פֶּשַׁע

𐤐𐤔𐤏

peshaʻ

H6588 noun

SILEX Entry

Root פשע to rebel, to transgress, to break away

Definition

Deliberate act of defiance or violation of an established authority or covenant, particularly in the context of breaking a relationship or law through willful rebellion. Also denotes the offense, act, or condition resulting from such willful transgression. While commonly applied to human revolt against societal, royal, or divine authority, it can reference both overt political rebellion and intentional breach of divine commands.

Semantic Range

act of rebellion, national revolt, political insurrection, deliberate transgression of law, willful breach of relationship (human or divine), apostasy, offense resulting from rebellion, guilt associated with defiant violation

Root / Etymology

From the root פשע, which has the core meaning 'to rebel, transgress, break away.' The noun פֶּשַׁע is formed from this root and denotes the act or state of willful rebellion or breach, especially in covenantal, legal, or relational contexts.

Historical & Contextual Notes

פֶּשַׁע appears throughout all main strata of Biblical Hebrew (monarchic, exilic, post-exilic periods) and is primarily used to indicate intentional, rebellious wrongdoing rather than unintentional or inadvertent error (cf. חֵטְא, 'ḥēt','sin' as a more general or even inadvertent offense). פֶּשַׁע often occurs in parallel with עָוֹן ('avon,' iniquity) and חַטָּאת ('ḥaṭṭā't,' sin), but suggests particularly conscious revolt, especially against YHWH, rulers, or established order. In several passages, it denotes political rebellion (e.g., 2 Kings 1:1) as well as violation of divine law (Psalm 32:1). In later periods and translations (LXX, Vulgate), the term is sometimes rendered as 'iniquity' or even 'sin,' but such translations may obscure its specific nuance of deliberate insubordination. In postbiblical Hebrew, פֶּשַׁע acquired wider application for serious criminal or religious offenses. The English 'transgression' approximates the basic sense, yet may understate the aspect of deliberate rebellion and rupture of relationship implied in the Hebrew context.

Translation Consistency

primary "transgression" 69 occurrences

"Transgression" best fits the SILEX range: it naturally conveys a deliberate violation of law or covenant and covers both individual/covenantal sin and wider acts of revolt. It is the most frequent existing rendering in the P2 data and reads naturally in English Bible style, while also encompassing the political and relational senses of פֶּשַׁע.

Alternatives (24 occurrences):
"rebellions" (7x) "transgression-of" (6x) "rebellion" (4x) "willful rebellion" (3x) "according to their rebellions" (1x) "rebellions of" (1x) "willful rebellions" (1x) "transgressed" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from פָּשַׁע; a revolt (national, moral or religious); rebellion, sin, transgression, trespass.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.

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Root Family

פשע (p-sh-ʿ) — rebel, transgress, break away

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H6585 פָּשַׂע let me rebel
H6586 פָּשַׁע we have rebelled
H6587 פֶּשַׂע as rebellion

Word Forms

38 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H6588-26 פִּשְׁעֵ֣י pisheey HNcmpc transgressions rebellions of transgressions of 9
H6588-17 פֶּ֣שַׁע pesha HNcmsc transgression rebellion-of transgression-of 7
H6588-27 פִּשְׁעֵי/הֶ֖ם pisheeyhem HNcmpc/Sp3mp their transgressions their rebellions their transgressions 6
H6588-16 פָּ֑שַׁע pasha HNcmsa transgression he rebelled transgression 5
H6588-04 פֶ֖שַׁע fesha HNcmsa transgression willful rebellion willful transgression 4
H6588-25 פִּשְׁעָ֔/ם pisheam HNcmsc/Sp3mp their transgression their rebellion their transgression 4
H6588-02 בְּ/פֶ֤שַׁע befesha HR/Ncmsc by the transgression in rebellion in transgression 4
H6588-18 פְּשָׁעַ֥/י peshaay HNcmpc/Sp1cs my transgressions my rebellions my transgressions 4
H6588-29 פִּשְׁעִ/י֙ pishei HNcmsc/Sp1cs my transgression my rebellion my transgression 4
H6588-28 פִּשְׁעֵי/כֶ֔ם pisheeykhem HNcmpc/Sp2mp your transgressions your rebellions your transgressions 4

Occurrences in Scripture

93 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H6588-29 Genesis 31:36 פִּשְׁעִ/י֙ pishei HNcmsc/Sp1cs is my transgression my rebellion my transgression
H6588-17 Genesis 50:17 פֶּ֣שַׁע pesha HNcmsc transgression rebellion-of transgression-of
H6588-12 Genesis 50:17 לְ/פֶ֥שַׁע lefesha HR/Ncmsc the transgression for rebellion for the transgression
H6588-17 Exodus 22:8 פֶּ֡שַׁע pesha HNcmsa of transgression rebellion-of transgression
H6588-13 Exodus 23:21 לְ/פִשְׁעֲ/כֶ֔ם lefisheakhem HR/Ncmsc/Sp2mp your transgressions for your rebellion for your (pl.) transgression
H6588-37 Exodus 34:7 וָ/פֶ֖שַׁע vafesha HC/Ncmsa and transgression and willful rebellion and willful rebellion
H6588-34 Leviticus 16:16 וּ/מִ/פִּשְׁעֵי/הֶ֖ם umipisheeyhem HC/R/Ncmpc/Sp3mp and because of their transgressions and from their rebellions and because of their transgressions
H6588-27 Leviticus 16:21 פִּשְׁעֵי/הֶ֖ם pisheeyhem HNcmpc/Sp3mp their transgressions their rebellions their transgressions
H6588-36 Numbers 14:18 וָ/פָ֑שַׁע vafasha HC/Ncmsa and-transgression willful rebellion willful rebellion
H6588-13 Joshua 24:19 לְ/פִשְׁעֲ/כֶ֖ם lefisheakhem HR/Ncmsc/Sp2mp your transgressions for your rebellion for your (pl.) transgression