The Biblical Words for “Sin” (Hebrew & Greek)
The Bible does not use one single word for “sin.” It uses a family of words, each revealing a different dimension of what sin is.
Let’s start with the Hebrew.
HEBREW TERMS (Old Testament)
A. חַטָּאת / חֵטְא — ḥaṭṭā’th / ḥet’
Meaning: to miss the mark, to fail, to fall short. This is the most common Hebrew word for sin.
Key ideas:
- Missing God’s standard
- Falling short of what is right
- Wandering from the path
Key uses:
- Genesis 4:7 — “Sin is crouching at the door.”
- Psalm 51:2 — “Wash me thoroughly from my sin.”
This is sin as failure to hit the target of righteousness.
B. עָוֹן — ‘avon
Meaning: iniquity, moral crookedness, twistedness.
Key ideas:
- Inner corruption
- Twisted motives
- Guilt that distorts
Key uses:
- Exodus 34:7 — God forgives “iniquity, transgression, and sin.”
- Psalm 32:5 — “You forgave the iniquity of my sin.”
This is sin as internal distortion.
C. פֶּשַׁע — pesha‘
Meaning: rebellion, revolt, willful transgression.
Key ideas:
- Breaking covenant
- Open defiance
- Rebellion against authority
Key uses:
- Isaiah 53:5 — “He was wounded for our transgressions.”
- Proverbs 28:13 — “He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper.”
This is sin as deliberate rebellion.
D. רַע — ra‘
Meaning: evil, harm, wickedness.
Key uses:
- Genesis 6:5 — “Every intention of man’s heart was only evil continually.”
- Isaiah 5:20 — calling evil good and good evil.
This is sin as moral evil.
E. אָשֵׁם — asham
Meaning: guilt, offense, liability.
Key uses:
- Leviticus 5 — guilt offerings
- Isaiah 53:10 — the Servant becomes a “guilt offering”
This is sin as guilt that requires atonement.
GREEK TERMS (New Testament)
A. ἁμαρτία — hamartia
Meaning: missing the mark, failure, sin. This is the main NT word for sin.
Key ideas:
- Falling short of God’s glory
- A power that enslaves
- A condition as well as an action
Key uses:
- Romans 3:23 — “All have sinned…”
- John 1:29 — Jesus takes away the sin of the world.
This is sin as failure + power + condition.
B. παράπτωμα — paraptōma
Meaning: trespass, slip, false step.
Key uses:
- Matthew 6:14 — forgiving trespasses
- Romans 5:15 — Adam’s trespass
This is sin as stepping off the right path.
C. ἀνομία — anomia
Meaning: lawlessness, rejection of God’s law.
Key uses:
- Matthew 7:23 — “Depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness.”
- 1 John 3:4 — sin is lawlessness.
This is sin as rebellion against God’s moral order.
D. παράβασις — parabasis
Meaning: transgression, crossing a forbidden line.
Key uses:
- Romans 4:15
- Hebrews 2:2
This is sin as boundary-breaking.
E. κακία — kakia
Meaning: malice, wickedness, badness.
Key uses:
- Ephesians 4:31
- 1 Peter 2:1
This is sin as corrupt character.
F. ἐπιθυμία — epithymia
Meaning: desire, often sinful desire or lust.
Key uses:
- James 1:14–15 — desire gives birth to sin
- Galatians 5:16–17
This is sin as disordered desire.
Timeline of the Concept of Sin from Genesis to Revelation
Stage 1: Sin as Disobedience and Death (Genesis 1–11)
- Adam and Eve’s disobedience
- Cain’s murder
- Human corruption before the flood
- Tower of Babel
Sin = rebellion + corruption + death.
Stage 2: Sin as Covenant Violation (Exodus–Deuteronomy)
Sin becomes defined by:
- breaking God’s law
- violating covenant
- idolatry
- injustice
Sin = breaking relationship with God.
Stage 3: Sin as Injustice and Idolatry (Prophets)
Prophets emphasize:
- oppression
- violence
- idolatry
- hypocrisy
Sin = social injustice + spiritual unfaithfulness.
Stage 4: Sin as Inner Corruption (Wisdom Literature)
Psalms and Proverbs show:
- sin in the heart
- sin in the tongue
- sin in the mind
Sin = internal disorder.
Stage 5: Sin as a Power (Gospels–Romans)
Jesus and Paul reveal sin as:
- a power that enslaves
- a master
- a kingdom
- something we need deliverance from
Sin = a tyrant.
Stage 6: Sin as Flesh vs. Spirit (Epistles)
Sin is:
- a force in the flesh
- opposed to the Spirit
- defeated by Christ
- overcome by walking in the Spirit
Sin = a defeated enemy still fighting.
Stage 7: Sin’s Final Judgment (Revelation)
Sin is:
- judged
- destroyed
- removed from the new creation
Sin = a temporary intruder that will be erased forever.
Comparison of Sin in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
Judaism
Sin is:
- missing the mark
- breaking Torah
- violating covenant
- harming others
- failing to honor God
Key ideas:
- repentance (teshuvah) restores relationship
- sin is serious but forgivable
- emphasis on action and responsibility
Judaism sees sin as behavior + intention, but always within covenant.
Christianity
Sin is:
- a condition
- a power
- a rebellion
- a failure
- a corruption
- a separation from God
Key ideas:
- all have sinned
- sin enslaves
- Christ atones for sin
- salvation frees from sin’s power
- sin will be destroyed in the end
Christianity sees sin as both a disease and a crime, cured and forgiven through Christ.
Islam
Sin (dhunūb, sayyi’āt) is:
- disobedience to God
- forgetting God
- violating His commands
- harming others
Key ideas:
- humans are born innocent
- sin is forgiven through repentance
- God is merciful and forgiving
- major sins require sincere repentance
Islam sees sin as a moral failure, not a fallen nature.