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חַטָּאָה

𐤇𐤈𐤀𐤄

chaṭṭâʼâh

H2403 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A failure to meet a standard, wrongdoing, or offense, most commonly referring to a transgression against divine instruction (an act of 'missing the mark'). In biblical usage, חַטָּאָה encompasses the concept of 'sin' both as a concrete act and as a state/condition and can also refer to ritual acts associated with dealing with those offenses—particularly the 'sin offering' prescribed in priestly texts. The word is thus used both for the moral/ethical failure itself and for the ritual procedure to address it.

Semantic Range

sin as moral or ritual offense, condition of sinfulness, habitual wrongdoing, specific act of transgression, sin offering, ritual for expiation or purification, penalty or outcome of sin

Root / Etymology

Root: חָטָא (ḥṭʼ), meaning 'to miss (a goal or mark), sin, err.' The noun form חַטָּאָה is derived from this root and signifies both the state/act of wrongdoing and the ceremonial responses to that state.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the earliest Israelite traditions, חַטָּאָה denotes an act that falls short of expected norms, whether social or covenantal. In narrative and legal texts, it often refers to specific violations of divine instruction. In priestly (especially Leviticus, Numbers) contexts, its meaning expands to include the rituals and sacrifices prescribed for atoning or purifying such acts—the 'sin offering.' English translations often render the word as 'sin' or 'sin offering,' but this can obscure the double sense of both offense and ritual response. In some contexts (notably in Leviticus), חַטָּאָה refers technically to a specific type of sacrificial offering; in others, it focuses on the ethical or communal consequence of the act. Greek translation in the Septuagint often uses ἁμαρτία (hamartia, 'sin'), which later influenced English translations. Occasionally, usage in the post-exilic period (e.g., Ezra-Nehemiah) retains the dual sense, but the term's ritual meaning diminishes after the loss of the temple. Not to be confused with related terms such as עָוֹן ('iniquity,' H5771) or פֶּשַׁע ('transgression, rebellion,' H6588), which each carry distinct nuances of moral or legal failure.

Translation Consistency

primary "sin" 33 occurrences

Most common and natural English rendering for חַטָּאָה across contexts (act, condition, or ritual), matching the SILEX range. 'Sin' appears far more frequently than any other form and can be paired with 'offering' when the ritual sense must be explicit; using 'sin' ensures consistent, natural wording for all occurrences.

Alternatives (17 occurrences):
"sin-offense" (11x) "sin-offering" (3x) "like a sin-offering" (2x) "wrongdoing" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or חַטָּאת; from חָטָא; an offence (sometimes habitual sinfulness), and its penalty, occasion, sacrifice, or expiation; also (concretely) an offender; punishment (of sin), purifying(-fication for sin), sin(-ner, offering).

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, to sin, to err
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H2398 חָטָא I will purge her of offense
H2399 חֵטְא in his transgression
H2400 חַטָּא offenders
H2401 חֲטָאָה a guilt-incurring misdeed
H2402 חַטָּאָה for wrongdoing

Word Forms

68 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H2403-10 חַטַּ֧את chatat HNcfsc sin offering sin-offense sin-offense 52
H2403-37 לְ/חַטַּ֖את lechatat HR/Ncfsc for a sin offering for sin for sin 44
H2403-33 הַ/חַטָּ֥את hachatat HTd/Ncfsa of the sin offering the missing-of-the-mark the sin 36
H2403-16 חַטָּאת֣/וֹ chatato HNcfsc/Sp3ms his sin his sin his sin 17
H2403-26 חַטֹּ֤אות chatovt HNcfpc sins missings of the mark sins of 12
H2403-15 חַטָּאתִ֑/י chatati HNcfsc/Sp1cs my sin I have missed the mark my sin 10
H2403-56 וְ/חַ֨טָּאתָ֔/ם vechatatam HC/Ncfsc/Sp3mp and their sin and their sin and their sin 7
H2403-11 חַטָּאתָ֑/ם chatatam HNcfsc/Sp3mp their sin their wrongdoing their sin 6
H2403-18 חַטֹּאתָֽ/ם chatotam HNcfpc/Sp3mp their sins their wrongdoings their sinning 6
H2403-42 מֵֽ/חַטָּאת/וֹ֙ mechatato HR/Ncfsc/Sp3ms concerning his sin from his sin from his sin 6

Occurrences in Scripture

299 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H2403-10 Genesis 4:7 חַטָּ֣את chatat HNcfsa sin sin-offense sin-offense
H2403-56 Genesis 18:20 וְ/חַ֨טָּאתָ֔/ם vechatatam HC/Ncfsc/Sp3mp and their sin and their sin and their sin
H2403-15 Genesis 31:36 חַטָּאתִ֔/י chatati HNcfsc/Sp1cs is my sin I have missed the mark my sin
H2403-56 Genesis 50:17 וְ/חַטָּאתָ/ם֙ vechatatam HC/Ncfsc/Sp3mp and their sin and their sin and their sin
H2403-15 Exodus 10:17 חַטָּאתִ/י֙ chatati HNcfsc/Sp1cs my sin I have missed the mark my sin
H2403-10 Exodus 29:14 חַטָּ֖את chatat HNcfsa sin offering sin-offense sin-offense
H2403-10 Exodus 29:36 חַטָּ֜את chatat HNcfsa sin-offering sin-offense sin-offense
H2403-10 Exodus 30:10 חַטַּ֣את chatat HNcfsc sin offering sin-offense sin-offense
H2403-13 Exodus 32:30 חַטַּאתְ/כֶֽם chatatekhem HNcfsc/Sp2mp your sin your offense your (pl.) sin
H2403-11 Exodus 32:32 חַטָּאתָ֑/ם chatatam HNcfsc/Sp3mp their sin their wrongdoing their sin
H2403-11 Exodus 32:34 חַטָּאתָֽ/ם chatatam HNcfsc/Sp3mp their sin their wrongdoing their sin
H2403-53 Exodus 34:7 וְ/חַטָּאָ֑ה vechataah HC/Ncfsa and sin wrongdoing and wrongdoing
H2403-46 Exodus 34:9 וּ/לְ/חַטָּאתֵ֖/נוּ ulechatatenu HC/R/Ncfsc/Sp1cp and our sin and for our sin and our sin
H2403-16 Leviticus 4:3 חַטָּאת/וֹ֩ chatato HNcfsc/Sp3ms his sin offering his sin his sin
H2403-37 Leviticus 4:3 לְ/חַטָּֽאת lechatat HR/Ncfsa for a sin offering for sin for sin
H2403-33 Leviticus 4:8 הַֽ/חַטָּ֖את hachatat HTd/Ncfsa of the sin offering the missing-of-the-mark of the sin offering
H2403-33 Leviticus 4:14 הַֽ/חַטָּ֔את hachatat HTd/Ncfsa the sin the missing-of-the-mark the sin
H2403-37 Leviticus 4:14 לְ/חַטָּ֔את lechatat HR/Ncfsa for a sin offering for sin for sin
H2403-33 Leviticus 4:20 הַֽ/חַטָּ֔את hachatat HTd/Ncfsa of the sin offering the missing-of-the-mark the sin
H2403-10 Leviticus 4:21 חַטַּ֥את chatat HNcfsc sin offering sin-offense sin-offense
H2403-16 Leviticus 4:23 חַטָּאת֔/וֹ chatato HNcfsc/Sp3ms his sin his sin his sin
H2403-10 Leviticus 4:24 חַטָּ֖את chatat HNcfsa sin offering sin-offense sin-offense
H2403-33 Leviticus 4:25 הַֽ/חַטָּאת֙ hachatat HTd/Ncfsa of the sin offering the missing-of-the-mark of the sin offering
H2403-42 Leviticus 4:26 מֵ/חַטָּאת֖/וֹ mechatato HR/Ncfsc/Sp3ms concerning-his-sin from his sin from his sin
H2403-16 Leviticus 4:28 חַטָּאת֖/וֹ chatato HNcfsc/Sp3ms his-sin his sin his sin
H2403-16 Leviticus 4:28 חַטָּאת֖/וֹ chatato-2 HNcfsc/Sp3ms his-sin his sin his sin
H2403-33 Leviticus 4:29 הַֽ/חַטָּ֑את hachatat HTd/Ncfsa of the sin offering the missing-of-the-mark the sin
H2403-33 Leviticus 4:29 הַ֣/חַטָּ֔את hachatat-2 HTd/Ncfsa sin offering the missing-of-the-mark the sin
H2403-37 Leviticus 4:32 לְ/חַטָּ֑את lechatat HR/Ncfsa for a sin offering for sin for sin
H2403-33 Leviticus 4:33 הַֽ/חַטָּ֑את hachatat HTd/Ncfsa of the sin offering the missing-of-the-mark the sin
H2403-37 Leviticus 4:33 לְ/חַטָּ֔את lechatat HR/Ncfsa as a sin offering for sin for sin
H2403-33 Leviticus 4:34 הַֽ/חַטָּאת֙ hachatat HTd/Ncfsa of the sin offering the missing-of-the-mark of the sin-offering
H2403-16 Leviticus 4:35 חַטָּאת֥/וֹ chatato HNcfsc/Sp3ms his sin his sin his sin
H2403-16 Leviticus 5:6 חַטָּאת/וֹ֩ chatato HNcfsc/Sp3ms his sin his sin his sin
H2403-37 Leviticus 5:6 לְ/חַטָּ֑את lechatat HR/Ncfsa for a sin offering for sin for sin
H2403-42 Leviticus 5:6 מֵ/חַטָּאתֽ/וֹ mechatato HR/Ncfsc/Sp3ms concerning his sin from his sin from his sin
H2403-37 Leviticus 5:7 לְ/חַטָּ֖את lechatat HR/Ncfsa for a sin offering for sin for sin
H2403-36 Leviticus 5:8 לַ/חַטָּ֖את lachatat HRd/Ncfsa for the sin offering for sin-offense for sin-offense
H2403-33 Leviticus 5:9 הַ/חַטָּאת֙ hachatat HTd/Ncfsa of the sin offering the missing-of-the-mark of the sin offering
H2403-10 Leviticus 5:9 חַטָּ֖את chatat HNcfsa sin offering sin-offense sin-offense
H2403-42 Leviticus 5:10 מֵ/חַטָּאת֥/וֹ mechatato HR/Ncfsc/Sp3ms for his sin from his sin from his sin
H2403-37 Leviticus 5:11 לְ/חַטָּ֑את lechatat HR/Ncfsa for a sin offering for sin for sin
H2403-10 Leviticus 5:11 חַטָּ֖את chatat HNcfsa a sin offering sin-offense sin-offense
H2403-10 Leviticus 5:12 חַטָּ֖את chatat HNcfsa sin offering sin-offense sin-offense
H2403-16 Leviticus 5:13 חַטָּאת֧/וֹ chatato HNcfsc/Sp3ms his sin his sin his sin
H2403-34 Leviticus 6:10 כַּ/חַטָּ֖את kachatat HRd/Ncfsa like the sin offering like a sin-offense like a sin-offering
H2403-33 Leviticus 6:18 הַֽ/חַטָּ֑את hachatat HTd/Ncfsa of the sin offering the missing-of-the-mark the sin-offering
H2403-33 Leviticus 6:18 הַֽ/חַטָּאת֙ hachatat-2 HTd/Ncfsa the sin offering the missing-of-the-mark the sin-offering
H2403-10 Leviticus 6:23 חַטָּ֡את chatat HNcfsa sin-offering sin-offense sin-offense
H2403-34 Leviticus 7:7 כַּֽ/חַטָּאת֙ kachatat HRd/Ncfsa like the sin offering like a sin-offense like a sin-offering
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