H6588 H6588
Transgression, willful offense; a deliberate violation of God's law or covenantal authority, sometimes shading into political revolt
Among the Hebrew words for sin, פֶּשַׁע carries the strongest connotation of deliberate, willful defiance. While חַטָּאת ('sin') implies missing a mark and עָוֹן ('iniquity') points to moral crookedness, פֶּשַׁע denotes an act of conscious rebellion against a recognized authority — preeminently God, but also human rulers. Amos's oracles against the nations use it formulaically ('for three transgressions and for four,' Amos 1:3ff.), underscoring that even pagan nations are accountable. The word also appears in Israel's great confession texts (Exod 34:7; Num 14:18), where God's willingness to forgive פֶּשַׁע reveals the gravity of what is forgiven. Arabic 'معصية' (disobedience) and German 'Vergehen' (offense) capture the volitional dimension well.
1. transgression, offense against God — Transgression or willful offense against God — a deliberate violation of divine law, covenant stipulations, or moral standards. This dominant sense covers singular and plural forms across all grammatical contexts. Spanish 'transgresión,' French 'transgression,' and German 'Vergehen' converge on intentional breach. Central in confessional and prophetic texts: Exod 34:7 ('forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin'), Amos 1:3–2:6 (the nations' recurring offenses), and Ps 51:3 ('blot out my transgressions'). 88×
AR["-الْمَعْصِيَةِ","الإِثْمُ","الإِثْمِ","الذَّنْبُ","عَنِ-الْمَعْصِيَةِ","مَعاصي","مَعاصي-","مَعصيَةٍ","مَعصِيَةٍ","مَعْصِيَةٌ","مَعْصِيَةٍ"]·ben["অপরাধ","অপরাধ-থেকে","অপরাধের","অপরাধের-","পাপ"]·DE["Vergehen","transgression"]·EN["transgression","transgressions-of","transgressions-of-"]·FR["transgression"]·heb["פשע","פשעי","פשעי-"]·HI["अपराध","अपराध-की","अपराध-को","अपराध-से","अपराधके","अपराधों","अपराधों-","अपराध।"]·ID["dari-pelanggaran","pelanggaran","pelanggaran-pelanggaran","pelanggaran-pelanggaran-"]·IT["trasgressione"]·jav["dosa","dosa-","dursila","pambrontèkan","pelanggaran","pelanggaran,"]·KO["반역들","범죄","범죄를","범죄에서-","범죄의","죄-가","죄가","허물","허물을"]·PT["transgressão","transgressões-de","transgressões-de-"]·RU["преступление","преступлением","преступлений","преступления","преступления-"]·ES["transgresiones-de","transgresiones-de-","transgresión"]·SW["kosa","kutoka-uasi","makosa","makosa-ya","uasi"]·TR["günahı","günahı-","isyan","isyandan","isyanin","isyanı","suç","suç-işler","suçu","suçun"]·urd["بغاوت-سے","بغاوت-کے","جرم-کے","خطا کے","سرکشی","گناہ","گناہ-سے","گناہوں-کے","گناہوں-کے-"]
Exod 22:9, Exod 34:7, Num 14:18, 1 Sam 24:11, Job 7:21, Job 13:23, Job 14:17, Job 33:9, Job 34:6, Job 35:6, Ps 32:5, Ps 39:8 (+38 more)
▼ 1 more sense below
Senses
2. rebellion, revolt against authority — Rebellion or revolt against sovereign authority — whether divine suzerainty or political overlordship, emphasizing the relational rupture of breaking loyalty. English 'rebellion,' Spanish 'rebelión,' and Arabic 'تمرد' highlight this overtone of insurrection. Exod 23:21 warns Israel not to rebel against God's angel; Lev 16:21 includes פְּשָׁעִים in the Day of Atonement confession encompassing all categories of defiance; Job 34:37 accuses Job of adding rebellion to his sin. 5×
AR["تَعَدِّيَاتِهِمْ","عِصْيَانِهِ","لِ-مَعصيَتِكُم","مَعصيَتِهِم","مَعصِيَةً"]·ben["অপরাধ","তাদের-অপরাধ","তাদের-সীমালঙ্ঘনের","তার-পাপের","তোমাদের-অপরাধের-জন্য"]·DE["Vergehen","dein-transgression","ihr-Übertretung","transgressions-ihr"]·EN["his-transgression","rebellion","their-transgression","transgressions-their","your-transgression"]·FR["ton-transgression","transgression","transgressions-leur"]·heb["ל-פשעכם","פשע","פשעו","פשעיהם","פשעם"]·HI["अपने-अपराध-के","अपराध","उनके अपराधों","और-दुष्टता","तुम्हारे-अपराध-के-लिए"]·ID["pelanggaran-mereka","pelanggaranmu","pelanggarannya;","pemberontakan"]·IT["transgressions-loro","trasgressione","tuo-trasgressione"]·jav["dosanipun","durèkanipun","pambrontakipun","pelanggaran","pelanggaran-panjenengan,"]·KO["그들-의-반역","그들-의-범죄-의","그의-범죄의","너희의-범죄를","범죄를"]·PT["de-sua-transgressão","para-vossa-transgressão","transgressão","transgressão-dele","transgressões-deles"]·RU["преступление","преступления-вашего","преступления-его","преступления-их","преступления-своего"]·ES["rebelión","su-rebelión","su-transgresión,","sus-transgresiones","vuestra-rebelión"]·SW["kosa-lake","makosa-yao","makosa-yenu","uasi","za-"]·TR["isyan","isyanlarını","isyanlarının","isyanının","suçunuzu"]·urd["اُس-کی-خطا-کے","اپنی-بغاوت-کی","تمہارا-گناہ","خطا","خطاؤں-ان-کی"]
Related Senses
H2896a 1. good (quality or moral) (305×)H7563 1. wicked person (259×)H7451c 1. moral evil or wickedness (234×)H5771 1. iniquity, sin, wrongdoing (222×)H6662 1. righteous person (substantive) (195×)G0266 1. sin, failure, transgression (173×)H2403b 1. sin, transgression (170×)H2617a 1. Covenant faithfulness, steadfast love (167×)H2398 1. Qal: to sin, commit sin (165×)H6666 1. righteousness, moral uprightness (145×)G5485 1. grace, divine favor (141×)H7451a 1. morally evil, wicked (129×)H2403b 2. sin-offering, sacrifice for sin (120×)H6664 1. righteousness, justice (116×)G2570 1. good, right, excellent (98×)G1343 1. (92×)G0018 1. good (moral quality) (85×)H2896b 1. good, what is good (85×)H7451b 1. evil, wickedness (moral) (83×)H7451a 2. evil, harm, calamity (80×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† פֶּ֫שַׁע n.m. ψ 19:14 transgression;—abs. פ׳ Ex 22:8 +, פָּ֑שַׁע Pr 10:19 +; cstr. פֶּשַׁע Gn 50:17 +; sf. פִּשְׁעִי Gn 31:36 + 14 times sfs.; pl. פְּשָׁעִים Pr 10:12; cstr. פִּשְׁעֵי Am 1:3 +, etc.;— 1. transgression against individuals Gn 31:36; 50:17(×2); Ex 22:8 (E), 1 S 24:12; 25:28; Pr 10:19; 17:19; 28:24; 29:6, 16, 22; פ׳ שְׂפָתַיִם 12:13; על כל־פשׁעים תְּכַסֶּה אַהֲבָה 10:12, cf. 17:9;…