בְשָׁפְטֶֽךָ׃ (ḇə·šā·p̄ə·ṭe·ḵā) in Psalms 51:4: Preposition-b | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | second person masculine singular
בְשָׁפְטֶֽךָ׃ (ḇə·šā·p̄ə·ṭe·ḵā) in Psalms 51:4
Source Word
The BSB+ row for Psalms 51:4 links the English rendering "when You judge" with בְשָׁפְטֶֽךָ׃, Strong's H8199, and the morphology tag Prep-b | V-Qal-Inf | 2ms.
How The Form Affects Interpretation
The form marks the judgment circumstance in Psalm 51:4. It clarifies that the confession does not soften God's verdict; it acknowledges that God is blameless when he judges.
How To Communicate It
Explain the form as "in/when Your judging." That clarifies how the phrase works while letting the verse carry the confession of sin and God's righteousness.
What Not To Say
- Grammar should serve context, not override it.
- Do not make the inf 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.
- 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
Preposition-b | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | second person masculine singular
Prep-b
Second person masculine singular
Qal
Infinitive
Not marked
Not marked
Not marked
The bet-prefixed infinitive supplies the circumstance rendered "when You judge"; the confession line explains why God is shown righteous.
This form carries the BSB rendering "when You judge" within Psalms 51:4. Psalm 51 gives language for confession, cleansing, restoration, renewed joy, and renewed praise before God.
Construct
What The Form Does In This Verse
The circumstance rendered "when You judge" in Psalms 51:4
The phrase belongs to the confession that God is right when he speaks and blameless when he judges.
It uses a bet-prefixed Qal infinitive with second-person suffix to name the circumstance of God's judging.
It does not make the infinitive alone define divine justice, and it does not detach God's judgment from the confession of sin in the verse.
How Much The Form Matters Here
High: The bet-prefixed infinitive marks the judgment circumstance in Psalm 51's confession that God is blameless.
Bet-prefixed Qal infinitive construct with second masculine singular suffix. marks the circumstance in which God's judgment is acknowledged as blameless. Attached to the phrase rendered "when You judge". Governed by the confession that God is right when he speaks and blameless when he judges. The preposition and suffix help form the phrase, but the confession clause supplies the theological claim.
When is God acknowledged as blameless? He is acknowledged as blameless when he judges.
Direct: The preposition with the infinitive construct directly supports the rendering "when You judge."
A prefixed infinitive can mark circumstance; the verse decides the exact English relation. The suffix identifies God as the addressed judge, but the confession supplies the theological point.
Preposition alone proves judicial theology: The prefixed infinitive marks the circumstance; Psalm 51:4 carries the confession about God's righteousness. construct form fixes one English relation: The construct form works with the prefix and suffix, while context decides the translation relation.
How The Interpretation Is Derived
The BSB+ row for Psalms 51:4 links the English rendering "when You judge" with בְשָׁפְטֶֽךָ׃, Strong's H8199, and the morphology tag Prep-b | V-Qal-Inf | 2ms.
H8199 is represented here by the lemma שָׁפַט. In this occurrence, the public guide is limited to the BSB rendering "when You judge" rather than every possible gloss of the entry.
The bet-prefixed Qal infinitive with second-person suffix forms the phrase "when You judge." It marks the circumstance in which God is confessed as blameless, while the verse supplies the reason: the speaker acknowledges sin before 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 51:4, connect the form to the confession that God is right and blameless in judgment, but keep the theological weight anchored in the whole verse.
Do not derive a full word study, grammar doctrine, or doctrine of divine justice from Prep-b | V-Qal-Inf | 2ms alone. The form identifies the occurrence-level circumstance.