Lexical Summary
asham: Guilt, guilt offering, trespass, offense
Original Word:אָשָׁם
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:asham
Pronunciation:ah-shahm
Phonetic Spelling:(aw-shawm')
KJV: guiltiness, (offering for) sin, trespass (offering)
NASB:guilt offering, wrong, guilt, guilt offerings, guilty deeds, sin
Word Origin:[fromH816 (אָשַׁם אָשֵׁם - guilty)]
1. guilt
2. (by implication) a fault
3. also a sin-offering
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
guiltiness, offering for sin, trespass offering
From'asham; guilt; by implication, a fault; also a sin-offering -- guiltiness, (offering for) sin, trespass (offering).
see HEBREW'asham
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
ashamDefinitionoffense, guilt
NASB Translationguilt (2), guilt offering (38), guilt offerings (1), guilty deeds (1), sin (1), wrong (3).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
—
Genesis 26:10 37t., suffix
Numbers 5:7 7t.; —
offence, trespass, faultPsalm 68:22 (guiltiness RV).
guiltGenesis 26:10 (J)Proverbs 14:9;Jeremiah 51:5.
compensation,to whom to return the compensation (or satisfaction for injury)Numbers 5:7,8 (P;restitution for guilt RV).
trespass-offering (AV, butguilt-offering RV) used only inLeviticus 5;Leviticus 6:10;Leviticus 7:1;Leviticus 14:1;Leviticus 19:21,22;Numbers 5:1;Numbers 6:12;Numbers 18:9 (P), &Ezekiel 40:39;Ezekiel 42:13;Ezekiel 44:29;Ezekiel 46:20, compareEzra 10:19. This offering seems to have been confined to offences against God or man that could be estimated and so covered by compensation. The ordinary trespass-offering was a ram, together with restitution and a penalty of a fifth of its value. The trespass-offerings of the leper and Nazirite were he-lambsLeviticus 14Numbers 6:12; if the person who suffered wrong or his kinsmen were not living the fine went to the priests. The victims were offered, the blood and fat pieces going to the altar, the skin and flesh to the priests. There seems to have been no application of the blood to the horns of the altar (the chief ceremony of the sin-offering) because the guilt was not expiated at the altar but by compensation to the wronged person or his representative. A part of the blood of the leper's trespass-offering was applied to his person to consecrate him (as in the case of the ram of consecration to consecrate the priestsLeviticus 8:23). The trespass-offering is unknown to J E D and the older Hebrew literature. However, the Philistines send an of golden mice and tumours1 Samuel 6:3,4,8,17, and an of money was given to the priests2 Kings 12:17, but these are entirely different from the trespass-offering of P. The Messianic servant offers himself as an in compensation for the sins of the people, interposing for them as their substituteIsaiah 53:10 (incorrectly,sin-offering AV RV). See further OehlerOT Theol. § 137 DiLeviticus 5:14.
Topical Lexicon
Meaning and Conceptאָשָׁם combines two ideas: (1) an objective state of guilt incurred by violating a divine or social boundary, and (2) the sacrificial reparation that removes that guilt. In Scripture the word can denote the offense itself (Genesis 26:10;Hosea 5:15), the liability that follows it (Numbers 5:31), or the specific “guilt offering” that repairs the breach (Leviticus 5:15).
Mosaic Legislation
Leviticus devotes two full sections to the guilt offering:Leviticus 5:14–6:7 sets out the circumstances, andLeviticus 7:1-10 describes the ritual portions. A guilt offering was required when someone
• misappropriated what was “holy to the LORD” (Leviticus 5:15),
• was uncertain whether he had sinned (Leviticus 5:17-19),
• defrauded or deceived a neighbor, including withholding deposits, lost property, or wages (Leviticus 6:2-5),
• committed certain ritual defilements (Leviticus 14:12 for the cleansed leper;Numbers 6:12 for a defiled Nazirite).
Where money or property was involved, full restitution plus “a fifth” (twenty percent) was mandatory (Leviticus 5:16; 6:5). Confession (Numbers 5:6-7) and priestly mediation completed the process, so that “he will be forgiven” (Leviticus 5:16).
Ritual Procedure
1. A male ram “without blemish” was selected (Leviticus 5:15).
2. Its value was assessed “according to the sanctuary shekel” (Leviticus 5:15).
3. Restitution plus one-fifth was paid directly to the offended party or, if the offense concerned holy things, to the priest (Leviticus 5:16;Numbers 5:8).
4. The animal’s blood was dashed against the altar, its fat burned, and the meat became the priest’s portion (Leviticus 7:3-7).
5. The priest declared atonement: “The priest will make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt offering, and he will be forgiven” (Leviticus 6:7).
Distinctive Features
Unlike the sin offering (חַטָּאת), which dealt primarily with defilement, the guilt offering emphasized damages. It addressed concrete loss or desecration as well as the spiritual offense. Its built-in restitution highlighted God’s concern for both justice and reconciliation. The fixed ram underscored the costly nature of sin, while the added “one-fifth” reminded Israel that restoration must exceed mere replacement.
Historical Illustrations
• The Philistines returned the ark with “five golden tumors” and “five golden rats as a guilt offering to the LORD” (1 Samuel 6:4-5).
• During repairs of the Temple, priests recorded money from “guilt offerings and sin offerings” separately (2 Kings 12:16).
• Hezekiah’s revival included “burnt offerings and guilt offerings” for all Israel (2 Chronicles 29:21-24). These narratives show the offering’s endurance beyond Sinai and its relevance in national crises.
Prophetic and Post-Exilic Usage
Isaiah 53:10 anchors the term in messianic hope: “Yet it pleased the LORD to crush Him, and He has made Him sick. When He makes His life a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days.” Ezekiel’s vision of the future Temple retains the guilt offering alongside the sin and burnt offerings (Ezekiel 40:39; 42:13; 44:29; 46:20), signaling its lasting typological value.
Theological Themes
1. Substitution: the blameless ram bears the consequence of the offender’s guilt.
2. Restitution: reconciliation with God cannot bypass making things right with neighbor.
3. Holiness of God’s property: violations of what is “holy to the LORD” required special satisfaction.
4. Forgiveness grounded in covenant grace: each regulation concludes with assurance—“he will be forgiven.”
Christological Fulfillment
By using אָשָׁם for the Servant’s sacrifice,Isaiah 53 bridges Levitical ritual and New Covenant fulfillment. Jesus Christ, “the righteous One” (Isaiah 53:11), offers not a ram but His own life, providing both expiation and the full “one-fifth” of restoration—more than the debt owed. The New Testament echoes the pattern: “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree” (1 Peter 2:24) and “by one sacrifice He has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified” (Hebrews 10:14).
Pastoral and Ministry Applications
• Preaching the gospel: the guilt offering clarifies why the cross involves both substitution and reconciliation.
• Counseling repentance: genuine repentance includes restitution where possible (Luke 19:8 finds precedent inLeviticus 6:5).
• Stewardship of holy things: worship leaders must guard offerings, facilities, and ordinances that belong to the LORD.
• Social justice within the church: repairing wrongs among believers models the holistic atonement God designed.
With approximately forty-six occurrences, אָשָׁם consistently communicates God’s provision for the guilty and His demand that redeemed people make wrongs right. As such, it remains a vital lens through which to read both the Old Testament sacrifices and the finished work of Christ.
Forms and Transliterations
אֲשָׁמ֜וֹ אֲשָׁמ֣וֹ אֲשָׁמ֥וֹ אֲשָׁמ֨וֹ אֲשָׁמָם֙ אֲשָׁמוֹ֙ אָשָֽׁם׃ אָשָׁ֑ם אָשָׁ֔ם אָשָׁ֖ם אָשָׁ֛ם אָשָׁם֙ אשם אשם׃ אשמו אשמם בַּאֲשָׁמָֽיו׃ באשמיו׃ הָֽאָשָׁ֔ם הָֽאָשָׁם֒ הָֽאָשָׁם֙ הָאָשָֽׁם׃ הָאָשָׁ֑ם הָאָשָׁ֖ם הָאָשָׁ֛ם הָאָשָׁ֥ם הָאָשָׁם֒ הָאָשָׁם֙ הָאָשָׁם֮ האשם האשם׃ וְהָאָשָֽׁם׃ וְהָאָשָׁ֔ם וְכָאָשָֽׁם׃ וְלָאָשָׁ֑ם והאשם והאשם׃ וכאשם׃ ולאשם כָּֽאָשָׁ֔ם כאשם לְאָשָֽׁם׃ לְאָשָׁ֑ם לְאָשָׁ֖ם לאשם לאשם׃ ’ă·šā·mām ’ă·šā·mōw ’ā·šām ’āšām ’ăšāmām ’ăšāmōw aSham ashaMam ashaMo ba’ăšāmāw ba·’ă·šā·māw baashaMav hā’āšām hā·’ā·šām haaSham kā’āšām kā·’ā·šām kaaSham lə’āšām lə·’ā·šām leaSham vechaaSham vehaaSham velaaSham wə·hā·’ā·šām wə·ḵā·’ā·šām wə·lā·’ā·šām wəhā’āšām wəḵā’āšām wəlā’āšām
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