פֶּשַׁע
𐤐𐤔𐤏
peshaʻ
H6588 noun
SILEX Entry
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
"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.
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.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot 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 |