← H5770 H5772 →

עָוֺן

𐤏𐤅𐤍

ʻâvôn

H5771 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

Primary lexical meaning: guilt, iniquity, wrongdoing. The term encompasses both the act of moral transgression and its consequent liability or state of guilt. It refers to behavior or actions that deviate from an established norm (typically, ethical or legal), and may also denote the resulting state of being held responsible for such acts, including the consequences or punishment. The semantic range extends from the act of wrongdoing itself, to the condition of guilt, and to the consequences or punishment that follow from such actions, depending on context.

Semantic Range

iniquity, transgression, guilt, guilt-burden, liability for wrongdoing, punishment for wrongdoing, collective guilt, state of being under moral or legal condemnation

Root / Etymology

From the root עוה, which carries the basic sense of 'to twist, bend, distort.' The noun עָוֺן is derived from this root and reflects the idea of that which is distorted or deviates from what is right or straight—a transgression or perversion. Over time, the nominal form came to denote both the act (wrongdoing, iniquity) and its result (guilt, punishment).

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, עָוֺן is a principal term for moral wrongdoing, often in contexts emphasizing the severity or persistence of the offense, especially as a breach of covenantal expectations or divine instruction. Unlike חֵטְא (ḥēt), which can refer to unintentional sin or error, עָוֺן frequently signifies deliberate or serious transgressions, with an accent both on the act's twistedness and on its ongoing effects. Moreover, עָוֺן can describe not just an individual's wrongdoing but collective or inherited guilt (e.g., 'the iniquity of the fathers'). In postexilic and later texts, the association with legal or ritual responsibility increases. English translations such as 'iniquity' or 'guilt' often capture core elements but may miss the word's simultaneous emphasis on both deed and penalty. Over time, interpretation of עָוֺן's breadth influenced theological discussions about hereditary or communal guilt.

Translation Consistency

primary "iniquity" 46 occurrences

Most frequent and idiomatic biblical rendering for עָוֺן in the data set; it covers the full semantic range (wrongdoing, guilt, and its consequences) better than a more colloquial term and preserves the Hebraic moral/legal nuance.

Alternatives (4 occurrences):
"iniquities of" (1x) "guilt-burdens" (1x) "guilt of" (1x) "iniquities" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or עָווֹן; (2 Kings 7:9; Psalm 51:5 (אֲבַד)), from עָוָה; perversity, i.e. (moral) evil; fault, iniquity, mischeif, punishment (of iniquity), sin.

Bantu Hebrew

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

Root Family

עוה (Avi) — to twist, to pervert, to ruin

Root עוה to twist, distort, act perversely
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4596 מְעִי ruin-heap of
H5753 עָוָה she acted crookedly
H5754 עַוָּה he was willing
H5757 עַוִּי and the Avvites
H5758 עִוְיָא and your perversions

Word Forms

58 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H5771-01 עֲוֺ֧ן aon HNcbsc iniquity distortion-guilt iniquity of 67
H5771-03 עֲוֺנָֽ/ם aonam HNcbsc/Sp3mp their iniquity their iniquity their iniquity 26
H5771-27 בַּ/עֲוֺנ֣/וֹ baaono HR/Ncbsc/Sp3ms in his iniquity in his guilt in his iniquity 10
H5771-12 עֲוֺנ/וֹ֙ aono HNcbsc/Sp3ms his iniquity his twisted-guilt his iniquity 9
H5771-13 עֲוֺנֹ֨ת aonot HNcbpc iniquities iniquities of iniquities of 9
H5771-05 עֲוֺנֵ/ךְ֙ aonekhe HNcbsc/Sp2fs your iniquity your guilt your iniquity 8
H5771-22 בַּ/עֲוֺ֣ן baaon HR/Ncbsc for the iniquity in the guilt of in the iniquity of 8
H5771-11 עֲוֺנִ֖/י aoni HNcbsc/Sp1cs my iniquity my twisted-guilt my iniquity 7
H5771-18 עֲוֺנֹֽתֵי/כֶֽם aonoteykhem HNcbpc/Sp2mp your iniquities your twisted wrongdoings your iniquities 7
H5771-02 עֲוֺנָ֑/הּ aonah HNcbsc/Sp3fs her iniquity her guilt her iniquity 6

Occurrences in Scripture

232 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H5771-11 Genesis 4:13 עֲוֺנִ֖/י aoni HNcbsc/Sp1cs my iniquity my twisted-guilt my iniquity
H5771-01 Genesis 15:16 עֲוֺ֥ן aon HNcbsc iniquity distortion-guilt iniquity of
H5771-22 Genesis 19:15 בַּ/עֲוֺ֥ן baaon HR/Ncbsc in the punishment in the guilt of in the iniquity of
H5771-01 Genesis 44:16 עֲוֺ֣ן aon HNcbsc the iniquity distortion-guilt iniquity of
H5771-01 Exodus 20:5 עֲוֺ֨ן aon HNcbsc iniquity distortion-guilt iniquity of
H5771-01 Exodus 28:38 עֲוֺ֣ן aon HNcbsc iniquity distortion-guilt iniquity of
H5771-01 Exodus 28:43 עָוֺ֖ן aon HNcbsa iniquity distortion-guilt iniquity of
H5771-01 Exodus 34:7 עָוֺ֛ן aon HNcbsa iniquity distortion-guilt iniquity of
H5771-01 Exodus 34:7 עֲוֺ֣ן aon-2 HNcbsc iniquity distortion-guilt iniquity of
H5771-38 Exodus 34:9 לַ/עֲוֺנֵ֥/נוּ laaonenu HR/Ncbsc/Sp1cp our iniquity our twisted-guilt our iniquity
H5771-12 Leviticus 5:1 עֲוֺנֽ/וֹ aono HNcbsc/Sp3ms his iniquity his twisted-guilt his iniquity
H5771-12 Leviticus 5:17 עֲוֺנֽ/וֹ aono HNcbsc/Sp3ms his iniquity his twisted-guilt his iniquity
H5771-02 Leviticus 7:18 עֲוֺנָ֥/הּ aonah HNcbsc/Sp3fs her-iniquity her guilt her iniquity
H5771-01 Leviticus 10:17 עֲוֺ֣ן aon HNcbsc the iniquity distortion-guilt iniquity of
H5771-13 Leviticus 16:21 עֲוֺנֹת֙ aonot HNcbpc iniquities iniquities of iniquities of
H5771-14 Leviticus 16:22 עֲוֺנֹתָ֖/ם aonotam HNcbpc/Sp3mp their iniquities their guilt-burdens their guilt-burdens
H5771-12 Leviticus 17:16 עֲוֺנֽ/וֹ aono HNcbsc/Sp3ms his iniquity his twisted-guilt his iniquity
H5771-02 Leviticus 18:25 עֲוֺנָ֖/הּ aonah HNcbsc/Sp3fs its iniquity her guilt her iniquity
H5771-12 Leviticus 19:8 עֲוֺנ֣/וֹ aono HNcbsc/Sp3ms his iniquity his twisted-guilt his iniquity
H5771-12 Leviticus 20:17 עֲוֺנ֥/וֹ aono HNcbsc/Sp3ms his iniquity his twisted-guilt his iniquity
H5771-03 Leviticus 20:19 עֲוֺנָ֥/ם aonam HNcbsc/Sp3mp their iniquity their iniquity their iniquity
H5771-01 Leviticus 22:16 עֲוֺ֣ן aon HNcbsc iniquity distortion-guilt iniquity of
H5771-24 Leviticus 26:39 בַּֽ/עֲוֺנָ֔/ם baaonam HR/Ncbsc/Sp3mp in their iniquity in their guilt in their iniquity
H5771-28 Leviticus 26:39 בַּ/עֲוֺנֹ֥ת baaonot HR/Ncbpc in the iniquities in twisted-guilts of in the guilt of
H5771-03 Leviticus 26:40 עֲוֺנָ/ם֙ aonam HNcbsc/Sp3mp iniquity their iniquity their iniquity
H5771-01 Leviticus 26:40 עֲוֺ֣ן aon HNcbsc the iniquity distortion-guilt iniquity of
H5771-03 Leviticus 26:41 עֲוֺנָֽ/ם aonam HNcbsc/Sp3mp their iniquity their iniquity their iniquity
H5771-03 Leviticus 26:43 עֲוֺנָ֑/ם aonam HNcbsc/Sp3mp their-iniquity their iniquity their iniquity
H5771-01 Numbers 5:15 עָוֺֽן aon HNcbsa iniquity distortion-guilt iniquity of
H5771-41 Numbers 5:31 מֵ/עָוֺ֑ן meaon HR/Ncbsa from iniquity from twisted-guilt from iniquity
H5771-02 Numbers 5:31 עֲוֺנָֽ/הּ aonah HNcbsc/Sp3fs her iniquity her guilt her iniquity
H5771-01 Numbers 14:18 עָוֺ֖ן aon HNcbsa iniquity distortion-guilt iniquity of
H5771-01 Numbers 14:18 עֲוֺ֤ן aon-2 HNcbsc iniquity distortion-guilt iniquity of
H5771-36 Numbers 14:19 לַ/עֲוֺ֛ן laaon HR/Ncbsc the iniquity twisted guilt of the iniquity of
H5771-18 Numbers 14:34 עֲוֺנֹ֣תֵי/כֶ֔ם aonoteykhem HNcbpc/Sp2mp your iniquities your twisted wrongdoings your iniquities
H5771-02 Numbers 15:31 עֲוֺנָ֥/ה aonah HNcbsc/Sp3fs her iniquity her guilt her iniquity
H5771-01 Numbers 18:1 עֲוֺ֣ן aon HNcbsc iniquity distortion-guilt iniquity of
H5771-01 Numbers 18:1 עֲוֺ֥ן aon-2 HNcbsc iniquity distortion-guilt iniquity of
H5771-03 Numbers 18:23 עֲוֺנָ֑/ם aonam HNcbsc/Sp3mp their-iniquity their iniquity their iniquity
H5771-02 Numbers 30:16 עֲוֺנָֽ/הּ aonah HNcbsc/Sp3fs her-iniquity her guilt her iniquity
H5771-01 Deuteronomy 5:9 עֲוֺ֨ן aon HNcbsc iniquity distortion-guilt iniquity of
H5771-01 Deuteronomy 19:15 עָוֺן֙ aon HNcbsa iniquity distortion-guilt iniquity of
H5771-01 Joshua 22:17 עֲוֺ֣ן aon HNcbsc iniquity distortion-guilt iniquity of
H5771-27 Joshua 22:20 בַּ/עֲוֺנֽ/וֹ baaono HR/Ncbsc/Sp3ms in his iniquity in his guilt in his iniquity
H5771-22 1 Samuel 3:13 בַּ/עֲוֺ֣ן baaon HR/Ncbsc for-the-iniquity in the guilt of in the iniquity of
H5771-01 1 Samuel 3:14 עֲוֺ֧ן aon HNcbsc iniquity distortion-guilt iniquity of
H5771-57 1 Samuel 18:9 עון vn HNcbsa watching iniquity iniquity
H5771-11 1 Samuel 20:1 עֲוֺנִ֤/י aoni HNcbsc/Sp1cs is my iniquity my twisted-guilt my iniquity
H5771-01 1 Samuel 20:8 עָוֺן֙ aon HNcbsa iniquity distortion-guilt iniquity of
H5771-33 1 Samuel 25:24 הֶֽ/עָוֺ֑ן heaon HTd/Ncbsa the iniquity the iniquity the iniquity
← H5770 Hebrew Lexicon H5772 →