Psalm 51/Notes/Lexical.v. 16.72152

The distinctive use of the plural דָמִים is well captured by the English gloss "bloodshed." Both usually entail violent killing involving the spilling of blood. דָמִים usually refers to the unjustified shedding of innocent blood, whereas "bloodshed" can additionally be used to refer to fighting in war without the same criminal connotations. The usage of דָמִים to refer to culpability or guilt is not easy to render in English, and the alternative gloss "bloodguilt" is not in common English usage. Still, "bloodshed" in the context of individuals may evoke connotations of guilt for the perpetrator.