Greek · G266 · unreviewed

ἁμαρτία

A sin (properly abstract)

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ἁμαρτία G266

Pronunciation hamartía

What does ἁμαρτία (hamartía) mean in the Bible?

ἁμαρτία (hamartía) is a Greek word meaning "a sin (properly abstract)". ἁμαρτία, -ας, ἡ (ἁμαρτάνω, which see), [in LXX chiefly for חַטָּאת and cogn. Describes the former master whose end is death. This term runs through the canonical themes of Justice.

Full entry for ἁμαρτία (G266) · Browse the biblical lexicon

Meaning

a sin (properly abstract)

Extended definition

Sin as a ruling power over human nature, not merely individual transgressions, in Paul's theology

(ἁμαρτάνω, which see), [in LXX chiefly for חַטָּאת and cogn. forms, also for פֶּשַׁע ,עָוֹן, etc. ;] prop. a missing the mark; in cl. (see reff. to CR in MM, VGT, see word);

aguilt, sin (Plat., Arist., al.);

bmore freq., from Æsch. down, a fault, failure. In NT (as LXX) always in ethical sense;

1as a principle and quality of action, = τὸ ἁμαρτάνειν, a sinning, sin: Rom.5:12, 13 20; ὑφ᾽ ἁμαρτίαν εἶναι, Rom.3:9; ἐπιμένειν, Rom.6:1; ἀποθνήσκειν, νεκρὸν εἶναι τῇ ἁ., Rom.6:2, 11; τὴν ἀ. γινώσκειν, Rom.7:7; σῶμα τῆς ἁ., Rom.6:6; ἀπάτη τῆς ἁ., Heb.3:13; personified as a ruling principle, ἁ. βασιλεύει, κυριεύει, etc., Rom.5:21 6:12, 14 7:17, 20; δουλεύειν, Rom.6:6; δοῦλος τῆς ἁ., ib. 17; νόμος τῆς ἁ., Rom.7:23 8:2; δύναμις τῆς ἁ., 1Co.15:56 (cf. Gen.4:7).

2As a generic term (disting. fr. the specific terms ἁμάρτημα, which see, etc.) for concrete wrongdoing, violation of the divine law, sin: Jhn.8:46, Jas.1:15, al.; ποιεῖν (τὴν) ἁ., Jhn.8:34, 2Co.11:7, 1Jn.3:8; εἴχειν ἁ., Jhn.9:41 15:22, 24 19:11, 1Jn.1:8; in pl. ἁμαρτίαι, sin in the aggregate, 1Th.2:16 (see Milligan, in l.); ποιεῖν ἁμαρτίας, Jas.5:15; πλῆθος ἁμαρτιῶν, Jas.5:20, 1Pe.4:8; ἄφεσις ἁμαρτιῶν, Mat.26:28, Mrk.1:4, al.; ἐν ἁμαρτίαις εἶναι, 1Co.15:17; collectively, αἴρειν τὴν ἁ. τ. κόσμου, Jhn.1:29; ἀποθνήσκειν ἐν τῇ ἁ., Jhn.8:21.

3= ἁμάρτημα, a sinful deed, a sin: Mat.12:31, Act.7:60, 1Jn.5:16.

Synonymssee: ἁμάρτημα.

Source: STEPBible TBESG + Abbott-Smith

Why This Word Matters

Describes the former master whose end is death.

Sin exploits the law and produces death, showing its destructive power.

Condition resulting in spiritual death without belief. James 4:13–17

Clarified as not the direct cause of this blindness.

Affirms the ongoing reality of human moral failure even within the believing community.

Defined as lawlessness, emphasizing moral defiance rather than mere weakness. Romans 6:15-23

Grammatical Forms

How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.

Nominative · Singular · Feminine Matt 12:31 · John 9:41 · Rom 5:12 · Rom 5:13 · Rom 5:20 · Rom 5:21 · Rom 6:12 · Rom 6:14 · Rom 7:7 · Rom 7:8 · Rom 7:9 · Rom 7:11 · Rom 7:13 · Rom 7:17 · Rom 7:20 · Rom 14:23 28×

Nominative · Plural · Feminine Matt 9:2 · Matt 9:5 · Mark 2:5 · Mark 2:9 · Luke 5:20 · Luke 5:23 · Luke 7:47 · Luke 7:48 · Rom 4:7 · 1 Tim 5:24 · 1 John 2:12 · Rev 18:5 12×

Genitive · Singular · Feminine John 8:34 · John 8:46 · John 15:22 · John 16:8 · John 16:9 · Rom 3:20 · Rom 5:12 · Rom 6:6 · Rom 6:7 · Rom 6:16 · Rom 6:17 · Rom 6:18 · Rom 6:20 · Rom 6:22 · Rom 6:23 · Rom 7:23 34×

Genitive · Plural · Feminine Matt 1:21 · Matt 26:28 · Mark 1:4 · Luke 1:77 · Luke 3:3 · Luke 24:47 · Acts 2:38 · Acts 5:31 · Acts 10:43 · Acts 13:38 · Acts 26:18 · Rom 7:5 · 1 Cor 15:3 · Gal 1:4 · Col 1:14 · Heb 1:3 31×

Dative · Plural · Feminine John 8:24 · John 9:34 · 1 Cor 15:17 · Eph 2:1 · 1 Tim 5:22 · 2 Tim 3:6 · 1 Pet 2:24 · Rev 18:4 9×

Dative · Singular · Feminine John 8:21 · Rom 6:1 · Rom 6:2 · Rom 6:6 · Rom 6:10 · Rom 6:11 · Rom 6:13 7×

Accusative · Singular · Feminine John 1:29 · John 8:34 · John 9:41 · John 15:22 · John 15:24 · John 19:11 · Acts 7:60 · Rom 3:9 · Rom 4:8 · Rom 7:7 · Rom 7:14 · Rom 8:3 · Rom 8:10 · 2 Cor 5:21 · 2 Cor 11:7 · Gal 3:22 27×

Accusative · Plural · Feminine Matt 3:6 · Matt 9:6 · Mark 1:5 · Mark 2:7 · Mark 2:10 · Luke 5:21 · Luke 5:24 · Luke 7:49 · Luke 11:4 · John 20:23 · Acts 3:19 · Acts 22:16 · Rom 11:27 · 1 Thess 2:16 · Heb 2:17 · Heb 9:28 24×

Canonical Themes

Justice

Biblical Occurrences

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

Additional Occurrences

1-john Sin hamartía

rebellion against God’s standard

1-john Sin hamartía

moral failure, missing the mark of God’s standard

James 4:13–17 ἁμαρτία hamartía

sin

John 8:21-30 ματία hamartía

sin

John 9:1-12 ματία hamartía

sin

New Testament Witnesses

Romans 6:15-23 ἁμαρτία hamartía Genitive · Singular · Feminine

Sin, missing the mark, rebellion against God.

Romans 7:7-13 ἁμαρτία hamartía Nominative · Singular · Feminine

Sin, rebellion against God.

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.

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 22 — Paul’s Defense: Christ Appears, Sends, and Preserves His Witness Acts 26 — Paul Before Agrippa: The Risen Christ Sends Light to Jews and Gentiles Ephesians 2 — Made Alive by Grace and Made One in Christ John 15 — The True Vine, Abiding Fruitfulness, Christlike Love, and the World’s Hatred John 16 — The Spirit’s Convicting Witness, the Disciples’ Sorrow Turned to Joy, and Christ’s Victory over the World John 19 — The Crucified King: Behold the Man, Behold Your King, It Is Finished, and the Pierced Son John 20 — The Risen Lord: Empty Tomb, Eyewitness Faith, Peace, Mission, Spirit, Thomas, and the Purpose of the Gospel 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 11 — Prayer, Kingdom Conflict, True Hearing, and the Exposure of Hypocrisy Luke 24 — The Risen Christ Opens the Scriptures, Commissions Witnesses, and Ascends in Blessing Luke 5 — The Authority of Jesus to Call, Cleanse, Forgive, and Make New Mark 2 — The Son of Man Has Authority: Forgiveness, Fellowship, and Lordship Matthew 1 — The Genealogy and Birth of Jesus the Messiah Matthew 26 — The Betrayal, Passover, Gethsemane, Trial, and Denial of Jesus Matthew 3 — The Forerunner, the Kingdom, and the Beloved Son Matthew 9 — Authority to Forgive, Mercy for Sinners, and Compassion for the Harvest Romans 11 — The Remnant, the Grafted Gentiles, and the Mercy of God Toward Israel Romans 14 — Receiving One Another, Honoring the Lord, and Pursuing Peace in Matters of Conscience Romans 3 — All Under Sin and the Righteousness of God Revealed Through Faith in Christ Romans 5 — Peace with God, Rejoicing in Grace, and Life Through the One Man Jesus Christ Romans 6 — Dead to Sin and Alive to God in Christ Jesus Romans 7 — Released from the Law, Exposed by the Law, and Crying Out for Deliverance Romans 8 — No Condemnation, Life in the Spirit, and the Unbreakable Love of God in Christ

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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