אָשַׁם (H816) — Hebrew Lexicon

אָשַׁם

𐤀𐤔𐤌

ʼâsham

H816 verb

SILEX Entry

Root אשם to incur guilt, to bear guilt, to become liable

Definition

To incur guilt, to bear guilt, or to become liable for wrongdoing; in some contexts, to become subject to punishment or penalty resulting from an offense. In extended or figurative uses, the verb can convey the idea of suffering consequences, being brought to desolation, or being destroyed as a result of guilt or transgression.

Semantic Range

to incur guilt, to be or become guilty, to declare or acknowledge guilt, to be liable for punishment, to offend, to trespass, to be punished for guilt, to become desolate as a result of guilt, to be destroyed as a consequence of transgression

Root / Etymology

Root: א-ש-ם. The root אשם relates to the concept of guilt, culpability, or the state of having committed an offense. The verb אָשַׁם is the Qal form of the root, directly expressing the action of incurring guilt or becoming culpable. The connection to desolation or destruction stems from the consequence of guilt rather than directly from the root meaning.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In biblical usage, אָשַׁם primarily refers to the state of being guilty or liable for an offense, often within the context of covenant law. It appears in both legal and ritual passages, sometimes describing the condition of the person who has transgressed and is thus liable for punishment, and sometimes wider results—such as the consequences for a community or land. The term also gives rise to the noun אָשָׁמָה (guilt, guilt offering), which became important in sacrificial practice, especially in the priestly and legal texts of Leviticus and Numbers. As such, the verb can reflect a continuum from subjective moral culpability to objective liability for ritual or communal offense. English translations often render the term as 'be guilty,' 'incur guilt,' or 'be liable,' but occasionally render the extended sense (especially in prophetic literature) as 'become desolate' or 'suffer destruction'—emphasizing the aftermath of guilt. The word is distinct from related roots like חטא (to miss, to sin, to incur guilt specifically by missing the mark) or עָוֹן (to commit iniquity), as אשם stresses the state of guilt and its consequences rather than the action or degree of wrongdoing. In post-exilic and later Hebrew, the use of the root continues, often with more juridical or formalized senses.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or אָשֵׁם; a primitive root; to be guilty; by implication to be punished or perish; [idiom] certainly, be(-come, made) desolate, destroy, [idiom] greatly, be(-come, found, hold) guilty, offend (acknowledge offence), trespass.

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Root Family

אשם (ʾ-š-m) — guilt, culpability, liability

Strong's	Lemma	SIBI-P1
H818	אָשֵׁם	guilty ones

Word Forms

18 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	Occurrences
`H816-12`	וְ/אָשֵֽׁם	veashem	`HC/Vqq3ms`	and is guilty	and he incurs guilt	8
`H816-17`	יֶאְשָׁ֔מוּ	yeeshamu	`HVqi3mp`	incurred-guilt	they will incur guilt	4
`H816-18`	יֶאְשְׁמ֖וּ	yeeshemu	`HVqi3mp`	they become guilty	they will incur guilt	3
`H816-03`	אָשֹׁ֥ם	ashom	`HVqa`	certainly guilty	incurring guilt	2
`H816-08`	תֶּאְשָֽׁמוּ	teeshamu	`HVqi2mp`	be guilty	you will incur guilt	2
`H816-16`	יֶאְשַׁ֖ם	yeesham	`HVqi3ms`	become guilty	he will incur guilt	2
`H816-01`	אָשַׁ֖ם	asham	`HVqp3ms`	he was guilty	guilt-liability	2
`H816-10`	וַֽ/יֶּאְשְׁמ֖וּ	vayeeshemu	`HC/Vqw3mp`	and-they-are-held-guilty	and they incurred guilt	2
`H816-05`	נֶאְשָׁ֑ם	neesham	`HVqi1cp`	guilty	we incur guilt	1
`H816-13`	וְ/אָֽשְׁמָ֖ה	veashemah	`HC/Vqp3fs`	and-she-shall-be-guilty	and she incurred guilt	1
`H816-07`	תֶּאְשַׁם֙	teesham	`HVqi3fs`	shall be guilty	she will incur guilt	1
`H816-06`	נֶאְשָֽׁמוּ	neeshamu	`HVNp3cp`	are desolate	they have become guilty	1
`H816-14`	וְ/אָשֵֽׁמוּ	veashemu	`HC/Vqq3cp`	and are guilty	and they incurred guilt	1
`H816-02`	אָשַׁ֗מְתְּ	ashamete	`HVqp2fs`	you have become guilty	you incurred guilt	1
`H816-09`	וַ/יֶּאְשַׁ֥ם	vayeesham	`HC/Vqw3ms`	but he incurred guilt	and he incurred guilt	1
`H816-15`	וְ/יֶאְשְׁמ֜וּ	veyeeshemu	`HC/Vqi3mp`	and desolated	and they will incur guilt	1
`H816-11`	וְ/אָשָֽׁמְתָּ	veashameta	`HC/Vqq2ms`	and you be found guilty	and you incurred guilt	1
`H816-04`	הַֽאֲשִׁימֵ֨/ם	haashimem	`HVhv2ms/Sp3mp`	Make them guilty	Cause them to incur guilt	1

Occurrences in Scripture

35 total occurrences

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1
`H816-14`	Leviticus 4:13	וְ/אָשֵֽׁמוּ	veashemu	`HC/Vqq3cp`	and are guilty	and they incurred guilt
`H816-12`	Leviticus 4:22	וְ/אָשֵֽׁם	veashem	`HC/Vqq3ms`	and is guilty	and he incurs guilt
`H816-12`	Leviticus 4:27	וְ/אָשֵֽׁם	veashem	`HC/Vqq3ms`	and is guilty	and he incurs guilt
`H816-12`	Leviticus 5:2	וְ/אָשֵֽׁם	veashem	`HC/Vqq3ms`	and guilty	and he incurs guilt
`H816-12`	Leviticus 5:3	וְ/אָשֵֽׁם	veashem	`HC/Vqq3ms`	he shall be guilty	and he incurs guilt
`H816-12`	Leviticus 5:4	וְ/אָשֵׁ֖ם	veashem	`HC/Vqq3ms`	then he shall be guilty	and he incurs guilt
`H816-16`	Leviticus 5:5	יֶאְשַׁ֖ם	yeesham	`HVqi3ms`	he is guilty	he will incur guilt
`H816-12`	Leviticus 5:17	וְ/אָשֵׁ֖ם	veashem	`HC/Vqq3ms`	he is guilty	and he incurs guilt
`H816-03`	Leviticus 5:19	אָשֹׁ֥ם	ashom	`HVqa`	certainly guilty	incurring guilt
`H816-01`	Leviticus 5:19	אָשַׁ֖ם	asham-2	`HVqp3ms`	he was guilty	guilt-liability
`H816-12`	Leviticus 5:23	וְ/אָשֵׁם֒	veashem	`HC/Vqq3ms`	and is guilty	and he incurs guilt
`H816-13`	Numbers 5:6	וְ/אָֽשְׁמָ֖ה	veashemah	`HC/Vqp3fs`	and-she-shall-be-guilty	and she incurred guilt
`H816-01`	Numbers 5:7	אָשַׁ֥ם	asham	`HVqp3ms`	he-has-wronged	guilt-liability
`H816-08`	Judges 21:22	תֶּאְשָֽׁמוּ	teeshamu	`HVqi2mp`	be guilty	you will incur guilt
`H816-10`	Isaiah 24:6	וַֽ/יֶּאְשְׁמ֖וּ	vayeeshemu	`HC/Vqw3mp`	and-they-are-held-guilty	and they incurred guilt
`H816-17`	Jeremiah 2:3	יֶאְשָׁ֔מוּ	yeeshamu	`HVqi3mp`	incurred-guilt	they will incur guilt
`H816-05`	Jeremiah 50:7	נֶאְשָׁ֑ם	neesham	`HVqi1cp`	guilty	we incur guilt
`H816-15`	Ezekiel 6:6	וְ/יֶאְשְׁמ֜וּ	veyeeshemu	`HC/Vqi3mp`	and desolated	and they will incur guilt
`H816-02`	Ezekiel 22:4	אָשַׁ֗מְתְּ	ashamete	`HVqp2fs`	you have become guilty	you incurred guilt
`H816-10`	Ezekiel 25:12	וַ/יֶּאְשְׁמ֥וּ	vayeeshemu	`HC/Vqw3mp`	and-they-incurred-guilt	and they incurred guilt
`H816-03`	Ezekiel 25:12	אָשׁ֖וֹם	ashom	`HVqa`	guilt	incurring guilt
`H816-16`	Hosea 4:15	יֶאְשַׁ֖ם	yeesham	`HVqj3ms`	become guilty	he will incur guilt
`H816-18`	Hosea 5:15	יֶאְשְׁמ֖וּ	yeeshemu	`HVqi3mp`	they become guilty	they will incur guilt
`H816-17`	Hosea 10:2	יֶאְשָׁ֑מוּ	yeeshamu	`HVqi3mp`	they shall be guilty	they will incur guilt
`H816-09`	Hosea 13:1	וַ/יֶּאְשַׁ֥ם	vayeesham	`HC/Vqw3ms`	but he incurred guilt	and he incurred guilt
`H816-07`	Hosea 14:1	תֶּאְשַׁם֙	teesham	`HVqi3fs`	shall be guilty	she will incur guilt
`H816-06`	Joel 1:18	נֶאְשָֽׁמוּ	neeshamu	`HVNp3cp`	are desolate	they have become guilty
`H816-12`	Habakkuk 1:11	וְ/אָשֵׁ֑ם	veashem	`HC/Vqp3ms`	and be guilty	and he incurs guilt
`H816-17`	Zechariah 11:5	יֶאְשָׁ֔מוּ	yeeshamu	`HVqi3mp`	they feel guilty	they will incur guilt
`H816-04`	Psalms 5:11	הַֽאֲשִׁימֵ֨/ם	haashimem	`HVhv2ms/Sp3mp`	Make them guilty	Cause them to incur guilt
`H816-17`	Psalms 34:22	יֶאְשָֽׁמוּ	yeeshamu	`HVqi3mp`	will-be-guilty	they will incur guilt
`H816-18`	Psalms 34:23	יֶ֝אְשְׁמ֗וּ	yeeshemu	`HVqi3mp`	will-be-condemned	they will incur guilt
`H816-11`	Proverbs 30:10	וְ/אָשָֽׁמְתָּ	veashameta	`HC/Vqq2ms`	and you be found guilty	and you incurred guilt
`H816-18`	2 Chronicles 19:10	יֶאְשְׁמוּ֙	yeeshemu	`HVqi3mp`	they be guilty	they will incur guilt
`H816-08`	2 Chronicles 19:10	תֶאְשָֽׁמוּ	teeshamu	`HVqi2mp`	you shall be guilty	you will incur guilt

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