Lexical Summary
ashmah: Guilt, offense, sin, wrongdoing
Original Word:אַשְׁמָה
Part of Speech:Noun Feminine
Transliteration:ashmah
Pronunciation:ash-maw'
Phonetic Spelling:(ash-maw')
KJV: offend, sin, (cause of) trespass(-ing, offering)
NASB:guilt, bring guilt, cause of guilt, guilt offering, incur guilt, transgressions, wrongs
Word Origin:[feminine ofH817 (אָשָׁם - guilt offering)]
1. guiltiness, a fault, the presentation of a sin-offering
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
offend, sin, cause of trespassing, offering
Feminine of'asham; guiltiness, a fault, the presentation of a sin-offering -- offend, sin, (cause of) trespass(-ing, offering).
see HEBREW'asham
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfem. of
ashamDefinitionwrongdoing, guiltiness
NASB Translationbring guilt (1), cause of guilt (1), guilt (12), guilt offering (1), incur guilt (1), transgressions (1), wrongs (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
(properly
Infinitive compare , ) —
Leviticus 22:16 5t., construct
Ezra 10:10 3t.; suffix
Leviticus 5:24 6t.; plural 2Chronicles 28:10; suffix
Psalm 69:6; —
doing wrong, committing a trespass or offence2Chronicles 24:18; 28:10,13 (3 t. in verse) (""2 Chronicles 28:13) 2Chronicles 32:23;Ezra 9:6,7,13,15 (""Ezra 9:13)Psalm 69:6 ("" );of all that one may do wrong thereinLeviticus 5:26 (P; ""Leviticus 6:22).
becoming guilty1 Chronicles 21:3;Ezra 10:10,19;sin to the becoming guilty of the people (so that the people incur guilt)Leviticus 4:3;guilt of Samaria (their idols)Amos 8:14.
bringing a trespass-offering,in the day of his bringing his trespass-offeringLeviticus 5:24;iniquity requiring a trespass-offeringLeviticus 22:16.
(, ) see .
see . p. 1032.
(√ assumed for following; perhapsbe hard, firm, compare Aramaic , , somethingfirm).
Topical Lexicon
Semantic Field and Conceptual Rangeאַשְׁמָה gathers the ideas of culpability, liability for punishment, and the state of moral or ritual wrong. It may describe (1) the objective fact of wrongdoing, (2) the subjective sense of blame, or (3) the resulting punishment or obligation for reparation. Whether translated “guilt,” “offense,” or “trespass,” the word consistently points to a breach that demands redress before God.
Cultic and Legal Contexts (Leviticus)
In Leviticus the term anchors the system of sacrificial atonement. “If the anointed priest sins, thereby bringing guilt on the people…” (Leviticus 4:3). Corporate liability surfaces here: the high priest’s failure places the entire nation under guilt, highlighting the representative function of leadership.
Leviticus 6:5-7 frames guilt as a debt requiring restitution plus sacrificial mediation: wronged property is repaid with an added fifth, and only then “the priest shall make atonement for him before the LORD, and he will be forgiven for whatever he has done to bring guilt” (6:7). The passage links guilt, restitution, and forgiveness—prefiguring the Gospel pattern of confession, repentance, and atonement.
Leviticus 22:16 warns priests not to mismanage holy things, “thereby causing them to bear the guilt requiring restitution.” Mishandling sacred space and offerings endangers the worshiper and the priest alike, underscoring that holiness protects the community when properly guarded.
Historical Narrative Usage (Samuel–Chronicles)
In royal annals, guilt jeopardizes the entire nation. Joab protests David’s census: “Why should he cause guilt to Israel?” (1 Chronicles 21:3). Counting troops in self-reliance would shift trust from covenant faithfulness to military strength, inviting divine judgment.
Judah’s apostasy under Joash, Ahaz, and Manasseh is summarized: “So wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for their guilt” (2 Chronicles 24:18); “Are you not also guilty before the LORD your God?” (28:10); “Ammon multiplied his guilt” (33:23). National destiny rises or falls with accumulated guilt, reinforcing the theological logic of Deuteronomy.
Restoration Era Emphasis (Ezra)
Post-exilic leaders treat guilt as the looming obstacle to revival. Ezra confesses, “Our guilt has reached the heavens” (Ezra 9:6), recounts generations of “great guilt” (9:7), and marvels that grace remains “after all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and our great guilt” (9:13). The community’s intermarriage crisis illustrates the principle: “You have been unfaithful… adding to Israel’s guilt” (10:10). Repentance involves covenant renewal and concrete obedience—dissolving unlawful unions and bringing “a ram from the flock for their guilt” (10:19). The narrative teaches that restoration is inseparable from dealing honestly with corporate and personal guilt.
Poetic and Prophetic Applications
David acknowledges personal frailty: “O God, You know my folly; my guilt is not hidden from You” (Psalm 69:5). Guilt, though a forensic reality, is also relational; it mars fellowship with God until confessed.
Amos targets idolatry: “Those who swear by the guilt of Samaria… shall fall, never to rise again” (Amos 8:14). Here guilt functions as a surrogate deity—an enduring stain that guarantees judgment when unrepented.
Theological Themes
1. Universality of Guilt. From priest to king to commoner, none escape the reach of אַשְׁמָה.
2. Representative Responsibility. Leaders wield the potential to “bring guilt on the people” (Leviticus 4:3;1 Chronicles 21:3).
3. Necessity of Atonement. Guilt always demands satisfaction—by restitution, sacrifice, or, ultimately, by the cross that fulfills the typology.
4. Corporate Solidarity. National disasters in Chronicles and Ezra prove that communal guilt can accumulate across generations, yet collective repentance can bring mercy.
5. Hope of Forgiveness. Even after “great guilt,” a remnant can stand because “the LORD is righteous” (Ezra 9:15), foreshadowing the Gospel promise that “the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).
Pastoral and Ministry Implications
• Preaching should confront both individual and societal guilt, refusing to minimize sin while extending the assurance of divine pardon.
• Discipleship must cultivate sensitivity to hidden or normalized guilt, following David’s transparency inPsalm 69.
• Corporate worship gains depth when confession and restoration are practiced, reflecting the Levitical pattern of restitution and sacrifice.
• Leaders bear heightened accountability; ungodly decisions can “bring guilt on the people,” whereas humble obedience can lead communities into renewal.
Christological and New Covenant Reflections
The Levitical guilt offering foreshadows Christ, “who Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree” (1 Peter 2:24). Where אַשְׁמָה exposed humanity’s liability, the crucified and risen Savior satisfies it, offering believers freedom from condemnation and the power to live reconciled lives.
Forms and Transliterations
אֲשָׁמ֔וֹת אַשְׁמַ֥ת אַשְׁמָ֔ה אַשְׁמָֽה׃ אַשְׁמָה֙ אַשְׁמָתֵ֑ינוּ אַשְׁמָתָֽם׃ אַשְׁמָתֽוֹ׃ אשמה אשמה׃ אשמות אשמת אשמתו׃ אשמתינו אשמתם׃ בְּאַשְׁמַ֣ת בְּאַשְׁמָ֣ה בְּאַשְׁמָתֵ֔ינוּ בְּאַשְׁמָתָ֖ם באשמה באשמת באשמתינו באשמתם וְ֝אַשְׁמוֹתַ֗י וְאַשְׁמָתֵ֥נוּ וּבְאַשְׁמָתֵ֖נוּ ואשמותי ואשמתנו ובאשמתנו לְאַשְׁמַ֣ת לְאַשְׁמַ֨ת לְאַשְׁמָ֖ה לְאַשְׁמָ֥ה לאשמה לאשמת ’ă·šā·mō·wṯ ’aš·mā·ṯām ’aš·mā·ṯê·nū ’aš·mā·ṯōw ’aš·māh ’aš·maṯ ’ăšāmōwṯ ’ašmāh ’ašmaṯ ’ašmāṯām ’ašmāṯênū ’ašmāṯōw ashaMot ashMah ashMat ashmaTam ashmaTeinu ashmaTo bə’ašmāh bə’ašmaṯ bə’ašmāṯām bə’ašmāṯênū bə·’aš·mā·ṯām bə·’aš·mā·ṯê·nū bə·’aš·māh bə·’aš·maṯ beashMah beashMat beashmaTam beashmaTeinu lə’ašmāh lə’ašmaṯ lə·’aš·māh lə·’aš·maṯ leashMah leashMat ū·ḇə·’aš·mā·ṯê·nū ūḇə’ašmāṯênū uveashmaTenu veashmaTenu veashmoTai wə’ašmāṯênū wə’ašmōwṯay wə·’aš·mā·ṯê·nū wə·’aš·mō·w·ṯay
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