חֵטְא (chet)
chet
sin
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 27 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun chet refers to sin as a concrete reality, encompassing both the act itself and its resulting consequences. Derived from the verb meaning "to miss the mark," it describes a failure that carries weight. In the Old Testament, this word does not merely label a moral error; it often points to the tangible guilt or the specific penalty incurred by the offense.
Its usage highlights the serious nature of transgression. For instance, in Leviticus 19:17 and 22:9, chet identifies a fault that requires attention, while Deuteronomy 15:9 uses it to describe being held accountable for a wrong against another person. The term extends beyond abstract guilt to include the calamity or punishment that follows, as seen in Lamentations 3:39.
Translators often render chet as "sin," "fault," or "offence" depending on the context. This flexibility reflects its dual focus on the breach of law and the burden it places on the individual. By linking the action to its penalty, the word underscores that sin is not an isolated event but a condition with real-world repercussions.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word chet describes sin as a concrete weight rather than an abstract idea. It comes from the image of missing a target, suggesting that our actions fall short of God’s perfect standard. This term reminds us that choices have real consequences, creating a gap between who we are and who we were created to be.
Yet this word also points toward hope. In Isaiah 1:18, God invites His people to reason with Him, promising that sins as deep as scarlet can become white as snow. The burden of chet is not meant to crush us but to drive us to the One who bears it. When we acknowledge our failures, we open the door to forgiveness and restoration.
Understanding chet helps us see sin seriously without losing sight of grace. It calls us to honesty about our shortcomings while trusting in God’s mercy. This perspective encourages a life of humility and dependence on divine help rather than self-reliance.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 27 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- sin9×
- for/ own sin/ his3×
- sins/ my2×
- sin/ his2×
- sins/ your1×
- sins/ his1×
- sins1×
- sin/ their1×
- sin of1×
- in/ own sin/ his1×
- by/ sins/ our1×
- according to/ sins/ our1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- חֵֽטְא\׃3×
- בְּ/חֶטְא֖/וֹ3×
- חֵ֖טְא2×
- חֵ֔טְא2×
- כַ֭/חֲטָאֵי/נוּ1×
- חֶטְאֽ/וֹ\׃1×
- חֶטְאָ֥/ם1×
- חֶטְא֥/וֹ1×
- חֵטְא\־1×
- חֵֽטְא\׃\ \ס1×
- חֵ֤טְא1×
- חֵ֣טְא1×
Key Verses
-
Isaiah 1:18
“Come now, and let’s reason together,” says Yahweh: “Though your sins are as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
This verse uses chet to describe the depth of human failure, yet immediately contrasts it with God’s power to cleanse and restore completely.
-
Isaiah 53:12
Therefore I will give him a portion with the great. He will divide the plunder with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was counted with the transgressors; yet he bore the sins of many and made intercession for the transgressors.
Here chet refers to the sins borne by the suffering servant, highlighting the substitutionary nature of His work for many.
-
Leviticus 19:17
“‘You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him.
The word appears in a context about community relations, showing that sin includes failing to correct a neighbor with love and truth.
-
Deuteronomy 15:9
Beware that there not be a wicked thought in your heart, saying, “The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand,” and your eye be evil against your poor brother and you give him nothing; and he cry to Yahweh against you, and it be sin to you.
Chet is linked here to the specific act of withholding help from the poor, illustrating how neglect can become a serious spiritual offense.