What does חָטָא mean in the Bible?
חָטָא is the OT's primary word for sin as a moral and relational reality. The root image is missing — not hitting what you aimed at, not arriving where you were bound to go.
Hebrew · H2398
חָטָא
חָטָא is the OT's primary word for sin as a moral and relational reality. The root image is missing — not hitting what you aimed at, not arriving where you were bound to go.
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חָטָאH2398
What does חָטָא mean in the Bible?
Reader summary
Full entry for חָטָא (H2398) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H2398?
The BSB source-word alignment has 238 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include to commit (19), We have sinned (18), sins (15), I have sinned (12), he has committed (11).
Where does חָטָא appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 20:6. Its strongest book concentrations include Leviticus (30), 1 Kings (23), 2 Kings (18), Numbers (18).
Are there verse guides for חָטָא?
This entry includes 1 verse guide that explain exact original-language forms in context.
What This Word Actually Means
חָטָא is the OT's primary word for sin as a moral and relational reality. The root image is missing — not hitting what you aimed at, not arriving where you were bound to go. But this is not mere imprecision. In the OT, missing is ordinarily relational: it happens in relation to someone. Joseph says 'How could I sin against God?' (Gen 39:9). David says 'Against You, You only, have I sinned' (Ps 51:4).
Sin is not failure measured against an abstract standard; it is an offense committed against a Person. The word also spans remedy: the Piel stem means to decontaminate, to perform the priestly act that removes what the Qal named. The architecture is built into the root itself: the same word that names the wound also names the work of cleansing it.
How the Bible Uses It
חָטָא is currently indexed about 240 times in the local Hebrew index, with especially dense usage in the Pentateuch's legal and ritual sections (Leviticus, Numbers), the Deuteronomistic History's evaluation of kings and Israel's covenantal faithfulness, and the Psalms' language of personal confession. Key texts represent each dimension of its meaning.
- Gen.39.9
No one in this house is greater than I am. He has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. So how could I do such a great evil and sin against God?”
Joseph's refusal frames sin as an offense against God, not merely a social or moral transgression. 'Against God' is the defining orientation of חָטָא throughout the OT.
- Lev.4.3
If the anointed priest sins, bringing guilt on the people, he must bring to the Lord a young bull without blemish as a sin offering for the sin he has committed.
The sin offering legislation (Lev 4-5) treats sin as culpability that generates ritual defilement requiring atonement. חָטָא here grounds the entire sacrificial system for sin.
- Ps.51.4
Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You may be proved right when You speak and blameless when You judge.
David's confession after Nathan's rebuke. The psalm does not deny the harm done to Bathsheba and Uriah — it asserts that all sin is, at its deepest, committed against God. This is the most theologically concentrated use of חָטָא in the Psalter.
- 1Kgs.14.16
So He will give Israel over on account of the sins Jeroboam has committed and has caused Israel to commit.”
The Hiphil causative — leading others into sin — is the Deuteronomistic History's repeated verdict on the northern kings. National sin is real and has leaders.
- Isa.43.27
Your first father sinned, and your spokesmen rebelled against Me.
Isaiah situates חָטָא in the arc of Israel's history from the beginning. Sin is not incidental to the story; it is the thread that runs through it.
- Ezek.18.20
The soul who sins is the one who will die. A son will not bear the iniquity of his father, and a father will not bear the iniquity of his son. The righteousness of the righteous man will fall upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked man will fall upon him.
Ezekiel's individualized account of חָטָא: each person bears their own sin. This addresses the despairing proverb that children bear their parents' guilt. Personal accountability is rooted in the meaning of the word.
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders Itto commit19×1 Kings 14:16, 1 Kings 15:26, 1 Kings 15:30, 1 Kings 15:34
We have sinned18×Numbers 21:7, Deuteronomy 1:41, Judges 10:10, Judges 10:15
sins15×Leviticus 4:3, Leviticus 4:22, Leviticus 4:27, Leviticus 5:1
I have sinned12×Exodus 9:27, Exodus 10:16, Numbers 22:34, 1 Samuel 15:24
he has committed11×Leviticus 4:3, Leviticus 4:23, Leviticus 4:28, Leviticus 4:35
sin11×Numbers 32:23, 1 Samuel 14:34, 1 Samuel 19:4, 1 Kings 8:46
to sin10×1 Kings 16:2, 1 Kings 21:22, 1 Kings 22:52, 2 Kings 21:11
sinned9×Numbers 14:40, Judges 11:27, 1 Samuel 19:4, 1 Samuel 24:11
have sinned6×Joshua 7:20, 2 Samuel 19:20, 2 Samuel 24:17, 1 Kings 8:50
. . .4×Leviticus 4:28, Numbers 15:28, Lamentations 1:8, Ezekiel 43:22
have I sinned4×Genesis 20:9, 1 Kings 18:9, Psalms 51:4, Jeremiah 37:18
has sinned3×Exodus 32:33, Joshua 7:11, 1 Chronicles 21:17
have committed3×Exodus 32:30, Exodus 32:31, Nehemiah 1:6
they have sinned3×1 Kings 8:33, Jeremiah 50:7, Zephaniah 1:17
they sin3×1 Kings 8:46, 2 Chronicles 6:36, Hosea 13:2
who sins3×Leviticus 4:2, Ezekiel 18:4, Ezekiel 18:20
[Your people] have sinned2×1 Kings 8:35, 2 Chronicles 6:26
And purify2×Numbers 31:20, Ezekiel 45:18
had committed2×1 Kings 15:30, 1 Kings 16:13
he has sinned2×Leviticus 6:4, Numbers 6:11
Purify2×Exodus 29:36, Numbers 19:20
they have committed2×Leviticus 4:14, Jeremiah 33:8
They sinned2×Nehemiah 9:29, Ezekiel 37:23
to purify2×Leviticus 14:49, Numbers 19:13
-1×Leviticus 5:11
a sinner1×Ecclesiastes 8:12
After he purifies1×Numbers 19:19
amiss1×Job 5:24
and caused them to commit1×2 Kings 17:21
and forfeiting1×Habakkuk 2:10
And he shall cleanse1×Leviticus 14:52
and he who fails1×Isaiah 65:20
and offered it for sin1×Leviticus 9:15
and sin1×Genesis 39:9
and sinned1×Jeremiah 44:23
and sins1×Leviticus 5:15
and so cause you to sin1×Deuteronomy 20:18
and the sinner1×Proverbs 11:31
and you sinned1×Ezekiel 28:16
are sinning1×1 Samuel 14:33
bear the guilt1×Genesis 44:32
bear the guilt before you1×Genesis 43:9
bore the loss myself1×Genesis 31:39
bring sin1×Deuteronomy 24:4
But he who fails to find me1×Proverbs 8:36
but the fault1×Exodus 5:16
but the sinner1×Ecclesiastes 7:26
but the sinner’s1×Proverbs 13:22
but to the sinner1×Ecclesiastes 2:26
commit1×Ezekiel 16:51
committed1×Numbers 12:11
drew him into sin1×Nehemiah 13:26
for a sin offering1×2 Chronicles 29:24
for his sin1×Leviticus 5:7
for sin1×Hosea 8:11
for sinning1×Hosea 8:11
for we sinned1×Isaiah 64:5
forfeits1×Proverbs 20:2
from sinning1×Genesis 20:6
had sinned1×2 Kings 17:7
has committed1×1 Kings 14:16
he committed1×2 Kings 21:17
he had committed1×1 Kings 16:19
he has harmed1×Leviticus 5:16
he may have committed1×Deuteronomy 19:15
he sinned1×Exodus 9:34
he sins1×Ezekiel 33:12
I have done wrong1×2 Kings 18:14
I sinned1×Job 10:14
If I have sinned1×Job 7:20
is to be cleansed1×Ezekiel 43:22
it must still be purified1×Numbers 31:23
misses the mark1×Proverbs 19:2
missing1×Judges 20:16
must purify himself1×Numbers 19:12
O sinful1×Isaiah 1:4
offended1×Genesis 40:1
or if he commits any such sin1×Leviticus 6:3
purified1×Numbers 8:21
purify himself1×Numbers 19:12
Purify me1×Psalms 51:7
purifying1×Leviticus 8:15
she has sinned1×Jeremiah 50:14
should sin1×1 Samuel 12:23
sinner1×Ecclesiastes 9:18
so it is for the sinner1×Ecclesiastes 9:2
so that I will not sin1×Psalms 39:1
so that I would sin1×Nehemiah 6:13
steals those who have sinned1×Job 24:19
the more they sinned1×Hosea 4:7
the purification1×Ezekiel 43:23
the sin he has committed1×Leviticus 5:5
their sins1×Jeremiah 33:8
they cause you to sin1×Exodus 23:33
they committed1×1 Kings 14:22
they have sinned against You1×2 Chronicles 6:24
they kept on sinning1×Psalms 78:32
they withdraw1×Job 41:25
those who indict1×Isaiah 29:21
thus you will cleanse1×Ezekiel 43:20
to sin against1×Genesis 42:22
we have committed1×Jeremiah 16:10
we have sinned against You1×Jeremiah 14:7
who offers1×Leviticus 6:26
would you sin1×1 Samuel 19:5
you [people] have sinned1×Jeremiah 40:3
you are to purify1×Numbers 31:19
you from sinning1×Exodus 20:20
you had committed1×Deuteronomy 9:18
you had sinned1×Deuteronomy 9:16
you have sinned1×Hosea 10:9
you sin1×Job 35:6
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 20:6מֵחֲטוֹ־tofrom sinningPreposition-m | Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructGenesis 20:9חָטָ֣אתִיtohave I sinnedVerb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singularGenesis 31:39אֲחַטֶּ֔נָּהtobore the loss myselfVerb - Piel - Imperfect - first person common singular | third person feminine singularGenesis 39:9וְחָטָ֖אתִיtoand sinConjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singularGenesis 40:1חָֽטְא֛וּtooffendedVerb - Qal - Perfect - third person common pluralGenesis 42:22תֶּחֶטְא֥וּtoto sin againstVerb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine pluralGenesis 43:9וְחָטָ֥אתִֽיtobear the guilt before youConjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singularGenesis 44:32וְחָטָ֥אתִיtobear the guiltConjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singularExodus 5:16וְחָטָ֥אתtobut the faultConjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singularExodus 9:27חָטָ֣אתִיtoI have sinnedVerb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned rowGenesis 20:6
Aligned rows238
Books represented27
Genesis8Exodus10Leviticus30Numbers18Deuteronomy6Joshua2Judges41 Samuel142 Samuel41 Kings232 Kings181 Chronicles22 Chronicles8Nehemiah6Job12Psalms9Proverbs6Ecclesiastes7Isaiah6Jeremiah14Lamentations3Ezekiel16Daniel4Hosea5Micah1Habakkuk1Zephaniah1
Source forms
הֶחֱטִ֖יא11xhe·ḥĕ·ṭî1 Kings 14:16, 1 Kings 15:26, 1 Kings 15:30, 1 Kings 15:34
חָֽטְאוּ־8xḥā·ṭə·’ū-1 Kings 8:50, 2 Chronicles 6:39, Nehemiah 9:29, Job 8:4
חָטָ֖אנוּ7xḥā·ṭā·nū1 Samuel 7:6, Jeremiah 8:14, Jeremiah 14:20, Jeremiah 16:10
חָטָ֖א6xḥā·ṭāLeviticus 4:23, Leviticus 4:35, Leviticus 5:5, Leviticus 5:10
חָטָ֑א5xḥā·ṭāLeviticus 4:28, Leviticus 19:22, 2 Kings 21:17, Isaiah 43:27
חָטָֽאנוּ׃5xḥā·ṭā·nūNumbers 12:11, Numbers 14:40, Nehemiah 1:6, Jeremiah 14:7
הֶחֱטִ֥יא4xhe·ḥĕ·ṭî2 Kings 3:3, 2 Kings 13:2, 2 Kings 13:11, 2 Kings 15:18
חָטָ֔א4xḥā·ṭā1 Kings 14:16, 1 Kings 15:30, 1 Kings 16:19, Ezekiel 33:16
Parsing patterns
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular30xExodus 32:31, Exodus 32:33, Leviticus 4:3, Leviticus 4:23
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular26xGenesis 20:9, Exodus 9:27, Exodus 10:16, Numbers 22:34
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common plural24xNumbers 12:11, Numbers 14:40, Numbers 21:7, Deuteronomy 1:41
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular19x1 Kings 14:16, 1 Kings 15:26, 1 Kings 15:30, 1 Kings 15:34
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural19xGenesis 40:1, Leviticus 4:14, 1 Kings 8:50, 1 Kings 14:22
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular13xLeviticus 4:3, Leviticus 4:22, Leviticus 6:4, Numbers 16:22
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct7xExodus 9:34, Leviticus 6:3, Job 31:30, Psalms 78:17
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular7xLeviticus 4:2, Leviticus 4:27, Leviticus 5:1, Leviticus 5:17
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- The fact that chata covers both intentional and inadvertent failing should shape your self-awareness — sin in the Bible includes not only willful rebellion but also the subtle ways you miss the mark without realizing it.
- Biblical sin (chata) is primarily relational offense before it is legal violation — authentic repentance addresses the broken relationship, not merely corrects a behavior.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not claim that the 'missing the mark' etymology makes sin sound mild — the full Old Testament picture shows that even inadvertent sin was serious enough to require atonement.
- Do not use Psalm 51:4 ('against you only have I sinned') to argue that sin has no horizontal (person-to-person) dimension — Psalm 51 arises from David's sins against Bathsheba and Uriah; the vertical emphasis is about ultimate accountability, not denial of the human harm.
Key Verse and Form Guides
Verse-level guides showing how this original-language form works in its specific context, including grammar, verse function, and guarded interpretation.
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. properly, to miss ; hence (figuratively and generally) to sin ; by inference, to forfeit , lack , expiate , repent , (causatively) lead astray , condemn
Source Gloss
properly, to miss ; hence (figuratively and generally) to sin ; by inference, to forfeit , lack , expiate , repent , (causatively) lead astray , condemn
Grammatical Forms
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups4Aligned forms188
Qalbasic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense151×
Perfect1Kgs 14:16 · 1Kgs 15:30 · 1Kgs 16:19 · 1Sam 19:4 · 2Kgs 21:17 · Exod 32:31 · Exod 32:33 · Ezek 3:21 · Ezek 18:24 · Ezek 33:16 · Isa 43:27 · Job 1:22 · Job 2:10 · Josh 7:11 · Lev 4:3 · Lev 4:23110×
Imperfect1Kgs 8:31 · 1Kgs 8:46 · 1Sam 2:25 · 2Chr 6:22 · 2Chr 6:36 · Deut 19:15 · Eccl 7:20 · Lev 4:3 · Lev 4:22 · Lev 5:23 · Num 16:22 · Ezek 14:13 · Lev 4:2 · Lev 4:27 · Lev 5:1 · Lev 5:1730×
Participle active1Sam 14:33 · Eccl 8:12 · Isa 1:4 · Prov 13:22 · Prov 14:21 · Prov 19:2 · Prov 20:27×
JussiveGen 42:22 · Ps 4:5 · 1Sam 19:43×
Infinitive constructEzek 3:211×
Hiphilcausative active — the subject causes someone else to perform the action28×
Perfect1Kgs 14:16 · 1Kgs 15:26 · 1Kgs 15:30 · 1Kgs 15:34 · 1Kgs 16:26 · 1Kgs 22:53 · 2Kgs 3:3 · 2Kgs 10:29 · 2Kgs 10:31 · 2Kgs 13:2 · 2Kgs 13:6 · 2Kgs 13:11 · 2Kgs 14:24 · 2Kgs 15:9 · 2Kgs 15:18 · 2Kgs 15:2422×
ImperfectDeut 24:4 · Exod 23:33 · Judg 20:163×
Infinitive constructJer 32:352×
Participle activeIsa 29:211×
Hithpaelreflexive or reciprocal — the subject acts on itself or mutually with others8×
ImperfectNum 19:12 · Num 19:13 · Num 19:20 · Num 31:23 · Num 31:19 · Num 31:20 · Job 41:178×
Pielintensive active — emphasizes thoroughness or repeated action1×
PerfectEzek 43:221×
Word Origins
חָטָא is a primitive root - no further derivation.
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
For the Preacher and Teacher
The Hebrew root image — missing — is not a softening of sin but an intensification of it. Missing is not an accident; it is the failure of the whole person to hit the mark they were made for, which is God Himself. The breadth of stems is pastorally important: the Piel of the same root that names sin also performs the priestly decontamination. The language of the problem and the language of the solution share a root, which foreshadows what atonement means.
The grammar of sin and the grammar of cleansing share a root in Hebrew, and the preacher should name that.
Anchor passage
Gen.39.9
Doctrinal connections
- H3722 כָּפַר (atone/cover) — the Piel of H2398 and the concept of כָּפַר together form the OT's problem-and-remedy architecture
- G266 ἁμαρτία — the LXX rendering; the NT inherits this vocabulary directly
- G629 ἀπολύτρωσις — the NT's answer to what חָטָא accumulates across the OT
- Ps 51 — the concentrated confessional theology of חָטָא
The Piel stem is pastorally counterintuitive: the same verb that means 'to sin' in Qal means 'to decontaminate, to purify' in Piel. This is not coincidence or ambiguity. The Piel handles something defiled by sin by using the sin vocabulary itself — the priest performs a ḥāṭāʾ on what was made ḥāṭāʾ. The ritual language is built into the word's own morphology.
From Old to New Testament
G266 ἁμαρτία is the LXX and NT heir of חָטָא. Rom 3:23 ('all have sinned,' ἥμαρτον) and Rom 6:23 ('the wages of sin is death') are the NT's answer to Ezek 18:20. G629 ἀπολύτρωσις names the NT redemption that addresses the accumulated חָטָא of the covenant people.