חָטָא (H2398) — Hebrew Lexicon

חָטָא

𐤇𐤈𐤀

châṭâʼ

H2398 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To miss a goal or mark (literal or metaphorical); by extension, to err, to commit an offense, particularly an offense against divine or moral standard. In the Hebrew Bible, the verb is predominantly used in contexts of failing to meet obligations, especially those established by covenant, and thus is most often rendered as 'to sin.' The word also appears in contexts of unintentional error, moral or ritual failure, and occasionally of incurring guilt or forfeiting a right. In specific forms, can indicate causing another to err, or bearing the consequence of error or offense.

Semantic Range

to miss (a mark or goal), to fail, to err, to commit an offense, to incur guilt, to offend morally or ritually, to bear the consequence of sin, to cause another to sin, to lead astray, to purify (in some causative forms, e.g. in ritual context)

Root / Etymology

Root: חטה (ḥṭʼ). The root meaning is 'to miss (a target or mark),' which expands metaphorically to signify failure, wrongdoing, or offense. The verb חָטָא regularly functions in Qal (active) to express missing the way, erring, or sinning, and in the Hiphil (causative) to denote causing someone to sin or lead astray. Derived nouns and forms (e.g., חַטָּאת, 'sin/offering') expand this semantic domain.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In early biblical texts, חָטָא primarily conveys the notion of 'missing the mark,' which then develops into a broader ethical and legal sense of violating a standard, commandment, or expectation, whether intentionally or unintentionally. In priestly or legal passages (notably in the Leviticus and Numbers), the term takes on a technical meaning denoting ritual failure or the incurring of impurity requiring rectification. This usage expands further in post-exilic and later Second Temple period literature to encompass a general sense of moral wrongdoing. In non-priestly narrative, the focus is often on the relational or communal rupture caused by sin. Distinct from עָוָה (ʻāvâ, 'to do wrong, act perversely') and פָּשַׁע (pāsha‘, 'to rebel, transgress'), חָטָא does not inherently denote willfulness or rebellion, but encompasses both inadvertent and deliberate offense. Standard English translations frequently collapse the nuance into 'sin,' but the original Hebrew possesses a breadth of application not always conveyed by the term; some contexts demand a sense closer to 'fail, miss, err.'

Translation Consistency

primary "sin" 14 occurrences

חָטָא overwhelmingly functions in Hebrew as the covenantal/moral verb ‘to sin’ (to miss the mark morally or ritually). Choosing “sin” yields the most natural, familiar English rendering for the primary sense and allows regular inflection (sin/sinned/sinning) to cover the attested forms; rarer literal senses (e.g., ‘miss’) can be handled in context-specific translations.

Alternatives (36 occurrences):

"sinned" (25x) "purified" (2x) "sinning" (1x) "bore its loss" (1x) "me bear the blame" (1x) "fault is" (1x) "purge from offense" (1x) "making it sin-offering" (1x) "made atonement with" (1x) "cleanse from offense" (1x) "cleanse" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; properly, to miss; hence (figuratively and generally) to sin; by inference, to forfeit, lack, expiate, repent, (causatively) lead astray, condemn; bear the blame, cleanse, commit (sin), by fault, harm he hath done, loss, miss, (make) offend(-er), offer for sin, purge, purify (self), make reconciliation, (cause, make) sin(-ful, -ness), trespass.

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, to err, to commit an offense

Strong's	Lemma	SIBI-P1
H2399	חֵטְא	in his transgression
H2400	חַטָּא	offenders
H2401	חֲטָאָה	a guilt-incurring misdeed
H2402	חַטָּאָה	for wrongdoing
H2403	חַטָּאָה	in wrongdoing
H2408	חֲטִי	and your offense

Word Forms

65 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2	Occurrences
`H2398-03`	חָטָ֔א	chata	`HVqp3ms`	he has sinned	he missed the mark	he sinned	30
`H2398-08`	חָטָ֣אתִֽי	chatati	`HVqp1cs`	I have sinned	I have missed the mark	I have sinned	26
`H2398-05`	חָטָ֥אנוּ	chatanu	`HVqp1cp`	we have sinned	we have missed the mark	we have sinned	24
`H2398-22`	הֶחֱטִ֖יא	hecheti	`HVhp3ms`	he made sin	he caused to err	he caused to sin	19
`H2398-11`	חָֽטְאוּ	chateu	`HVqp3cp`	have sinned	they erred	they sinned	16
`H2398-62`	יֶחֱטָ֥א	yecheta	`HVqi3ms`	sins	he will err	he will sin	13
`H2398-34`	תֶֽחֱטָא֙	techeta	`HVqi2ms`	sins	she errs	sins	9
`H2398-26`	לַ/חֲטֹ֑א	lachato	`HR/Vqc`	to sin	to err	to sin	7
`H2398-07`	חֲטָאתֶם֙	chatatem	`HVqp2mp`	you have sinned	you have erred	you have sinned	6
`H2398-15`	חֹטֶ֗א	chote	`HVqrmsa`	sins	the one who errs	the one who sins	6
`H2398-63`	יֶחֶטְאוּ	yecheteu	`HVqi3mp`	they sin	they will miss the mark	they will sin	6
`H2398-64`	יִתְחַטָּא	yitechata	`HVti3ms`	cleanse himself	he will purify himself	he purifies himself	5
`H2398-49`	וְ/חָטָ֖אתִי	vechatati	`HC/Vqq1cs`	and sin	and I erred	and I sinned	4
`H2398-55`	וְ/חוֹטֵ֖א	vechote	`HC/Vqrmsa`	and sinning	and the one who errs	and the one who sins	4
`H2398-09`	חָטָֽאוּ	chatau	`HVqp3cp`	they had committed	they missed the mark	they sinned	3
`H2398-31`	מֵ/חֲטֹ֣א	mechato	`HR/Vqc`	from sinning	from erring	from sinning	3
`H2398-53`	וְ/חִטֵּאתָ֙	vechiteta	`HC/Vpq2ms`	and-you-shall-purify	and you will purge-from-offense	and you shall purify	3
`H2398-04`	חָטָ֑אָה	chataah	`HVqp3fs`	she has sinned	a wrongdoing	did she sin	2
`H2398-06`	חָטָ֖אתָ	chatata	`HVqp2ms`	you have sinned	You erred	you have sinned	2
`H2398-19`	הַ/חֹטֵ֖את	hachotet	`HTd/Vqrfsa`	that sins	the erring one (feminine)	the sinning one (feminine)	2
`H2398-21`	החטי	hchty	`HVhp3ms`	he had caused to sin	he caused to err	he caused to sin	2
`H2398-23`	הֶחֱטִ֨יאוּ֙	hechetiu	`HVhp3cp`	caused to sin	they caused to err	they caused to sin	2
`H2398-35`	תֶחֱטָֽאוּ	techetau	`HVqi2mp`	sin	you (masc. plural) will err	sin	2
`H2398-36`	תֶחֶטְא֥וּ	techeteu	`HVqi2mp`	sin	you (masculine plural) may err	you (masculine plural) may sin	2
`H2398-41`	וַֽ/תַּחֲטִא֙	vatachati	`HC/Vhw2ms`	and caused to sin	and you caused to err	and you caused to sin	2
`H2398-01`	אֲחַטֶּ֔/נָּה	achatenah	`HVpi1cs/Sp3fs`	bore its loss	I will purge her of offense	I bore its loss	1
`H2398-02`	בְּ/חֶטְאָ֥ה	becheteah	`HR/Ncfsa`	in sinning	in offense	in sinning	1
`H2398-10`	חָֽטְאָה֙	chateah	`HVqp3fs`	she has sinned	she has missed the mark	she has missed the mark	1
`H2398-12`	חֲטֹ֛א	chato	`HVqc`	sin	to miss the mark	to sin	1
`H2398-13`	חֲטֹאתֽ/וֹ	chatoto	`HVqc/Sp3ms`	of his sin	his erring	his erring	1
`H2398-14`	חִטְּא֖וּ	chiteu	`HVpp3cp`	they purified	they purified from offense	they purified	1
`H2398-16`	חֹטִ֥אים	chotiym	`HVqrmpa`	are sinning	the erring ones	are erring	1
`H2398-17`	אֶֽחֱטָא	echeta	`HVqi1cs`	I might sin	I will miss the mark	I might miss the mark	1
`H2398-18`	הַחֲטִ֥יא	hachati	`HVhc`	cause to sin	to cause to err	to cause to err	1
`H2398-20`	הַֽ/מְחַטֵּ֥א	hamechate	`HTd/Vprmsa`	who makes sin	the one leading astray	the one making it sin-offering	1
`H2398-24`	כַּֽ/חֹטֶ֔א	kachote	`HRd/Vqrmsa`		the erring one	as the erring one	1
`H2398-25`	לַ/חֲטִ֣יא	lachati	`HR/Vhc`		to cause to miss the mark	to cause to miss the mark	1
`H2398-27`	לְ/חַטֵּ֥א	lechate	`HR/Vpc`	to cleanse	to purge from offense	to cleanse from offense	1
`H2398-28`	לְ/הַחֲטִ֖יא	lehachati	`HR/Vhc`	to make sin	to cause to err	to make sin	1
`H2398-29`	מַחֲטִיאֵ֤י	machatiey	`HVhrmpc`	who make sin	those causing to err	those causing to err	1
`H2398-30`	מֵֽ/חַטֵּ֑א	mechate	`HR/Vpc`	the cleansing	to purge from offense	purging from offense	1
`H2398-32`	תַחֲטִיא֙	tachati	`HVhi2ms`	you-shall-cause-to-sin	you will cause to err	you shall cause to sin	1
`H2398-33`	תְּחַטְּאֵ֣/נִי	techateeni	`HVpi2ms/Sp1cs`	purge me	you must purge me from offense	you must purge me from offense	1
`H2398-37`	תִּתְחַטָּֽאוּ	titechatau	`HVti2mp`	you shall purify	you will purify yourselves	you shall purify yourselves	1
`H2398-38`	תִּֽתְחַטְּא֞וּ	titechateu	`HVti2mp`	purify yourselves	you will purify yourselves from offense	purify yourselves	1
`H2398-39`	וַ/חֲטָאתֶ֖ם	vachatatem	`HC/Vqq2mp`	and you sin	and you erred	and you sin	1
`H2398-40`	וַֽ/נֶּחֱטָ֔א	vanecheta	`HC/Vqw1cp`	and we sinned	and we erred	and we sinned	1
`H2398-42`	וַֽ/תֶּחֱטָ֑א	vatecheta	`HC/Vqw2ms`	and you sinned	and you erred	and you sinned	1
`H2398-43`	וַ/יַּחֲטִ֥א	vayachati	`HC/Vhw3ms`	and he made sin	and he caused to err	and he caused to sin	1
`H2398-44`	וַ/יְחַטֵּ֖א	vayechate	`HC/Vpw3ms`	and purified	and he caused to offend	and he purified	1
`H2398-45`	וַֽ/יְחַטְּאֵ֖/הוּ	vayechateehu	`HC/Vpw3ms/Sp3ms`	and made atonement with it	and he purified him from offense	and he made atonement with it	1
`H2398-46`	וַֽ/יְחַטְּא֤וּ	vayechateu	`HC/Vpw3mp`	and they made sin offering	they committed offense	and they made sin-offering	1
`H2398-47`	וַ/יִּֽתְחַטְּא֣וּ	vayitechateu	`HC/Vtw3mp`	were purified	they purified themselves	they purified themselves	1
`H2398-48`	וְ/חָטָ֥את	vechatat	`HC/Vqq2ms`	but the fault is	and you erred	and the fault is	1
`H2398-50`	וְ/חָֽטְאָה֙	vechateah	`HC/Vqq3fs`	and sins	and she erred	and sins	1
`H2398-51`	וְ/חִטֵּ֣א	vechite	`HC/Vpq3ms`	and he shall cleanse	and he purged from offense	and he shall cleanse	1
`H2398-52`	וְ/חִטְּא/וֹ֙	vechiteo	`HC/Vpq3ms/Sp3ms`	and-he-shall-purify-him	and he purged him of sin	and he shall purify him	1
`H2398-54`	וְ/חִטְּאוּ֙	vechiteu	`HC/Vpq3cp`	and they shall purify	and they purified-from-offense	and they shall purify	1
`H2398-56`	וְֽ֭/חֹטְאִ/י	vechotei	`HC/Vqrmsc/Sp1cs`	sins against me	and my offender	and my offender	1
`H2398-57`	וְ/הַ֣/חוֹטֶ֔א	vehachote	`HC/Td/Vqrmsa`	and the sinner	and the erring one	and the sinner	1
`H2398-58`	וְ/הֶחֱטֵיאָ֖/ם	vehecheteyam	`HC/Vhp3ms/Sp3mp`	and-he-made-sin-them	and he caused them to err	and he caused them to err	1
`H2398-59`	וְ/לַ/חוֹטֶא֩	velachote	`HC/Rd/Vqrmsa`		and to the erring one	and to the sinner	1
`H2398-60`	יַחֲטִֽא	yachati	`HVhi3ms`	miss	he will cause to err	he will miss	1
`H2398-61`	יַחֲטִ֥יאוּ	yachatiu	`HVhi3mp`	they-make-you-sin	they will lead astray	they will make you sin	1
`H2398-65`	יִתְחַטָּֽאוּ	yitechatau	`HVti3mp`	they are defiled	they purify themselves	they miss the mark	1

Occurrences in Scripture

240 occurrences

Filter by SIDANCE:

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2
`H2398-31`	Genesis 20:6	מֵ/חֲטוֹ	mechato	`HR/Vqc`	from sinning	from erring	from sinning
`H2398-08`	Genesis 20:9	חָטָ֣אתִי	chatati	`HVqp1cs`	have I sinned	I have missed the mark	I have sinned
`H2398-01`	Genesis 31:39	אֲחַטֶּ֔/נָּה	achatenah	`HVpi1cs/Sp3fs`	bore its loss	I will purge her of offense	I bore its loss
`H2398-49`	Genesis 39:9	וְ/חָטָ֖אתִי	vechatati	`HC/Vqq1cs`	and sin	and I erred	and I sinned
`H2398-11`	Genesis 40:1	חָֽטְא֛וּ	chateu	`HVqp3cp`	offended	they erred	they sinned
`H2398-36`	Genesis 42:22	תֶּחֶטְא֥וּ	techeteu	`HVqj2mp`	sin	you (masculine plural) may err	you (masculine plural) may sin
`H2398-49`	Genesis 43:9	וְ/חָטָ֥אתִֽי	vechatati	`HC/Vqq1cs`	then let me bear the blame	and I erred	then let me bear the blame
`H2398-49`	Genesis 44:32	וְ/חָטָ֥אתִי	vechatati	`HC/Vqq1cs`	then I will have sinned	and I erred	and I will have sinned
`H2398-48`	Exodus 5:16	וְ/חָטָ֥את	vechatat	`HC/Vqq2ms`	but the fault is	and you erred	and the fault is
`H2398-08`	Exodus 9:27	חָטָ֣אתִי	chatati	`HVqp1cs`	I have sinned	I have missed the mark	I have sinned
`H2398-26`	Exodus 9:34	לַ/חֲטֹ֑א	lachato	`HR/Vqc`	to sin	to err	to sin
`H2398-08`	Exodus 10:16	חָטָ֛אתִי	chatati	`HVqp1cs`	I have sinned	I have missed the mark	I have sinned
`H2398-35`	Exodus 20:20	תֶחֱטָֽאוּ	techetau	`HVqi2mp`	you sin	you (masc. plural) will err	you (masc. pl.) will sin
`H2398-61`	Exodus 23:33	יַחֲטִ֥יאוּ	yachatiu	`HVhi3mp`	they-make-you-sin	they will lead astray	they will make you sin
`H2398-53`	Exodus 29:36	וְ/חִטֵּאתָ֙	vechiteta	`HC/Vpq2ms`	and-you-shall-purify	and you will purge-from-offense	and you will purge from offense
`H2398-07`	Exodus 32:30	חֲטָאתֶ֖ם	chatatem	`HVqp2mp`	have sinned	you have erred	you have sinned
`H2398-03`	Exodus 32:31	חָטָ֞א	chata	`HVqp3ms`	has sinned	he missed the mark	he sinned
`H2398-03`	Exodus 32:33	חָֽטָא	chata	`HVqp3ms`	has sinned	he missed the mark	he sinned
`H2398-34`	Leviticus 4:2	תֶחֱטָ֤א	techeta	`HVqi3fs`	she sins	she errs	sins
`H2398-62`	Leviticus 4:3	יֶחֱטָ֖א	yecheta	`HVqi3ms`	sins	he will err	he will sin
`H2398-03`	Leviticus 4:3	חָטָ֜א	chata	`HVqp3ms`	he has sinned	he missed the mark	he sinned
`H2398-11`	Leviticus 4:14	חָטְא֖וּ	chateu	`HVqp3cp`	they have sinned	they erred	they sinned
`H2398-62`	Leviticus 4:22	יֶֽחֱטָ֑א	yecheta	`HVqi3ms`	sins	he will err	he will sin
`H2398-03`	Leviticus 4:23	חָטָ֖א	chata	`HVqp3ms`	he has sinned	he missed the mark	he sinned
`H2398-34`	Leviticus 4:27	תֶּחֱטָ֥א	techeta	`HVqi3fs`	sins	she errs	sins
`H2398-03`	Leviticus 4:28	חָטָ֑א	chata	`HVqp3ms`	he-has-sinned	he missed the mark	he sinned
`H2398-03`	Leviticus 4:28	חָטָֽא	chata-2	`HVqp3ms`	he-has-sinned	he missed the mark	he sinned
`H2398-03`	Leviticus 4:35	חָטָ֖א	chata	`HVqp3ms`	he has committed	he missed the mark	he sinned
`H2398-34`	Leviticus 5:1	תֶחֱטָ֗א	techeta	`HVqi3fs`	sins	she errs	she will sin
`H2398-03`	Leviticus 5:5	חָטָ֖א	chata	`HVqp3ms`	he has sinned	he missed the mark	he sinned
`H2398-03`	Leviticus 5:6	חָטָ֜א	chata	`HVqp3ms`	he has sinned	he missed the mark	he sinned
`H2398-03`	Leviticus 5:7	חָטָ֗א	chata	`HVqp3ms`	he has sinned	he missed the mark	he sinned
`H2398-03`	Leviticus 5:10	חָטָ֖א	chata	`HVqp3ms`	he has sinned	he missed the mark	he sinned
`H2398-03`	Leviticus 5:11	חָטָ֗א	chata	`HVqp3ms`	he has sinned	he missed the mark	he sinned
`H2398-03`	Leviticus 5:13	חָטָ֛א	chata	`HVqp3ms`	he has sinned	he missed the mark	he sinned
`H2398-50`	Leviticus 5:15	וְ/חָֽטְאָה֙	vechateah	`HC/Vqq3fs`	and sins	and she erred	and sins
`H2398-03`	Leviticus 5:16	חָטָ֨א	chata	`HVqp3ms`	he has sinned	he missed the mark	he sinned
`H2398-34`	Leviticus 5:17	תֶֽחֱטָ֔א	techeta	`HVqi3fs`	sins	she errs	sins
`H2398-34`	Leviticus 5:21	תֶחֱטָ֔א	techeta	`HVqi3fs`	she-sins	she errs	she will sin
`H2398-26`	Leviticus 5:22	לַ/חֲטֹ֥א	lachato	`HR/Vqc`	to sin	to err	to sin
`H2398-62`	Leviticus 5:23	יֶחֱטָ֣א	yecheta	`HVqi3ms`	he sins	he will err	he will sin
`H2398-20`	Leviticus 6:19	הַֽ/מְחַטֵּ֥א	hamechate	`HTd/Vprmsa`	who makes sin	the one leading astray	the one making it sin-offering
`H2398-44`	Leviticus 8:15	וַ/יְחַטֵּ֖א	vayechate	`HC/Vpw3ms`	and purified	and he caused to offend	and he purified
`H2398-45`	Leviticus 9:15	וַֽ/יְחַטְּאֵ֖/הוּ	vayechateehu	`HC/Vpw3ms/Sp3ms`	and made atonement with it	and he purified him from offense	and he made atonement with it
`H2398-27`	Leviticus 14:49	לְ/חַטֵּ֥א	lechate	`HR/Vpc`	to cleanse	to purge from offense	to cleanse from offense
`H2398-51`	Leviticus 14:52	וְ/חִטֵּ֣א	vechite	`HC/Vpq3ms`	and he shall cleanse	and he purged from offense	and he shall cleanse
`H2398-03`	Leviticus 19:22	חָטָ֑א	chata	`HVqp3ms`	he has sinned	he missed the mark	he sinned
`H2398-03`	Leviticus 19:22	חָטָֽא	chata-2	`HVqp3ms`	he has sinned	he missed the mark	he sinned
`H2398-03`	Numbers 6:11	חָטָ֖א	chata	`HVqp3ms`	he sinned	he missed the mark	he sinned
`H2398-47`	Numbers 8:21	וַ/יִּֽתְחַטְּא֣וּ	vayitechateu	`HC/Vtw3mp`	were purified	they purified themselves	they purified themselves

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