What does אָשַׁם (asham) mean in the Bible?
אָשַׁם (asham): Guilt inherently carries culpability; the guilty party bears both moral liability and consequent punishment or destruction.
Hebrew · H816
אָשַׁם
To be guilty ; by implication to be punished or perish
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אָשַׁםH816
Pronunciationasham
What does אָשַׁם (asham) mean in the Bible?
אָשַׁם (asham): Guilt inherently carries culpability; the guilty party bears both moral liability and consequent punishment or destruction.
Full entry for אָשַׁם (H816) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H816?
The BSB source-word alignment has 35 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include he is guilty (3), . . . (2), he incurs guilt (2), incur guilt (2), will be condemned (2).
Where does אָשַׁם (asham) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Leviticus 4:13. Its strongest book concentrations include Leviticus (11), Hosea (5), Ezekiel (4), Psalms (3).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders Ithe is guilty3×Leviticus 5:3, Leviticus 5:4, Leviticus 5:17
. . .2×Leviticus 5:19, Ezekiel 25:12
he incurs guilt2×Leviticus 4:22, Leviticus 4:27
incur guilt2×2 Chronicles 19:10
will be condemned2×Psalms 34:21, Psalms 34:22
and becomes guilty1×Leviticus 6:4
and desecrated1×Ezekiel 6:6
and guilty1×Leviticus 5:2
and incur guilt1×Leviticus 4:13
and you will bear the guilt1×Proverbs 30:10
are guilty1×Habakkuk 1:11
are suffering1×Joel 1:18
But he incurred guilt1×Hosea 13:1
Declare them guilty1×Psalms 5:10
guilty1×Jeremiah 50:7
he has wronged1×Numbers 5:7
he was certainly guilty1×Leviticus 5:19
incurred grievous guilt1×Ezekiel 25:12
is guilty1×Numbers 5:6
must bear the guilt1×Isaiah 24:6
remorse1×Zechariah 11:5
someone incurs guilt1×Leviticus 5:5
such guilt1×Hosea 4:15
they admit their guilt1×Hosea 5:15
they must bear their guilt1×Hosea 10:2
were found guilty1×Jeremiah 2:3
will bear her guilt1×Hosea 13:16
you are guilty1×Ezekiel 22:4
you have no guilt1×Judges 21:22
Show sample aligned rows
Leviticus 4:13וְאָשֵֽׁמוּ׃toand incur guiltConjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common pluralLeviticus 4:22וְאָשֵֽׁם׃tohe incurs guiltConjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singularLeviticus 4:27וְאָשֵֽׁם׃tohe incurs guiltConjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singularLeviticus 5:2וְאָשֵֽׁם׃toand guiltyConjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singularLeviticus 5:3וְאָשֵֽׁם׃tohe is guiltyConjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singularLeviticus 5:4וְאָשֵׁ֖םtohe is guiltyConjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singularLeviticus 5:5יֶאְשַׁ֖םtosomeone incurs guiltVerb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularLeviticus 5:17וְאָשֵׁ֖םtohe is guiltyConjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singularLeviticus 5:19אָשֹׁ֥םtohe was certainly guiltyVerb - Qal - Infinitive absoluteLeviticus 5:19אָשַׁ֖םto. . .Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned rowLeviticus 4:13
Aligned rows35
Books represented13
Leviticus11Numbers2Judges12 Chronicles2Psalms3Proverbs1Isaiah1Jeremiah2Ezekiel4Hosea5Joel1Habakkuk1Zechariah1
Source forms
וְאָשֵֽׁם׃4xwə·’ā·šêmLeviticus 4:22, Leviticus 4:27, Leviticus 5:2, Leviticus 5:3
וְאָשֵׁ֖ם2xwə·’ā·šêmLeviticus 5:4, Leviticus 5:17
יֶאְשַׁ֖ם2xye’·šamLeviticus 5:5, Hosea 4:15
יֶאְשָׁ֔מוּ2xye’·šā·mūJeremiah 2:3, Zechariah 11:5
אָשׁ֖וֹם1x’ā·šō·wmEzekiel 25:12
אָשַׁ֖ם1x’ā·šamLeviticus 5:19
אָשַׁ֥ם1x’ā·šamNumbers 5:7
אָשֹׁ֥ם1x’ā·šōmLeviticus 5:19
Parsing patterns
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular8xLeviticus 4:22, Leviticus 4:27, Leviticus 5:2, Leviticus 5:3
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural7x2 Chronicles 19:10, Psalms 34:21, Psalms 34:22, Jeremiah 2:3
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural2xIsaiah 24:6, Ezekiel 25:12
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural2xJudges 21:22, 2 Chronicles 19:10
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular2xLeviticus 5:5, Hosea 4:15
Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute2xLeviticus 5:19, Ezekiel 25:12
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular2xLeviticus 5:19, Numbers 5:7
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine plural1xEzekiel 6:6
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Guilt inherently carries culpability; the guilty party bears both moral liability and consequent punishment or destruction.
Strong'sH816
Lexical occurrences35 versesWord forms2 forms19 referencesVerse guides0 guides
Study linkHosea 5:8-15Source Gloss
to be guilty ; by implication to be punished or perish
Extended definitionSource: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Guilt inherently carries culpability; the guilty party bears both moral liability and consequent punishment or destruction.
to be guilty; by implication to be punished or perish BDB: offend Usage: × certainly, be(-come, made) desolate, destroy, × greatly, be(-come, found, hold) guilty, offend (acknowledge offence), trespass.
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 groups2Aligned forms19
Qalbasic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense18×
Imperfect2Chr 19:10 · Hos 5:15 · Hos 10:2 · Jer 2:3 · Ps 34:22 · Ps 34:23 · Zech 11:5 · Judg 21:22 · Hos 14:1 · Jer 50:7 · Lev 5:512×
PerfectLev 5:19 · Num 5:7 · Ezek 22:43×
Infinitive absoluteEzek 25:12 · Lev 5:192×
JussiveHos 4:151×
Niphalpassive or reflexive — the subject receives or experiences the action1×
PerfectJoel 1:181×
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Old Testament Witnesses
to be guilty
Showing 1 selected witness from 35 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
אָשַׁם is a primitive root - no further derivation.
Why This Word Matters
Repentance requires recognition of covenant guilt.Hosea 5:8-15
Canonical Themes
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.