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פָּשַׁע

𐤐𐤔𐤏

pâshaʻ

H6586 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To rebel, revolt, or break away from authority; primarily denotes active defiance against an established order or covenant. Semantic range includes organized revolt, disloyalty, rebellion against political, social or divine authority, and occasionally personal estrangement or breach of relationship.

Semantic Range

to rebel, revolt (against authority), break faith, transgress deliberately, breach a covenant, organize a revolt, commit apostasy, break off relationship, offend intentionally

Root / Etymology

Root: פָּשַׁע. The root meaning is 'to break away' or 'to rebel.' The verb פָּשַׁע directly reflects the idea of intentional breach, especially in the context of a relationship or covenant with authority, be it communal (e.g., a monarch), familial, or divine. The root differs from other words expressing sin (e.g., חָטָא 'to miss the mark' or עָוָה 'to do wrong') in that פָּשַׁע typically connotes willful and open rebellion rather than inadvertent wrongdoing.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, פָּשַׁע appears predominantly in contexts highlighting active revolt against the rule of a king (2 Kings 8:20, 2 Kings 3:5), a breach of covenant with the deity (Isaiah 1:2), or interpersonal estrangement. The term describes both individual and collective acts of defiance. In prophetic literature, it is often used as a serious accusation against the nation of Israel or Judah for their breach of covenant with YHWH. The nuance of intentionality and open rebellion makes פָּשַׁע stronger than terms for inadvertent sin; it implies a conscious rejection of authority. In post-exilic and Second Temple contexts, its use narrows to refer more specifically to acts of serious rebellion, particularly in prayer or penitential passages. English translations frequently use 'transgress' or 'rebel,' but 'transgress' can understate the word's force; 'rebel' or 'revolt' often better captures it. Distinct from חָטָא (sin, generic) and עָבַר (pass, transgress a limit), פָּשַׁע emphasizes the willfulness and relational rupture of the act.

Translation Consistency

primary "rebel" 0 occurrences

'Rebel' best captures the primary sense in SILEX — active defiance or revolt against authority — and matches the majority of attested renderings (most frequently translated as 'rebelled'). It is natural English, covers organized revolt, disloyalty, and breaking away from covenantal or political authority, and will provide consistent, intuitive usage across all forms. Alternate senses like 'transgress' are less common and can be handled contextually when needed.

Alternatives (41 occurrences):
"rebelled" (24x) "rebelling ones" (8x) "transgress" (4x) "transgressor" (1x) "rebelling-ones" (1x) "rebelling" (1x) "transgressors" (1x) "offended one" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root (identical with through the idea of expansion); to break away (from just authority), i.e. trespass, apostatize, quarrel; offend, rebel, revolt, transgress(-ion, -or).

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

פשע (p-š-ʿ) — to rebel, break away, revolt

Root פשע to rebel, break away, revolt
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H6585 פָּשַׂע let me rebel
H6587 פֶּשַׂע as rebellion
H6588 פֶּשַׁע in rebellion

Word Forms

22 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H6586-10 פָּשְׁעוּ pasheu HVqp3cp have rebelled they rebelled they rebelled 6
H6586-18 וַ/יִּפְשַׁ֤ע vayifesha HC/Vqw3ms and revolted and he rebelled and he rebelled 4
H6586-07 פָּשַׁ֣ע pasha HVqp3ms has rebelled he rebelled he rebelled 3
H6586-04 הַ/פֹּשְׁעִ֖ים haposheim HTd/Vqrmpa the transgressors the rebelling ones the rebelling ones 2
H6586-19 וַ/יִּפְשְׁע֤וּ vayifesheu HC/Vqw3mp rebelled and they rebelled and they rebelled 2
H6586-14 תִּפְשַׁ֥ע tifesha HVqi3fs revolted she will rebel she rebelled 2
H6586-17 וּ/פֹשְׁעִ֖ים ufosheim HC/Vqrmpa but transgressors rebelling ones and rebelling ones 2
H6586-13 פֹּשְׁעִ֛ים posheim HVqrmpa of-transgressors rebelling ones rebelling ones 2
H6586-12 פְּשַׁעְתֶּ֥ם peshaetem HVqp2mp have transgressed you have rebelled you have rebelled 2
H6586-05 לִ/פְשֹׁ֑עַ lifeshoa HR/Vqc to transgress to rebel to transgress 2

Occurrences in Scripture

41 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H6586-10 1 Kings 8:50 פָּשְׁעוּ pasheu HVqp3cp they have transgressed they rebelled they rebelled
H6586-19 1 Kings 12:19 וַ/יִּפְשְׁע֤וּ vayifesheu HC/Vqw3mp rebelled and they rebelled and they rebelled
H6586-18 2 Kings 1:1 וַ/יִּפְשַׁ֤ע vayifesha HC/Vqw3ms And Moab rebelled and he rebelled and he rebelled
H6586-18 2 Kings 3:5 וַ/יִּפְשַׁ֥ע vayifesha HC/Vqw3ms and rebelled and he rebelled and he rebelled
H6586-07 2 Kings 3:7 פָּשַׁ֣ע pasha HVqp3ms has rebelled he rebelled he rebelled
H6586-07 2 Kings 8:20 פָּשַׁ֣ע pasha HVqp3ms revolted he rebelled he rebelled
H6586-18 2 Kings 8:22 וַ/יִּפְשַׁ֣ע vayifesha HC/Vqw3ms and revolted and he rebelled and he rebelled
H6586-14 2 Kings 8:22 תִּפְשַׁ֥ע tifesha HVqi3fs revolted she will rebel she rebelled
H6586-10 Isaiah 1:2 פָּ֥שְׁעוּ pasheu HVqp3cp have rebelled they rebelled they rebelled
H6586-13 Isaiah 1:28 פֹּשְׁעִ֛ים posheim HVqrmpa of-transgressors rebelling ones rebelling ones
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