חַטָּא (chat.ta)
chat.ta
sinner
H:N-M / H:AQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 17 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M / H:A
Word Overview
The Hebrew word chat.ta describes someone who is sinful or reckoned as an offender. It functions as both an adjective and a noun, characterizing people by their moral state rather than just listing specific crimes. The sources indicate it carries the weight of being exposed to condemnation, marking the individual as one who stands under judgment.
This term appears most frequently in the poetic and wisdom literature of Psalms and Proverbs, often standing in contrast to the righteous. It is also found in Isaiah, where it helps define the human condition before God. The word does not merely describe a single bad act but points to a persistent identity or status of being out of step with divine law.
Its root relates to missing the mark, which gives it a sense of failure rather than just rebellion. Translators usually render it as "sinners" or "sinful," capturing this idea of those who have fallen short of the standard. The term emphasizes the reality of human imperfection and the resulting need for mercy, a theme central to the books where it occurs most often.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word for sinner describes a person who has missed the mark in their relationship with God. It is not just about committing specific wrong acts, but reflects a deeper state of being out of step with divine standards. This term appears often in Psalms and Proverbs, highlighting the universal human condition where everyone falls short of perfection.
Yet this reality is not meant to leave us in despair. Scripture shows that God instructs sinners in the way (Psalms 25:8), offering guidance rather than immediate condemnation. The contrast between the sinner and the righteous invites us to seek wisdom and rely on God’s mercy, knowing that He desires to lead us back to Him.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 17 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- sinners8×
- and/ sinners2×
- the/ sinners1×
- sinful1×
- and/ sinners/ its1×
- and/ sinful1×
- [the] sinners of1×
- <the>/ sinful1×
- <in>/ sinners1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- חַטָּאִ֣ים2×
- חַ֭טָּאִים2×
- חַטָּאֵ֣י1×
- חַטָּאִֽים\׃1×
- חַטָּאִ֨ים\׀1×
- חַטָּאִ֔ים1×
- חַטָּאִ֑ים1×
- חַ֝טָּאִ֗ים1×
- וְ֝/חַטָּאִ֗ים1×
- וְ/חַטָּאֶ֖י/הָ1×
- וְ/חַטָּאִ֖ים1×
- וְ/חַטָּאִ֑ים1×
Key Verses
-
Psalms 25:8
Good and upright is Yahweh, therefore he will instruct sinners in the way.
This verse highlights God's role as an instructor for those who recognize their sinful state, showing that the label 'sinner' opens the door to divine guidance rather than just judgment.
-
Psalms 1:5
Therefore the wicked shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
Here the term contrasts with the righteous, illustrating that a life defined by sin cannot stand firm in final judgment, emphasizing the need for alignment with God's ways.
-
Proverbs 13:21
Misfortune pursues sinners, but prosperity rewards the righteous.
This occurrence connects the identity of being a sinner with the inevitable pursuit of misfortune, reinforcing the wisdom literature's theme that moral failure has real-world consequences.