Proverbs 28:13

Authorized King James Version (1611)

¶ He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh [them] shall have mercy.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

מְכַסֶּ֣ה פְ֭שָׁעָיו לֹ֣א יַצְלִ֑יחַ וּמוֹדֶ֖ה וְעֹזֵ֣ב יְרֻחָֽם׃

Transliteration

məḵasseh p̄əšā'āyw lō' yaṣlîaḥ ûmôḏeh wə'ōzēḇ yəruḥām

Grammar Details

• *məḵasseh*: Piel participle, masculine singular - covering/concealing
• *p̄əšā'āyw*: noun, masculine plural + 3rd person masculine singular suffix - his transgressions
• *lō'*: negative particle - not
• *yaṣlîaḥ*: Hiphil imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular - he will prosper
• *ûmôḏeh*: conjunction + Hiphil participle, masculine singular - but one confessing
• *wə'ōzēḇ*: conjunction + Qal participle, masculine singular - and forsaking
• *yəruḥām*: Pual imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular - will be shown mercy

Word Meanings

• *məḵasseh*: covering/concealing/hiding
• *p̄əšā'āyw*: his transgressions/his sins/his rebellions
• *yaṣlîaḥ*: prospers/succeeds
• *môḏeh*: confessing/acknowledging
• *'ōzēḇ*: forsaking/abandoning/leaving
• *yəruḥām*: will be shown mercy/will receive compassion

Referenced Verses

• Job 31:33 : 33 ¶ If I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom:
• Ps 32:3-5 : 3 When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. 4 For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah. 5 I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.
• 1 John 1:8-9 : 8 ¶ If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
• Jer 2:22-23 : 22 For though thou wash thee with nitre, and take thee much soap, [yet] thine iniquity is marked before me, saith the Lord GOD. 23 How canst thou say, I am not polluted, I have not gone after Baalim? see thy way in the valley, know what thou hast done: [thou art] a swift dromedary traversing her ways;
• Ps 51:10 : 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
• Dan 9:20-23 : 20 ¶ And whiles I [was] speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God for the holy mountain of my God; 21 Yea, whiles I [was] speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation. 22 And he informed [me], and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding. 23 At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew [thee]; for thou [art] greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision.
• Matt 3:6-9 : 6 And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins. 7 ¶ But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: 9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to [our] father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. 10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
• Matt 23:25-28 : 25 ‹Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.› 26 [Thou] ‹blind Pharisee, cleanse first that› [which is] ‹within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.› 27 ‹Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead› [men's] ‹bones, and of all uncleanness.› 28 ‹Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.›
• Matt 27:4-5 : 4 Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What [is that] to us? see thou [to that]. 5 And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.
• Ps 51:1-5 : 1 ¶ To the chief Musician, [A Psalm] of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin [is] ever before me. 4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done [this] evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, [and] be clear when thou judgest. 5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
• Jer 3:12-13 : 12 ¶ Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the LORD; [and] I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I [am] merciful, saith the LORD, [and] I will not keep [anger] for ever. 13 Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD.
• 1 Kgs 8:47-49 : 47 [Yet] if they shall bethink themselves in the land whither they were carried captives, and repent, and make supplication unto thee in the land of them that carried them captives, saying, We have sinned, and have done perversely, we have committed wickedness; 48 And [so] return unto thee with all their heart, and with all their soul, in the land of their enemies, which led them away captive, and pray unto thee toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, the city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name: 49 Then hear thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven thy dwelling place, and maintain their cause,
• Prov 17:9 : 9 ¶ He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth [very] friends.
• Job 33:27 : 27 He looketh upon men, and [if any] say, I have sinned, and perverted [that which was] right, and it profited me not;
• 1 Sam 15:24 : 24 ¶ And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.
• Gen 3:12-13 : 12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest [to be] with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. 13 And the LORD God said unto the woman, What [is] this [that] thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.
• Exod 10:16-17 : 16 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste; and he said, I have sinned against the LORD your God, and against you. 17 Now therefore forgive, I pray thee, my sin only this once, and intreat the LORD your God, that he may take away from me this death only.
• Lev 26:40-42 : 40 ¶ If they shall confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, with their trespass which they trespassed against me, and that also they have walked contrary unto me; 41 And [that] I also have walked contrary unto them, and have brought them into the land of their enemies; if then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled, and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity: 42 Then will I remember my covenant with Jacob, and also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham will I remember; and I will remember the land.
• 1 Sam 15:13 : 13 And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed [be] thou of the LORD: I have performed the commandment of the LORD.
• Gen 4:9 : 9 ¶ And the LORD said unto Cain, Where [is] Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: [Am] I my brother's keeper?
• 1 Sam 15:30 : 30 Then he said, I have sinned: [yet] honour me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD thy God.
• Prov 10:12 : 12 ¶ Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.
• Luke 15:18-24 : 18 ‹I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,› 19 ‹And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.› 20 ‹And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.› 21 ‹And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.› 22 ‹But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put› [it] ‹on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on› [his] ‹feet:› 23 ‹And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill› [it]; ‹and let us eat, and be merry:› 24 ‹For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.›
• Acts 26:20 : 20 But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and [then] to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.