is the lemma behind my transgressions here. Within Psalms 51:3, H6588 retains this exact lexical identity.

Grammar In Context

The construct plural binds directly to the first-person suffix, yielding my transgressions as the object of I know.

Passage Meaning

David does not distance himself from wrongdoing: he acknowledges his own transgressions and the persistent awareness of his sin.

Canonical Fit

Psalm 51 models confession that names personal guilt while appealing to God's steadfast love, cleansing, renewal, and restored praise.

Communication Use

Emphasize the first-person suffix as honest ownership, then keep confession joined to the psalm's petitions for divine mercy and transformation.

Do Not Derive

Do not use the plural to speculate about an exact offense list, and do not treat self-knowledge as the saving agent instead of God's mercy.