Lexical Summary
chattaah: Sin, sin offering
Original Word:חַטָּאָה
Part of Speech:Noun Feminine
Transliteration:chatta'ah
Pronunciation:khat-taw-aw'
Phonetic Spelling:(khat-taw-aw')
KJV: sin (offering)
Word Origin:[(Aramaic) corresponding toH2401 (חֲטָאָה - sin)]
1. an offence, and the penalty or sacrifice for it
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
sin offering
(Aramaic) corresponding tochata'ah; an offence, and the penalty or sacrifice for it -- sin (offering).
see HEBREWchata'ah
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originthe same as
chattaya, q.v.
Brown-Driver-Briggs
,
Exodus 34:7 (JE)
Isaiah 5:18.
Topical Lexicon
OverviewThe word refers to the prescribed sacrifice presented when sin had ruptured covenant fellowship with the LORD. It represents a substitute life laid down so that the offender might live, emphasizing both the seriousness of sin and the mercy of God, who provides the means of atonement.
Usage in Old Testament Context
While this exact form appears only inEzra 6:17, the same concept dominates the sacrificial legislation of Leviticus, Numbers, and elsewhere under closely related terms. Whether offered for an individual, for the congregation, or for the altar itself, the sin offering always dealt specifically with guilt before God and effected ceremonial cleansing. In the Pentateuch it is never a voluntary gift but a duty commanded by God, underscoring that atonement originates with Him, not with human ingenuity.
Historical Background:Ezra 6:17 and the Second Temple
Ezra 6 recounts the completion and dedication of the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile. “For the dedication of this house of God they offered…twelve male goats as a sin offering for all Israel, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.” (Ezra 6:17).
1. The returning exiles recognized that mere architectural restoration was insufficient; covenant restoration required blood atonement.
2. Twelve male goats, one for each tribe, proclaimed national solidarity: exile had fractured the nation, but sacrificial blood reunited it under the covenant.
3. The sin offering at the dedication looked back to Solomon’s temple dedication (1 Kings 8) and forward to the ongoing daily and annual sacrifices, placing the rebuilt temple within the continuous redemptive narrative.
Sacrificial Procedure and Purpose
Leviticus describes four principal steps:
• Identification – the sinner lays a hand on the victim (Leviticus 4:29).
• Slaughter – “the sinner shall slaughter the goat as a sin offering” (Leviticus 4:29).
• Application – the priest applies the blood to the altar, signaling purification (Leviticus 4:34).
• Consumption or disposal – portions are burned, others eaten by the priest, or the carcass is taken outside the camp (Leviticus 6:30).
Blood addresses defilement; fat upon the altar honors the LORD; consumption by the priest signifies mediation; burning outside the camp pictures removal of guilt. Every detail prefigures the ultimate Substitute who would “suffer outside the gate” (Hebrews 13:12).
Theological Significance
1. Substitution: life for life (Leviticus 17:11).
2. Propitiation: divine wrath satisfied, enabling fellowship.
3. Purification: cleansing both sinner and sanctuary; sin pollutes persons and sacred space.
4. Corporate Solidarity: national offerings show that sin is never merely private.
5. Repetition: the continual need for sin offerings exposed the insufficiency of animal blood to cleanse the conscience permanently (Hebrews 10:3-4).
Typology and Fulfillment in Christ
Isaiah foresaw the Servant who would make “His soul an offering for guilt” (Isaiah 53:10). Jesus Christ fulfilled that role:
• John proclaimed, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29).
• At Calvary He became the once-for-all sin offering: “By this will we have been sanctified through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Hebrews 10:10).
• His resurrection confirms that the offering was accepted, securing eternal atonement.
Practical Ministry Applications
• Preach repentance: the sin offering confronts believers with God’s holiness and the horror of sin.
• Proclaim assurance: because the ultimate sin offering has been made, forgiveness is complete for all who trust in Christ (Romans 8:1).
• Encourage holiness: forgiven people are called to live as temples cleansed by blood and Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
• Foster unity: the twelve-goat offering at Ezra’s dedication reminds the church that reconciliation with God and with one another are inseparable.
Key Related References
Leviticus 4:1-35;Leviticus 6:24-30;Leviticus 16:1-34;Numbers 15:24-25;Isaiah 53:4-10;John 19:17-18;Romans 8:3-4;2 Corinthians 5:21;Hebrews 9:22-28;Hebrews 10:10-14.
Forms and Transliterations
לְחַטָּאָ֤ה לחטאה lə·ḥaṭ·ṭā·’āh lechattaAh ləḥaṭṭā’āh
Links
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