Original Word: חַטָּא
Part of Speech: Adjective; noun masculine; Adjective; noun masculine
Transliteration: chatta'
Pronunciation: khat-TAW
Phonetic Spelling: (khat-taw')
KJV: offender, sinful, sinner
NASB: sinners, sinful, offenders, who have sinned
Word Origin: [intensively from H2398 (חָטָא - sinned)]

1. a criminal, or one accounted guilty

offender, sinful, sinner

Intensively from chata'; a criminal, or one accounted guilty -- offender, sinful, sinner.

see HEBREW chata'

Word Origin
from chata
Definition
sinful, sinners
NASB Translation
men* (1), offenders (1), sinful (2), sinners (15), who have sinned (1).

[חַטָּא] adjective and

noun masculine

1 sinful,

2 sinners — as feminine adjective חַטָּאָה Amos 9:8, elsewhere only plural חַטָּאִים Numbers 32:14 15t.; construct חַטָּאֵי Amos 9:10; suffix חַטָּאֶיהָ Isaiah 13:9; —

1. adjective a. sinful men Numbers 32:14 (J), kingdom Amos 9:8.

b. exposed to condemnation, reckoned as offenders 1 Kings 1:21 (compare Hiph`il Participle Isaiah 29:21). Elsewhere

2. noun masculine sinners Numbers 17:3 (P), 1 Samuel 15:18; Amos 9:10; Isaiah 1:28; Isaiah 13:9; Psalm 1:1,5; Psalm 25:8; Psalm 26:9; Psalm 51:15; Psalm 104:35; Proverbs 1:10; Proverbs 13:21; Proverbs 23:17; ליהוה ׳ח sinners against ׳י Genesis 13:13 (J).

Concept Overview

חַטָּא (Strong’s 2400) designates a person characterized by sin—an offender who stands guilty before the LORD. Scripture employs the term both individually (“sinners”) and corporately (“sinful kingdom”) to spotlight willful rebellion against God’s revealed will. The word always carries ethical weight; it never allows a neutral or merely cultural definition of sin but assumes the divine standard of holiness.

Scope of Occurrences

Nineteen instances appear from Genesis to Amos, spanning Patriarchal history, the Torah, the monarchy, Wisdom literature, and the Prophets. The distribution underscores the timeless reality of human depravity and the persistent need for divine intervention:

• Genesis (patriarchs): 1
• Pentateuch: 2 in Numbers
• Historical Books: 2 (1 Samuel, 1 Kings)
• Psalms: 7
• Proverbs: 3
• Isaiah: 3
• Amos: 2

Patterns in Usage

1. Moral contrast: Sinners are regularly set over against “the righteous” (Psalm 1:5; Proverbs 13:21), highlighting a stark covenant divide.
2. Judicial exposure: The word often appears in forensic contexts—judgment by plague (Numbers 16:38), the sword (Amos 9:10), or cosmic upheaval (Isaiah 13:9).
3. Covenant warning: Israel’s identity as God’s people does not exempt her from being labeled “sinners” when she mirrors the nations (Amos 9:8).
4. Evangelical invitation: While judgment is certain, the possibility of repentance is held out—“sinners will return to You” (Psalm 51:13).
5. Ethical discipleship: Parental and pastoral counsel urges separation from sinners’ patterns (Proverbs 1:10; Psalm 1:1).

Moral and Theological Insights

• Universality of sin: From Sodom (Genesis 13:13) to Zion (Isaiah 33:14), no place is immune.
• Divine intolerance of sin: “May sinners vanish from the earth” (Psalm 104:35) expresses heaven’s verdict while anticipating final eschatological cleansing.
• Mediatorial grace: David’s prayer in Psalm 51 links personal restoration with teaching sinners the way, foreshadowing the gospel pattern of forgiven sinners becoming proclaimers of grace.
• Corporate accountability: “Sinful kingdom” (Amos 9:8) reveals that societal structures, not only individuals, can embody sin and thus incur national judgment.

Historical Background

In the Ancient Near East, kings boasted of justice, yet Israel’s Scriptures uniquely root morality in the character of the covenant God. The prophetic indictments against “sinners” often coincide with periods of complacency (Isaiah 1), political intrigue (1 Kings 1:21), or territorial ambition (Numbers 32:14), demonstrating the word’s relevance amid shifting historical settings.

Relation to the Messianic Hope

Isaiah’s vision of “sinners in Zion” trembling before divine fire (Isaiah 33:14) creates an expectation for a righteous One who can dwell with that fire and shield His people. The New Testament answers this tension: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). The Old Testament usage, therefore, lays the groundwork for the gospel’s announcement of substitutionary atonement and imputed righteousness.

Practical Exhortations for Ministry

• Preaching: Proclaim both the peril (“All the sinners among My people will die by the sword,” Amos 9:10) and the promise of mercy (Psalm 25:8).
• Pastoral care: Lead repentant individuals from confession (Psalm 51) into discipleship that instructs other sinners.
• Discipleship: Encourage believers to resist cultural enticement—“My son, if sinners entice you, do not yield to them” (Proverbs 1:10).
• Corporate assessment: Evaluate congregational life against the warning to the “sinful kingdom,” fostering communal holiness.

Key Passages for Study and Meditation

Genesis 13:13; Numbers 16:38; Psalm 1:1, 1:5; Psalm 51:13; Proverbs 13:21; Isaiah 13:9; Amos 9:8–10.

בַּֽחַטָּאִ֑ים בחטאים הַֽחַטָּאִ֨ים הַֽחַטָּאִים֙ הַֽחַטָּאָ֔ה החטאה החטאים וְ֝חַטָּאִ֗ים וְחַטָּאִ֑ים וְחַטָּאִ֖ים וְחַטָּאֶ֖יהָ וחטאיה וחטאים חַ֝טָּאִ֗ים חַ֭טָּאִים חַטָּאִ֑ים חַטָּאִ֔ים חַטָּאִ֣ים חַטָּאִ֨ים ׀ חַטָּאִֽים׃ חַטָּאֵ֣י חטאי חטאים חטאים׃ ba·ḥaṭ·ṭā·’îm bachattaIm baḥaṭṭā’îm chattaEi chattaIm ha·ḥaṭ·ṭā·’āh ha·ḥaṭ·ṭā·’îm hachattaAh hachattaIm haḥaṭṭā’āh haḥaṭṭā’îm ḥaṭ·ṭā·’ê ḥaṭ·ṭā·’îm ḥaṭṭā’ê ḥaṭṭā’îm vechattaEiha vechattaIm wə·ḥaṭ·ṭā·’e·hā wə·ḥaṭ·ṭā·’îm wəḥaṭṭā’ehā wəḥaṭṭā’îmInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts