Original Word: חֵטְא
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: chet'
Pronunciation: khayt
Phonetic Spelling: (khate)
KJV: fault, X grievously, offence, (punishment of) sin
NASB: sin, sins, offenses, greatly, penalty
Word Origin: [from H2398 (חָטָא - sinned)]

1. a crime or its penalty

fault, grievously, offence, punishment of sin

From chata'; a crime or its penalty -- fault, X grievously, offence, (punishment of) sin.

see HEBREW chata'

Word Origin
from chata
Definition
a sin
NASB Translation
greatly (1), offenses (2), penalty (1), sin (22), sins (7).

חֵטְא noun masculine^{Deuteronomy 15:9} sin (on formation see Lag ^{BN 142}) — ׳ח Leviticus 19:17 15t.; suffix חָטְאוֺ Leviticus 24:15 5t., חֲטָאָו֯ Lamentations 3:39, חֶטְאָם Leviticus 20:20; plural חֲטָאִים Ecclesiastes 10:4; construct חֲטָאֵי 2 Kings 10:29; Ezekiel 23:49; suffix חֲטָאַי Genesis 41:9, חֲטָאָ֑י Isaiah 38:17; Psalm 51:11, חֲטָאֵינוּ Daniel 9:16; Psalm 103:10, חֲטָאֵיכֶם Isaiah 1:18; —

1 sin:

a. against man Genesis 41:9 (E) Ecclesiastes 10:4.

b. elsewhere ag. God, absolute Isaiah 31:7; Hosea 12:9; חָטָא ׳ח Lamentations 1:8 compare Deuteronomy 19:15; 2 Kings 10:29; משׁפט מות ׳ח sin worthy of death Deuteronomy 21:22 = מות ׳ח Deuteronomy 22:26; with בְּ, because of, Daniel 9:16; God is entreated: hide thy face from my sins Psalm 51:11; and it is said in faith, thou wilt cast behind thy back all my sins Isaiah 38:17.

2 guilt of sin: היה חטא ב sin (the guilt of sin) come on one Deuteronomy 15:9; Deuteronomy 21:22; Deuteronomy 23:22; Deuteronomy 23:23; Deuteronomy 24:15; בחטאו מת in his sin (guilt) die Numbers 27:3 (P); אישׁ בחטאו each for his own sin Deuteronomy 24:16 = 2 Kings 14:16 2Chronicles 25:4; בחטא יחמתני אמי Psalm 51:7 in sin (condition of sin and guilt) my mother conceived me; אם חטאיכם כשׁנים Isaiah 1:18 though your sins be like scarlet (in guilt); לא כחטאינו עשׂה לנו Psalm 103:10 not according to our sins (their guilt) hath he done to us.

3 punishment for sin: ׳נשׂא ח bear sin (its punishment) Leviticus 20:20; Leviticus 24:15 (H), Numbers 9:13; Numbers 18:22 (P); with עַל, bear sin because of Leviticus 19:17; Leviticus 22:9 (H) Numbers 18:32 (P); bear sins of idols (in worshipping idols) Ezekiel 23:49; the ideal servant of Yahweh bore the sins of many Isaiah 53:12; without נשׂא, only Lamentations 3:39 גבר על חטאו (wherefore doth) a man (complain) for the punishment of his sin ?

[חֲטָי] noun [masculine] sin (see Biblical Hebrew חטא); — suffix חֲטָיָךָ Daniel 4:24 (Qr חֲטָאָךָ K^{§ 57 a}) β)), < plural (for חַטְיָיךָ) Hi Bev Kmp Behrm, compare "" עַוַיָתָ.

חֵטְא (Strong’s 2399)

Definition and Range of Meaning

The noun designates (1) the act of missing God’s mark—sin itself, (2) the liability incurred—guilt, and (3) the remedy supplied by God— the sin-offering. Context determines which nuance is uppermost, yet all three ideas remain organically connected.

Representative Occurrences

• Sin as moral failure: “You number my steps; You do not keep track of my sin” (Job 14:16).
• Personal guilt borne by the priesthood: “It shall be on Aaron’s forehead, so that Aaron may bear the guilt relating to the holy things” (Exodus 28:38).
• Collective guilt requiring annual atonement: “Aaron shall make atonement on its horns once a year with the blood of the sin offering for the atonement” (Exodus 30:10).
• Recollection of guilt in providence: “Have you come to remind me of my guilt and cause the death of my son?” (1 Kings 17:18).

These samples illustrate the breadth of usage among the approximately thirty-four attestations in the Old Testament.

Sin as Moral Deviation

חֵטְא exposes humanity’s failure to conform to God’s revealed will. Whether the speaker is Job (Job 14:16), David (Psalm 69:5), or the anonymous worshipper, the term underscores that sin is primarily offence against the LORD. It is personal (“my sin”), specific, and known to God even when hidden from others. Consequently, confession in Scripture is never mere self-expression but an appeal for divine mercy.

Guilt and Its Consequences

In several priestly texts, חֵטְא moves from the act to its judicial aftermath—culpability. Aaron “bears” guilt on behalf of the people (Exodus 28:38, 28:43), a burden so serious that entering the sanctuary wrongly attired results in death. The same idea surfaces narratively when disaster revives a person’s sense of unresolved guilt (1 Kings 17:18). Scripture thus links sin with real, objective liability before God, not merely subjective feelings.

Sin Offering and Atonement

Because guilt is objective, it must be expiated. חֵטְא therefore also names the offering that removes guilt (Exodus 30:10; compare Leviticus 5, where the cognate term predominates). Blood applied to the golden altar proclaims that substitution is God’s appointed means of satisfaction. The annual Day of Atonement magnifies this truth: atonement must be perfect, repeated, and God-initiated.

Theological Significance in Israel’s Worship

The dual usage—sin and sin-offering—teaches that the Holy One both identifies the transgression and supplies the remedy. Priestly mediation, sacrificial blood, and strict ritual purity all dramatize the gospel in shadow form: sinners cannot approach God unless their guilt is borne away. The sanctuary becomes a living parable of grace administered through covenantal structures.

Christological Foreshadowing

New Testament writers adopt Septuagintal equivalents of חֵטְא to declare that the Messiah “made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us” (2 Corinthians 5:21). The interchange of “sin” and “sin-offering” in Isaiah 53:10 anticipates this climactic fulfillment. When Hebrews contrasts repeated Levitical sacrifices with the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ (Hebrews 10:1-14), it assumes the Old Testament’s multifaceted concept: act, guilt, and offering converge at the cross.

Practical Ministry Implications

1. Preaching must maintain the biblical tension: sin is both behaviour and standing.
2. Pastoral care should acknowledge the reality of guilt while directing people to the perfect offering of Jesus Christ.
3. Corporate worship profits from readings and prayers that reflect the Old Testament pattern—confession, assurance of pardon, and joyful service.
4. Ethical instruction gains clarity by showing that God, not cultural consensus, defines חֵטְא.

Conclusion

חֵטְא reveals the seriousness of sin, the certainty of guilt, and the sufficiency of God’s provision. From Aaron’s forehead plate to Calvary’s cross, Scripture testifies that the LORD both confronts and cancels sin, securing a people who can “serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him all their days” (compare Luke 1:74-75).

בְּחֶטְא֖וֹ בְחֶטְא֣וֹ בַחֲטָאֵ֙ינוּ֙ בחטאו בחטאינו וַחֲטָאֵ֥י וּ֝בְחֵ֗טְא ובחטא וחטאי חֲטָאִ֥ים חֲטָאֵ֞י חֲטָאֵיכֶ֤ם חֲטָאַ֕י חֲטָאָֽי׃ חֲטָאָֽיו׃ חֵ֔טְא חֵ֖טְא חֵ֛טְא חֵ֣טְא חֵ֤טְא חֵֽטְא׃ חֵטְא־ חֶטְא֥וֹ חֶטְאָ֥ם חֶטְאֽוֹ׃ חַטָּא֔וֹת חטא חטא־ חטא׃ חטאו חטאו׃ חטאות חטאי חטאי׃ חטאיו׃ חטאיכם חטאים חטאם כַ֭חֲטָאֵינוּ כחטאינו מֵחֲטָאָ֑י מחטאי ḇa·ḥă·ṭā·’ê·nū ḇaḥăṭā’ênū bə·ḥeṭ·’ōw ḇə·ḥeṭ·’ōw bechetO bəḥeṭ’ōw ḇəḥeṭ’ōw Chachataeinu chataAi chataAv chataEi chataeiChem chataIm chattaot Chet chetAm chetO ḥă·ṭā·’āw ḥă·ṭā·’ay ḥă·ṭā·’āy ḥă·ṭā·’ê ḥă·ṭā·’ê·ḵem ḥă·ṭā·’îm ḥaṭ·ṭā·’ō·wṯ ḥăṭā’āw ḥăṭā’ay ḥăṭā’āy ḥăṭā’ê ḥăṭā’êḵem ḥăṭā’îm ḥaṭṭā’ōwṯ ḥêṭ ḥêṭ- ḥeṭ’ām ḥeṭ’ōw ḥeṭ·’ām ḥeṭ·’ōw ḵa·ḥă·ṭā·’ê·nū ḵaḥăṭā’ênū mê·ḥă·ṭā·’āy mechataAi mêḥăṭā’āy ū·ḇə·ḥêṭ ūḇəḥêṭ uveChet vachataEi vachataEinu vechetO wa·ḥă·ṭā·’ê waḥăṭā’êInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts