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חַטָּא

𐤇𐤈𐤀

chaṭṭâʼ

H2400 adjective

SILEX Entry

Definition

One who commits an offense, particularly a transgression against divine or social law; a person characterized by wrongdoing. The term can refer either to specific acts or to a habitual state of being in the wrong, and in specific cases denotes someone condemned or held guilty of an offense, typically in relation to YHWH’s standards or societal norms. Depending on context, may designate anyone from a common wrongdoer to one under formal condemnation.

Semantic Range

one who offends, offender, criminal, wrongdoer, one who is guilty, sinner (in relation to divine or legal standards), person habitually engaging in sinful behavior

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root חָטָא (chṭʼ), which means 'to miss (a goal or mark), to go wrong, to sin, to commit a mistake or offense.' The noun form חַטָּא conveys one characterized by such actions, effectively 'one who sins' or 'offender.' The formation indicates an intensive or habitual sense, denoting either a perpetrator of a sinful act or someone whose identity is linked to such actions.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In biblical usage, חַטָּא appears both in general contexts for any wrongdoer (e.g., Proverbs, Psalms) and in particular contrast to the צַדִּיק (ṣaddiq, 'righteous one'), constructing a moral dichotomy in wisdom and prophetic literature. During monarchic and later periods, the term frequently describes those violating covenantal or legal stipulations and appears in both cultic and secular settings. In exilic and post-exilic texts, the nuance sometimes shifts toward a more general sense of wicked or unrighteous persons, occasionally as a class. English translations typically use 'sinner' or 'offender,' but these terms may not always convey the original nuance, especially regarding social versus divine standards. The term does not inherently carry the theological connotations 'sinner' acquires in later Jewish or Christian traditions; its primary reference is to actual wrongdoing or guilt as understood in the ancient Israelite context.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

intensively from חָטָא; a criminal, or one accounted guilty; offender, sinful, sinner.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

חטא (châṭâʼ) — to miss, to err, to commit an offense

Root חטא to miss (the mark), err, commit an offense, sin
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H2398 חָטָא I will purge her of offense
H2399 חֵטְא in his transgression
H2401 חֲטָאָה a guilt-incurring misdeed
H2402 חַטָּאָה for wrongdoing
H2403 חַטָּאָה in wrongdoing

Word Forms

7 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H2400-03 חַטָּאִֽים chataim HAampa sinners offending ones sinners 9
H2400-07 וְ/חַטָּאִ֑ים vechataim HC/Aampa and sinners offenders and offenders 4
H2400-05 הַֽ/חַטָּאִים֙ hachataim HTd/Aampa of the sinners the offenders the offenders 2
H2400-01 בַּֽ/חַטָּאִ֑ים bachataim HRd/Aampa sinners offenders against offenders 1
H2400-02 חַטָּאֵ֣י chataey HAampc sinners offending ones of sinners of 1
H2400-04 הַֽ/חַטָּאָ֔ה hachataah HTd/Aafsa of the sin the offending woman the offending one 1
H2400-06 וְ/חַטָּאֶ֖י/הָ vechataeyha HC/Aampc/Sp3fs and-its-sinners and her offenders and its sinners 1

Occurrences in Scripture

19 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H2400-07 Genesis 13:13 וְ/חַטָּאִ֑ים vechataim HC/Aampa and sinners offenders and offenders
H2400-05 Numbers 17:3 הַֽ/חַטָּאִ֨ים hachataim HTd/Aampa of the sinners the offenders the offenders
H2400-03 Numbers 32:14 חַטָּאִ֑ים chataim HAampa sinners offending ones sinners
H2400-05 1 Samuel 15:18 הַֽ/חַטָּאִים֙ hachataim HTd/Aampa the sinners the offenders the offenders
H2400-03 1 Kings 1:21 חַטָּאִֽים chataim HAampa offenders offending ones offending ones
H2400-07 Isaiah 1:28 וְ/חַטָּאִ֖ים vechataim HC/Aampa and-sinners offenders offenders
H2400-06 Isaiah 13:9 וְ/חַטָּאֶ֖י/הָ vechataeyha HC/Aampc/Sp3fs and-its-sinners and her offenders and its sinners
H2400-03 Isaiah 33:14 חַטָּאִ֔ים chataim HAampa sinners offending ones offending ones
H2400-04 Amos 9:8 הַֽ/חַטָּאָ֔ה hachataah HTd/Aafsa of the sin the offending woman the offending one
H2400-02 Amos 9:10 חַטָּאֵ֣י chataey HAampc sinners offending ones of sinners of
H2400-03 Psalms 1:1 חַ֭טָּאִים chataim HAampa of sinners offending ones sinners
H2400-07 Psalms 1:5 וְ֝/חַטָּאִ֗ים vechataim HC/Aampa nor sinners offenders nor offenders
H2400-03 Psalms 25:8 חַטָּאִ֣ים chataim HAampa sinners offending ones sinners
H2400-03 Psalms 26:9 חַטָּאִ֣ים chataim HAampa sinners offending ones sinners
H2400-07 Psalms 51:15 וְ֝/חַטָּאִ֗ים vechataim HC/Aampa and sinners offenders and sinners
H2400-03 Psalms 104:35 חַטָּאִ֨ים chataim HAampa sinners offending ones offending ones
H2400-03 Proverbs 1:10 חַ֝טָּאִ֗ים chataim HNcmpa sinners offending ones sinners
H2400-03 Proverbs 13:21 חַ֭טָּאִים chataim HAampa sinners offending ones sinners
H2400-01 Proverbs 23:17 בַּֽ/חַטָּאִ֑ים bachataim HRd/Aampa sinners offenders against offenders
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