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אָשָׁם

𐤀𐤔𐤌

ʼâshâm

H817 noun

SILEX Entry

Root אשׁם to be guilty, to incur guilt, to offend

Definition

A state of being guilty or liable for wrongdoing—particularly transgressions requiring restitution or atonement—and, by extension, a specific category of offering prescribed for such offenses. 'אָשָׁם' denotes both the abstract sense of guilt (culpability, liability) and the concrete ritual offering designated for certain unintentional or ambiguous sins and breaches of sacred trust or property laws. In priestly and legal texts, especially Leviticus, it refers to the prescribed sacrificial offering for these cases.

Semantic Range

guilt, liability, culpability; guilt (or trespass) offering, reparation offering, ritual compensation

Root / Etymology

Root: אָשַׁם (אשׁם). Derived from the root meaning 'to be guilty, to incur guilt, to offend.' The noun form develops into specialized legal and cultic terminology—for guilt as a state or condition, and for the required atoning offering.

Historical & Contextual Notes

אָשָׁם is predominantly used in Leviticus (e.g., Lev 5, 7, 19) and Numbers in priestly legal sections to denote both the state of guilt and a ritual category of offering. Distinct from חַטָּאת (ḥaṭṭāʾt, 'sin-offering'), אָשָׁם typically addresses situations involving restitution, compensating the sanctuary or another party, or for uncertain transgressions. Over time, the term maintained its legal and cultic association, rarely developing into the more general sense of abstract moral guilt outside legal contexts. Later Second Temple sources and rabbinic literature continue this specialized usage. Standard English translation as 'guilt offering' or 'trespass offering' can obscure the breadth of cases it covers—ranging from unclear sacrificial errors to explicit theft or misuse of sacred things. The word's range and application is thus narrower than the general term for sin or guilt (עָוֹן, עֵוֶל, חֵטְא), but more technical and legally precise.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from אָשַׁם; guilt; by implication, a fault; also a sin-offering; guiltiness, (offering for) sin, trespass (offering).

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

אשׁם (ʾ-š-m) — to be guilty, incur guilt, offend

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H819 אַשְׁמָה states of guilt

Word Forms

10 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H817-05 הָ/אָשָׁ֖ם haasham HTd/Ncmsa of the guilt offering the guilt-offering 15
H817-01 אָשָֽׁם asham HNcmsa guilt offering guilt-liability 12
H817-03 אֲשָׁמ֣/וֹ ashamo HNcmsc/Sp3ms his guilt offering his guilt-offering 6
H817-07 לְ/אָשָֽׁם leasham HR/Ncmsa for a guilt offering for guilt-offering 5
H817-08 וְ/הָ/אָשָֽׁם vehaasham HC/Td/Ncmsa and the guilt offering and the guilt-offering 3
H817-04 בַּ/אֲשָׁמָֽי/ו baashamayv HR/Ncmpc/Sp3ms in his guiltinesses in his guilt-liabilities 1
H817-06 כָּֽ/אָשָׁ֔ם kaasham HRd/Ncmsa the guilt offering as guilt-liability 1
H817-09 וְ/כָ/אָשָֽׁם vekhaasham HC/Rd/Ncmsa and like the guilt offering and like the guilt-offering 1
H817-10 וְ/לָ/אָשָׁ֑ם velaasham HC/Rd/Ncmsa and for the guilt offering and for guilt 1
H817-02 אֲשָׁמָ/ם֙ ashamam HNcmsc/Sp3mp guilt offering of theirs their guilt-offering 1

Occurrences in Scripture

46 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H817-01 Genesis 26:10 אָשָֽׁם asham HNcmsa guilt guilt-liability
H817-03 Leviticus 5:6 אֲשָׁמ֣/וֹ ashamo HNcmsc/Sp3ms his guilt offering his guilt-offering
H817-03 Leviticus 5:7 אֲשָׁמ֜/וֹ ashamo HNcmsc/Sp3ms his guilt offering his guilt-offering
H817-03 Leviticus 5:15 אֲשָׁמ֨/וֹ ashamo HNcmsc/Sp3ms his guilt offering his guilt-offering
H817-07 Leviticus 5:15 לְ/אָשָֽׁם leasham HR/Ncmsa for a guilt offering for guilt-offering
H817-05 Leviticus 5:16 הָ/אָשָׁ֖ם haasham HTd/Ncmsa of the guilt offering the guilt-offering
H817-07 Leviticus 5:18 לְ/אָשָׁ֖ם leasham HR/Ncmsa for a guilt offering for guilt-offering
H817-01 Leviticus 5:19 אָשָׁ֖ם asham HNcmsa guilt offering guilt-liability
H817-03 Leviticus 5:25 אֲשָׁמ֥/וֹ ashamo HNcmsc/Sp3ms his guilt offering his guilt-offering
H817-07 Leviticus 5:25 לְ/אָשָׁ֖ם leasham HR/Ncmsa for a guilt offering for guilt-offering
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