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Greek · G264 · unreviewed

ἁμαρτάνω

To sin

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ἁμαρτάνω G264
Pronunciation hamartánō

What does ἁμαρτάνω (hamartánō) mean in the Bible?

ἁμαρτάνω (hamartánō) is a Greek word meaning "to sin". ἁμαρτάνω (present formed from aor. Expresses genuine confession marking true repentance.

Full entry for ἁμαρτάνω (G264) · Browse the biblical lexicon

Meaning

to sin
Extended definition

Violating God's law; missing the mark of divine standard through wrong action or omission

(present formed from aor. ἁμαρτεῖν), [in LXX for חָטָא, also for אָשַׁם, רָשַׁע, etc. ;]

1to miss the mark (Hom., Æsch., al.), hence metaphorically (Hom., al.), to err, do wrong
2In LXX and NT, to violate God's law, to sin (for non-Christian exx., see MM, VGT, see word): absol., Mat.18:25 27:4, Luk.17:3, Jhn.5:14 8:11 9:2-3 Rom.2:12 3:23 5:12, 14 5:16 6:15, 1Co.7:28 7:36 15:34, Eph.4:26, 1Ti.5:20, Tit.3:11, Heb.3:17 10:26, 1Pe.2:20, 2Pe.2:4 2:4 1Jn.1:10 Jn 2:1 Jn 3:6-9 Jn 5:18; with cogn. accusative, ἁ. ἁμαρτίαν (cf. Exo.32:30, חֲטָאָה חָטָא), 1Jn.5:16; before εἰς, Mat.18:21, Luk.15:18, 21 17:4, Act.25:8 (καίσαρα). 1Co.6:18 8:12 (Field, Notes, 173); ἐνώπιον, Luk.15:18, 21; πρὸς θάνατον (cf. Num.18:22, מוּת חֵטְא), 1Jn.5:16 (Cremer, 98, 633).
Source: STEPBible TBESG + Abbott-Smith
Why This Word Matters
Expresses genuine confession marking true repentance. Luke 15:11–32
Grammatical Forms

How mood, tense, and voice shift the force of this verb in context.

Tenses
Present Aorist Future Perfect
Voices
Active
Indicative states a fact or reality 21×
Aorist Active Matt 27:4 · Luke 15:18 · Luke 15:21 · Acts 25:8 · Rom 2:12 · Rom 3:23 · Rom 5:12 · John 9:2 · John 9:3 · 1 Cor 7:28 12×
Present Active 1 Cor 6:18 · 1 Cor 7:36 · Titus 3:11 · 1 John 3:6 · 1 John 3:8 · 1 John 5:18 · 1 Cor 8:12 7×
Future Active Matt 18:21 1×
Perfect Active 1 John 1:10 1×
Subjunctive possibility, probability, or purpose 6×
Aorist Active Matt 18:15 · Luke 17:3 · Luke 17:4 · 1 John 2:1 · Rom 6:15 6×
Participle verbal adjective — the action as a modifying quality 11×
Present Active 1 Cor 8:12 · 1 Pet 2:20 · 1 Tim 5:20 · Heb 10:26 · 1 John 3:6 · 1 John 5:16 7×
Aorist Active Rom 5:14 · Rom 5:16 · Heb 3:17 · 2 Pet 2:4 4×
Imperative command or strong request 3×
Present Active 1 Cor 15:34 · Eph 4:26 · John 5:14 3×
Infinitive verbal noun — the action in abstract 1×
Present Active 1 John 3:9 1×
42 total occurrences across all forms in the biblical text Morphology: MorphGNT SBLGNT — CC BY-SA 3.0
Discourse Aspect

How this verb appears across 41 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).

Aspect
completed 12 ongoing 6 prospective 1 resultant 1 imperative 4 subjunctive 6 infinitive 1 participle 10
Tense
aorist 22 present 17 perfect 1 future 1
Voice
active 41
Mood
indicative 20 participle 10 subjunctive 6 imperative 4 infinitive 1
NT Occurrences
Matthew 18:15 ἁμαρτήσῃ aorist active subjunctive subjunctive Matthew 18:21 ἁμαρτήσει future active indicative prospective Matthew 27:4 Ἥμαρτον aorist active indicative completed Luke 15:18 ἥμαρτον aorist active indicative completed Luke 15:21 ἥμαρτον aorist active indicative completed Luke 17:3 ἁμάρτῃ aorist active subjunctive subjunctive Luke 17:4 ἁμαρτήσῃ aorist active subjunctive subjunctive John 5:14 ἁμάρτανε present active imperative imperative John 8:11 ἁμάρτανε present active imperative imperative John 9:2 ἥμαρτεν aorist active indicative completed John 9:3 ἥμαρτεν aorist active indicative completed Acts 25:8 ἥμαρτον aorist active indicative completed Romans 2:12 ἥμαρτον aorist active indicative completed Romans 2:12 ἥμαρτον aorist active indicative completed Romans 3:23 ἥμαρτον aorist active indicative completed Romans 5:12 ἥμαρτον aorist active indicative completed Romans 5:14 ἁμαρτήσαντας aorist active participle participle Romans 5:16 ἁμαρτήσαντος aorist active participle participle Romans 6:15 ἁμαρτήσωμεν aorist active subjunctive subjunctive 1 Corinthians 6:18 ἁμαρτάνει present active indicative ongoing 1 Corinthians 7:28 ἥμαρτες aorist active indicative completed 1 Corinthians 7:28 ἥμαρτεν aorist active indicative completed 1 Corinthians 7:36 ἁμαρτάνει present active indicative ongoing 1 Corinthians 8:12 ἁμαρτάνοντες present active participle participle 1 Corinthians 8:12 ἁμαρτάνετε present active indicative ongoing 1 Corinthians 15:34 ἁμαρτάνετε present active imperative imperative Ephesians 4:26 ἁμαρτάνετε present active imperative imperative 1 Timothy 5:20 ἁμαρτάνοντας present active participle participle Hebrews 3:17 ἁμαρτήσασιν aorist active participle participle Hebrews 10:26 ἁμαρτανόντων present active participle participle 2 Peter 2:4 ἁμαρτησάντων aorist active participle participle 1 John 1:10 ἡμαρτήκαμεν perfect active indicative resultant 1 John 2:1 ἁμάρτητε aorist active subjunctive subjunctive 1 John 2:1 ἁμάρτῃ aorist active subjunctive subjunctive 1 John 3:6 ἁμαρτάνει present active indicative ongoing 1 John 3:6 ἁμαρτάνων present active participle participle 1 John 3:8 ἁμαρτάνει present active indicative ongoing 1 John 3:9 ἁμαρτάνειν present active infinitive infinitive 1 John 5:16 ἁμαρτάνοντα present active participle participle 1 John 5:16 ἁμαρτάνουσιν present active participle participle +1 more occurrences

Aspect reflects grammatical form — not authorial emphasis. Participles and infinitives are verbal adjectives and nouns respectively.

Clause data: MACULA Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0) · SBLGNT (Logos/SBL, CC BY 4.0)

Biblical Occurrences

Each occurrence shows the passage reference, the original language term as it appears in that context, its transliteration, and the contextual sense.

New Testament Witnesses
Luke 15:11–32 ἥμαρτον hamartánō Indicative · Aorist Active
I have sinned
Appears In

Compound and idiomatic lexemes in which this word is a constituent. Follow a link to study the phrase and its other participating words.

ἁμαρτάνω · ἁμαρτία G264, G266
sin, act against God, guilt
ἁμαρτία · ἁμαρτάνω G266, G264
sin, miss the mark, rebel against God
ἀδελφός · ἁμαρτάνω G80, G264
if your brother sins
Word Pictures (Robertson)

A.T. Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) discusses this term in the following chapters. Open any chapter and go to the Word Pictures tab to read his verse-by-verse commentary.

Acts 25 — Paul Appeals to Caesar and Is Set Before Agrippa John 8 — The Light of the World, True Freedom, and the I AM Before Abraham John 9 — The Man Born Blind, the Light of the World, and the Blindness of Religious Unbelief Luke 15 — The Joy of God over the Lost Being Found Matthew 18 — Kingdom Humility, Care for the Little Ones, Discipline, and Forgiveness in Christ’s Community

A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) — public domain

Sources

MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain

Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0

Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0

STEPBible Data — CC BY 4.0

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