Psalms 19:12 — Word Study
WLCשְׁגִיא֥וֹת מִֽי־ יָבִ֑ין מִֽנִּסְתָּר֥וֹת נַקֵּֽנִי׃
BSAalsogam servant/slaveʻebed to shinezâhar to keepshâmar consequenceʻêqeb manyrab
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| שְׁגִיא֥וֹת | errors | Noun common, feminine plural absolute |
| מִֽי־ | who? | Pronoun |
| יָבִ֑ין | will he discern | Verb, Qal, imperfect third person masculine singular |
| מִֽנִּסְתָּר֥וֹת | from hidden [sins] | Preposition, verb niphal participle (active) feminine plural |
| נַקֵּֽנִי׃ | acquit me | Verb piel imperative second person masculine singular, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Who can discern his own errors? Cleanse me from my hidden faults. |
| KJV | Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults. |
| ASV | Who can discern his errors? Clear thou me from hidden faults. |
| YLT | Errors! who doth understand? From hidden ones declare me innocent, |
| WEB | Who can discern his errors? Forgive me from hidden errors. |
| BBE | Who has full knowledge of his errors? make me clean from secret evil. |
The translations generally agree on the meaning of the verse, with no significant differences noted.
The sentence structure features a rhetorical question followed by a direct imperative, emphasizing the psalmist's introspection and request for divine intervention.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
subjectעֶבֶד
verbהוּא
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
1 of 5 occurs nowhere else in the Old Testament — a word chosen on purpose.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Psalms 19:12
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — A Prayer for Cleansinggenerated
Psalm 19:12 expresses a deep awareness of human fallibility and the need for divine assistance in recognizing one's own errors. The psalmist acknowledges the difficulty in discerning hidden faults and seeks God's cleansing power, reflecting a common theme in the Psalms of seeking forgiveness and purity. This verse is part of a larger meditation on the value of God's law and the importance of moral integrity, as seen in the surrounding verses.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 40:12 | For evils without number surround me; my sins have overtaken me, so that I cannot see. They are more than the hairs of my head, and my heart has failed within me. |
| 2 | Job 6:24 | Teach me, and I will be silent. Help me understand how I have erred. |
| 3 | Isaiah 64:6 | Each of us has become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all wither like a leaf, and our iniquities carry us away like the wind. |
| 4 | 1 Corinthians 4:4 | My conscience is clear, but that does not vindicate me. It is the Lord who judges me. |
| 5 | Hebrews 9:7 | But only the high priest entered the second room, and then only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 12 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — שְׁגִיא֥וֹת, she.gi.'otgenerated
The word שְׁגִיא֥וֹת (she.gi.'ot) is a feminine plural noun derived from the root שָׁגָה (H7691), which means a moral mistake or error. It highlights the psalmist's concern with moral failings that may not be immediately apparent.
In this context, it emphasizes the recognition of one's own faults, particularly those that are concealed or overlooked. The use of the plural form suggests a range of errors, underscoring the complexity of human sinfulness.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
The translations generally agree on the meaning of the verse, with phrases like errors (BSB, KJV) and hidden faults (ASV, WEB) capturing the essence of the psalmist's plea for cleansing.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The verse comprises two main clauses: the first poses a rhetorical question about recognizing one's own errors, while the second is a direct plea for cleansing. The structure emphasizes the psalmist's introspection followed by a request for divine intervention.
The first clause, מִֽי־ יָבִ֑ין, introduces the subject מִֽי (who?), setting the tone for self-reflection. The second clause begins with the imperative נַקֵּֽנִי, directly addressing God and requesting action.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, the Hebrew שְׁגִיא֥וֹת is rendered as καὶ, which indicates a conjunction rather than a direct translation. This choice may reflect a broader interpretation of the psalmist's intent, focusing on the relationship between understanding and divine cleansing.
The use of φυλάσσει for נַקֵּֽנִי shows a commitment to the idea of guarding or protecting oneself from hidden sins, emphasizing the importance of divine assistance.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalm 19:12 asks who can recognize their own mistakes and pleads with God to cleanse them from hidden faults. This reflects a common theme in the Psalms of seeking forgiveness and moral clarity.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Hidden faults refer to moral mistakes or sins that are not immediately apparent to the individual, emphasizing the need for divine help in recognizing and addressing them.
Recognizing our errors is crucial for personal growth and moral integrity, allowing us to seek forgiveness and strive for a more righteous life.
This verse reflects the Psalms' broader themes of seeking God's guidance, forgiveness, and the importance of self-reflection in one's spiritual journey.
The psalmist's plea teaches us the importance of humility and the recognition of our own shortcomings, encouraging us to seek God's help in overcoming them.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What are some hidden faults in my life that I need to bring before God for cleansing?
- How can I cultivate greater self-awareness to recognize my own errors?
- In what ways can I support others in their journey of recognizing and addressing their hidden faults?
- How does understanding my own mistakes contribute to my spiritual growth?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early church fathers such as Gregory of Nyssa and Augustine of Hippo reflect on the themes of sin and the need for divine help in understanding our faults.
So wicked and hard to cure and strong are those things possessed in the depths of our souls that it is not possible to rub them out and to remove them through human efforts and virtue alone unless through prayer we take the power of the…Early Church Fathers on Psalms 19 →
It is not my will to conceive sin; I do not want to entertain bad thoughts, and yet I do; I do not want to entertain evil, and, like a captive against my will, I am drawn into evil reflections.Early Church Fathers on Psalms 19 →
"Who understands sins?" [Psalms 19:12.] But what sort of sweetness can there be in sins, where there is no understanding? For who can understand sins, which close the very eye,Early Church Fathers on Psalms 19 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 19:12 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleWho can understand [his] errors?.... Sin is an error, a wandering out of the way of God, swerving from the rule of his word; and many mistakes are made by the people of God themselves; even so many
Read John Gill on Psalms 19 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryWho can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults. His errors , [ shªgiy'owt (H7691), from shaagah (H7686), to wander] - all failings and infirmities of the believer.
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 19 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleWho can understand? this may be here added, either, 1. As a further proof of the excellency and necessity of God’ s law, because men’ s errors are so many and hard to be discovered and prevented, that they indispensably need such a friend and counsellot as the law is, to give them the true knowledge of themselves and of their sins. Or, 2. As a just and sorrowful censure of himself, upon the consideration of the exact purity of God’ s law, and the comparing of his life with it. Thy law, O Lord, is holy, and just, and good. But I am a poor sinful wretch, falling infinitely short of it, and condemned by it. Or, 3. As a signification of the insufficiency of God’ s law, strictly so called, for…
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 19 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 19:12 Who can understand [his] errors? cleanse thou me from secret [faults].Ver. 12. Who can understand his errors?] This David speaketh doubtless out of a deep sense of his own imperfections and defects in what the law (so much by him commended) requireth; and to prevent mistakes, lest any man, hearing him speak of great reward, should think that heaven may be merited and salvation attained by a man’ s own righteousness. No such matter, believe it, saith holy David, I have neither done the law nor deserved the reward, but do fly to God by prayer; and three things I have to beg of him: First, That he would graciously pardon my secret sins and errors, unknown to myself, or at least to…
Read John Trapp on Psalms 19 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(12) His eulogium on the Law was not Pharisaic or formal, for the poet instantly gives expression to his sense of his own inability to keep it. If before we were reminded of St. Paul’s, “The law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good,” (Romans 7:12), his own spiritual experience, contained in the same chapter, is here recalled: “For the good that I would I do not: but the evil that I would not, that I do.” Who can understand.—In the original the abruptness of the question is very marked and significant. Errors who marks? From unconscious ones clear me, i.e., pronounce me innocent, not cleanse, as in Authorised Version.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 19 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 12. Who can understand his errors?] It is not possible, without much of the Divine light, to understand all our deviations from, not only the letter, but the spirituality, of the Divine law. Frequent self-examination, and walking in the light, are essentially necessary to the requisite degree of spiritual perfection. Cleanse thou me from secret faults.] From those which I have committed, and have forgotten; from those for which I have not repented; from those which have been committed in my heart, but have not been brought to act in my life; from those which I have committed without knowing that they were sins, sins of ignorance; and from those which I have committed in private, for…
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 19 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges12–14. The contemplation of this holy law leads the Psalmist to express his personal need of preservation and guidance.
Read Cambridge on Psalms 19 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleWho can understand his errors? - The word rendered errors is derived from a verb which means to wander, to go astray; then, to do wrong, to transgress.
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 19 →The verse in English, compared — 16 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
Who can discern his own errors? Cleanse me from my hidden faults.
Who can discern his errors? Forgive me from hidden errors.
Who can discern his own errors? Cleanse me from my hidden faults.
Who can know all his errors? Please do not punish me for sins I am unaware of.
Tyndale line
Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults.
Who can discern his errors? Clear thou me from hidden faults.
Who can discern his errors? clear thou me from hidden faults.
Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults .
Who can vnderstand his faultes? clense me from secret fautes.
Strictly literal
Who understandeth [his] errors? Purify me from secret [faults].
Errors! who doth understand? From hidden ones declare me innocent,
[His] errors—who understands? Declare me innocent from hidden ones,
(19:13) Who can guard against errors? from secret [faults] do thou cleanse me.
Who can discern all his own errors? Cleanse me from hidden faults.
Simplified
Who's aware of their own mistakes? Don't punish me for these faults I'm unaware of.
Who has full knowledge of his errors? make me clean from secret evil.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint show agreement in the overall structure of the verse, with four of the five words matched. The Septuagint's wording reflects its own syntactical choices, but it maintains the essence of the psalmist's plea.
שְׁגִיא֥וֹת מִֽי־ יָבִ֑ין מִֽנִּסְתָּר֥וֹת נַקֵּֽנִי׃
4 of the 5 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Psalms 19:12
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
[שְׁגִיאָה] n.f. error;—pl. abs. ψ 19:13
ref
H7691 שְׁגִיאָה
7691 shgiy'ah sheg-ee-aw'
from 7686; a moral mistake:--error.
see HEBREW for 07686
שְׁגִיאָה (she.gi.ah) — error.
error
HNcfpa — Noun common · feminine plural absoluteHNcfpa
→ (In teachers and doctrines)
→ See TEACHERS, FALSE
מִי (mi) is an interrogative pronoun primarily used to ask about persons, meaning 'who?' or 'whose?'. It can also appear in rhetorical questions and has some idiomatic uses, such as 'who among...?' or 'whosoever'. The word is rarely applied to things, and its forms can vary in emphasis.
מִי 423 pron.interrog. who? of persons
מִי is rarely used of things, and usually where persons are understood or implied
in the gen. whose
in an indirect qu.
מִי ב׳ who among … ?
strengthened and emph. forms of interrog.
various rhetorical uses whose
מִי may sometimes be rendered whosoever, though, as the examples will shew, it does not really mean it
once, following a verb, any one
base
H4310 מִי who? of persons . מִי is rarely used of things, and usually where persons are understood or implied
. in the gen. whose
. in an indirect qu.
. מִי ב׳ who among … ?
. strengthened and emph. forms of interrog.
. various rhetorical uses whose
. מִי may sometimes be rendered whosoever, though, as the examples will shew, it does not really mean it
. once, following a verb, any one
4310 miy me
an interrogative pronoun of persons, as 4100 is of things,
who? (occasionally, by a peculiar idiom, of things); also
(indefinitely) whoever; often used in oblique construction
with prefix or suffix:--any (man), X he, X him, + O that!
what, which, who(-m, -se, -soever), + would to God.
see HEBREW for 04100
מִי (mi) — who?.
who?, whose?, whom?, would that, whoever, whosoever
HPi — PronounHPi
בִּין (biyn) is a Hebrew verb meaning to discern or understand. It encompasses a range of meanings including perceiving, considering, and teaching, with various forms indicating different nuances, such as being intelligent or discreet. The entries highlight its use in contexts requiring mental separation or insight, but do not present any significant disagreement among lexicographers.
בִּין vb. discern
Qal
perceive
understand, know (with mind)
observe, mark, give heed to, distinguish, consider (with attention)
have discernment, insight, understanding
Niph. be intelligent, discreet, discerning, distinguish, have understanding
Po. he attentively considereth him
Hiph.
understand
give heed to, attend to, observe, discern
give understanding, make understand, teach
Hithp.
shew oneself attentive, consider diligently
get understanding, understand
shew oneself to have understanding
base
H995 בִּין discern .. perceive
. understand, know (with mind)
. observe, mark, give heed to, distinguish, consider (with attention)
. have discernment, insight, understanding
. be intelligent, discreet, discerning, distinguish, have understanding
. he attentively considereth him
. . understand
. give heed to, attend to, observe, discern
. give understanding, make understand, teach
. . shew oneself attentive, consider diligently
. get understanding, understand
. shew oneself to have understanding
995 biyn bene
a primitive root; to separate mentally (or distinguish),
i.e.(generally) understand:--attend, consider, be cunning,
diligently, direct, discern, eloquent, feel, inform, instruct,
have intelligence, know, look well to, mark, perceive, be
prudent, regard, (can) skill(-full), teach, think, (cause,
make to, get, give, have) understand(-ing), view, (deal)
wise(-ly, man).
בִּין (bin) — to understand.
1) to discern, understand, consider
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to perceive, discern
1a2) to understand, know (with the mind)
1a3) to observe, mark, give heed to, distinguish, consider
1a4) to have discernment, insight, understanding
1b) (Niphal) to be discerning, intelligent, discreet, have understanding
1c) (Hiphil)
1c1) to understand
1c2) to cause to understand, give understanding, teach
1d) (Hithpolel) to show oneself discerning or attentive, consider diligently
1e) (Polel) to teach, instruct
2) (TWOT) prudent, regard
HVqi3ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine singularHVqi3ms
di-zurn': Five Hebrew words are thus translated: bin, yadha`, nakhar, ra'ah and shama`. It may simply mean "observe" (bin), "I discerned among the youths" (Pr 7:7); or discriminating knowlege, "A wise man's heart discerneth time and judgment" (Ec 8:5, yadha`); "He discerned him not, because his hands," etc. (Ge 27:23, nakhar); "Then shall ye return and discern between the righteous and the wicked" (Mal 3:18, ra'ah); "So is my lord the king to discern good," etc. (2Sa 14:17, shama`). In the New Testament the words anakrino, diakrino and dokimazo are thus translated, expressing close and distinct acquaintance with or a…
סָתַר (sa.tar) is a Hebrew verb meaning to hide or conceal. It encompasses various forms, including hiding oneself, being hidden, and carefully concealing something or someone. The entries indicate its use in different grammatical aspects, such as the Niphal, Piel, Pual, Hiphil, and Hithpael stems. The Aramaic equivalent is noted as סְתַר.
סָתַר vb. hide, conceal
Niph.
hide oneself
be hid, concealed
Pi. Imv. carefully hide (i.e. shelter) the outcasts
Pu. Pt. love carefully concealed
Hithp. hide oneself carefully
Hiph. conceal, hide
base
H5641 סָתַר hide, conceal . . hide oneself
. be hid, concealed
. Imv. carefully hide (i.e. shelter) the outcasts
. Pt. love carefully concealed
. hide oneself carefully
. conceal, hide
5641 cathar saw-thar'
a primitive root; to hide (by covering), literally or
figuratively:--be absent, keep close, conceal, hide (self),
(keep) secret, X surely.
סָתַר (sa.tar) — to hide.
1) to hide, conceal
1a) (Niphal)
1a1) to hide oneself
1a2) to be hidden, be concealed
1b) (Piel) to hide carefully
1c) (Pual) to be hidden carefully, be concealed
1d) (Hiphil) to conceal, hide
1e) (Hithpael) to hide oneself carefully
Aramaic equivalent: se.tar (סְתַר "to hide" H5642A)
HR/VNrfpa — Preposition · verb niphal participle (active) feminine pluralHR/VNrfpa
נָקָה (naqah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to be clean or free from guilt, and it can also imply being empty or desolate. The entries indicate that it encompasses a range of meanings, including acquitting someone of guilt, being exempt from punishment, and being purged or cleaned out. The lexicons suggest various nuances, but they consistently focus on themes of innocence and cleanliness.
[נָקָה] vb. be empty(?), clean
Qal Inf. Abs.
Niph.
be cleaned out
be clean, free from guilt, innocent
be free, exempt from punishment
free, exempt from obligation
Pi.
hold innocent, acquit
leave unpunished
base
H5352 נָקָה be empty(?), clean .Inf. Abs.
. . be cleaned out
. be clean, free from guilt, innocent
. be free, exempt from punishment
. free, exempt from obligation
. . hold innocent, acquit
. leave unpunished
5352 naqah naw-kaw'
a primitive root; to be (or make) clean (literally or
figuratively); by implication (in an adverse sense) to be
bare, i.e. extirpated:--acquit X at all, X altogether, be
blameless, cleanse, (be) clear(-ing), cut off, be desolate, be
free, be (hold) guiltless, be (hold) innocent, X by no means,
be quit, be (leave) unpunished, X utterly, X wholly.
נָקָה (na.qah) — to clear.
1) to be empty, be clear, be pure, be free, be innocent, be desolate, be cut off
1a) (Qal) to be empty, be clean, be pure
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be cleaned out, be purged out
1b2) to be clean, be free from guilt, be innocent
1b3) to be free, be exempt from punishment
1b4) to be free, be exempt from obligation
1c) (Piel)
1c1) to hold innocent, acquit
1c2) to leave unpunished
HVpv2ms/Sp1bs — Verb piel imperative second person masculine singular · suffixHVpv2ms/Sp1bs