אָשָׁם
𐤀𐤔𐤌
ʼâshâm
H817 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A state of being guilty or liable for wrongdoing—particularly transgressions requiring restitution or atonement—and, by extension, a specific category of offering prescribed for such offenses. 'אָשָׁם' denotes both the abstract sense of guilt (culpability, liability) and the concrete ritual offering designated for certain unintentional or ambiguous sins and breaches of sacred trust or property laws. In priestly and legal texts, especially Leviticus, it refers to the prescribed sacrificial offering for these cases.
Semantic Range
guilt, liability, culpability; guilt (or trespass) offering, reparation offering, ritual compensation
Root / Etymology
Root: אָשַׁם (אשׁם). Derived from the root meaning 'to be guilty, to incur guilt, to offend.' The noun form develops into specialized legal and cultic terminology—for guilt as a state or condition, and for the required atoning offering.
Historical & Contextual Notes
אָשָׁם is predominantly used in Leviticus (e.g., Lev 5, 7, 19) and Numbers in priestly legal sections to denote both the state of guilt and a ritual category of offering. Distinct from חַטָּאת (ḥaṭṭāʾt, 'sin-offering'), אָשָׁם typically addresses situations involving restitution, compensating the sanctuary or another party, or for uncertain transgressions. Over time, the term maintained its legal and cultic association, rarely developing into the more general sense of abstract moral guilt outside legal contexts. Later Second Temple sources and rabbinic literature continue this specialized usage. Standard English translation as 'guilt offering' or 'trespass offering' can obscure the breadth of cases it covers—ranging from unclear sacrificial errors to explicit theft or misuse of sacred things. The word's range and application is thus narrower than the general term for sin or guilt (עָוֹן, עֵוֶל, חֵטְא), but more technical and legally precise.
Translation Consistency
Most occurrences in the P2 renderings and the priestly/legal contexts refer to the prescribed sacrificial category; 'guilt offering' is the natural, widely used English phrase that captures both the ritual offering sense and by extension the related idea of culpability/liability. It preserves the specialized cultic meaning while still allowing use for the abstract sense of guilt where needed.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from אָשַׁם; guilt; by implication, a fault; also a sin-offering; guiltiness, (offering for) sin, trespass (offering).
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
אשׁם (ʾ-š-m) — to be guilty, incur guilt, offend
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H819 | אַשְׁמָה | states of guilt |
Word Forms
10 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H817-05 |
הָ/אָשָׁ֖ם | haasham | HTd/Ncmsa |
of the guilt offering | the guilt-offering | the guilt-offering | 15 |
H817-01 |
אָשָֽׁם | asham | HNcmsa |
guilt offering | guilt-liability | guilt offering | 12 |
H817-03 |
אֲשָׁמ֣/וֹ | ashamo | HNcmsc/Sp3ms |
his guilt offering | his guilt-offering | his guilt-offering | 6 |
H817-07 |
לְ/אָשָֽׁם | leasham | HR/Ncmsa |
for a guilt offering | for guilt-offering | for guilt offering | 5 |
H817-08 |
וְ/הָ/אָשָֽׁם | vehaasham | HC/Td/Ncmsa |
and the guilt offering | and the guilt-offering | and the guilt-offering | 3 |
H817-04 |
בַּ/אֲשָׁמָֽי/ו | baashamayv | HR/Ncmpc/Sp3ms |
in his guiltinesses | in his guilt-liabilities | in his guilt-liabilities | 1 |
H817-06 |
כָּֽ/אָשָׁ֔ם | kaasham | HRd/Ncmsa |
the guilt offering | as guilt-liability | like a guilt-offering | 1 |
H817-09 |
וְ/כָ/אָשָֽׁם | vekhaasham | HC/Rd/Ncmsa |
and like the guilt offering | and like the guilt-offering | and like the guilt offering | 1 |
H817-10 |
וְ/לָ/אָשָׁ֑ם | velaasham | HC/Rd/Ncmsa |
and for the guilt offering | and for guilt | and for a guilt-offering | 1 |
H817-02 |
אֲשָׁמָ/ם֙ | ashamam | HNcmsc/Sp3mp |
guilt offering of theirs | their guilt-offering | their guilt offering | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
46 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H817-01 |
Genesis 26:10 | אָשָֽׁם | asham | HNcmsa |
guilt | guilt-liability | guilt |
H817-03 |
Leviticus 5:6 | אֲשָׁמ֣/וֹ | ashamo | HNcmsc/Sp3ms |
his guilt offering | his guilt-offering | his guilt-offering |
H817-03 |
Leviticus 5:7 | אֲשָׁמ֜/וֹ | ashamo | HNcmsc/Sp3ms |
his guilt offering | his guilt-offering | his guilt-offering |
H817-03 |
Leviticus 5:15 | אֲשָׁמ֨/וֹ | ashamo | HNcmsc/Sp3ms |
his guilt offering | his guilt-offering | his guilt-offering |
H817-07 |
Leviticus 5:15 | לְ/אָשָֽׁם | leasham | HR/Ncmsa |
for a guilt offering | for guilt-offering | for guilt offering |
H817-05 |
Leviticus 5:16 | הָ/אָשָׁ֖ם | haasham | HTd/Ncmsa |
of the guilt offering | the guilt-offering | the guilt-offering |
H817-07 |
Leviticus 5:18 | לְ/אָשָׁ֖ם | leasham | HR/Ncmsa |
for a guilt offering | for guilt-offering | for guilt offering |
H817-01 |
Leviticus 5:19 | אָשָׁ֖ם | asham | HNcmsa |
guilt offering | guilt-liability | guilt offering |
H817-03 |
Leviticus 5:25 | אֲשָׁמ֥/וֹ | ashamo | HNcmsc/Sp3ms |
his guilt offering | his guilt-offering | his guilt-offering |
H817-07 |
Leviticus 5:25 | לְ/אָשָׁ֖ם | leasham | HR/Ncmsa |
for a guilt offering | for guilt-offering | for guilt offering |