חַטָּאָה (chat.ta.ah)
chat.ta.ah
sin offering
A:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- A:N-F
Word Overview
The term chatṭāʾâ appears only once in the Hebrew Bible, specifically in Ezra 6:17. It is an Aramaic noun that translates to "sin offering." In this context, it refers to the specific sacrifice provided by the returned exiles to atone for the community’s transgressions.
This word is the Aramaic equivalent of the more common Hebrew chatṭāʾt (H2401). Its presence in Ezra highlights the bilingual nature of the post-exilic period, where Aramaic served as the administrative language of the empire. The text records that the Israelites offered twelve bulls for this purpose, representing the twelve tribes.
The usage underscores the communal aspect of atonement in the restored community. By providing these offerings, the people sought to restore their covenant relationship with God after the exile. This single instance preserves a linguistic bridge between Hebrew and Aramaic religious terminology.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word chatṭāʾâ appears in Ezra 6:17 as part of a powerful moment of restoration. After years of exile, the returned community rebuilt the temple and celebrated its dedication with great care. They included twelve male goats as a sin offering for all Israel, representing each of the twelve tribes.
This single term reminds us that God’s people have always needed atonement to restore their relationship with Him. The act was communal, showing that faith is lived out together. Even in a foreign language and under imperial rule, the exiles maintained their covenant identity through sacrifice.
For you today, this word points to the enduring need for grace. It shows that no matter how far we have wandered or how broken things seem, God provides a way back. The history of Israel reflects your own journey toward reconciliation with God.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- for/ a sin offering1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- לְ/חַטָּאָ֤ה1×
Key Verses
-
Ezra 6:17
They offered at the dedication of this house of God one hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs; and for a sin offering for all Israel, twelve male goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.
This verse uniquely uses the Aramaic form chatṭāʾâ to describe a communal sin offering for all twelve tribes, highlighting both linguistic diversity and unified repentance.