Lexical Summary
avon: iniquity, iniquities, guilt
Original Word: עָוֹן
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: `avon
Pronunciation: ah-vone
Phonetic Spelling: (aw-vone')
KJV: fault, iniquity, mischeif, punishment (of iniquity), sin
NASB: iniquity, iniquities, guilt, punishment, punishment for the iniquity, punishment for their iniquity, blame
Word Origin: [from H5753 (עָוָה - To bend)]
1. perversity, i.e. (moral) evil
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
fault, iniquity, mischief, punishment of iniquity, sin
Or oavown (2 Kings 7:9; Psalm 51:5; Psalm 51:7) {aw-vone'}; from avah; perversity, i.e. (moral) evil -- fault, iniquity, mischeif, punishment (of iniquity), sin.
see HEBREW 'abad
see HEBREW avah
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom an unused word
Definitioniniquity, guilt, punishment for iniquity
NASB Translationblame (1), guilt (21), guilty (1), iniquities (46), iniquity (143), punishment (12), punishment for the iniquity (3), punishment for their iniquity (3).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
Isaiah 22:14 ; — absolute
Exodus 21:43 +;
2 Kings 7:9;
Psalm 51:7; construct
Genesis 15:16 +;
1 Chronicles 21:8; suffix
Genesis 4:13 + (2 Samuel 16:12 read ),
Hosea 9:7 +;
Psalm 103:3;
Numbers 15:31 (Ges
§ 91e), etc.; plural absolute
Psalm 130:3 +, construct
Job 13:26 +; absolute
Psalm 65:4, construct
Leviticus 16:21 +; suffix
Isaiah 43:24,
Numbers 14:34 +, etc.; also
Ezekiel 28:18;
Isaiah 64:6 +, etc. (SS doubt all these); —
iniquity, Job 15:5; Job 20:27; Jeremiah 11:10; Jeremiah 14:7; Jeremiah 16:17; Lamentations 2:14; Ezekiel 7:13; "" 1 Samuel 20:1; Job 13:23; Isaiah 5:18; Isaiah 43:24; Isaiah 59:2; Jeremiah 5:25; Jeremiah 16:10; Lamentations 4:6,13; Daniel 9:16; Hosea 4:8; Hosea 13:12; "" Job 14:17; Job 31:33; Psalm 107:17; Isaiah 50:1; Isaiah 53:5; "" Ezra 9:6,7,13; Job 22:5; Hosea 7:1
Job 13:26 iniquities of my youth; Job 19:29 iniquities calling for the sword; Job 31:11,28 iniquity for (to be punished by) judges; Hosea 10:10 (so read Vrss Hi and others); stumble by iniquity Hosea 5:5; Hosea 14:2; compare Ezekiel 7:19; Ezekiel 14:3,4,7; Ezekiel 18:30; Ezekiel 44:12; Deuteronomy 19:15; 2 Samuel 22:24 = Psalm 18:24. Hosea 12:9.
iniquity as recognized, 1 Samuel 3:13; Isaiah 59:12; Jeremiah 3:13; Jeremiah 14:20; confessed, Leviticus 16:21; Leviticus 26:40 (twice in verse) (P), Nehemiah 9:2; Psalm 38:19; Psalm 32:5; brought to remembrance, Numbers 5:15 (P) 1 Kings 17:18; Ezekiel 21:28; Ezekiel 21:29; Ezekiel 29:16; causing shame, Ezekiel 43:10; turned from, Daniel 9:13, compare Malachi 2:6.
(1) phrases of punishment: Exodus 20:5 = Deuteronomy 5:9; Exodus 34:7; Numbers 14:18 (J), Leviticus 18:25 (H) 2 Samuel 3:8; Isaiah 13:11; Isaiah 26:21; Jeremiah 25:12; Jeremiah 36:31; Amos 3:2; without , Lamentations 4:22, Psalm 89:33; Job 11:6 see [II. ]; Psalm 39:12 chastise for iniquity; Psalm 90:8 set our iniquities before thee; Psalm 103:10; Psalm 130:3; Isaiah 65:7 (twice in verse); Jeremiah 16:18; Jeremiah 32:18; Isaiah 14:21; (2) of forgiveness or removal: 2 Samuel 24:10 = 1 Chronicles 21:8; Job 7:21; Zechariah 3:4; Zechariah 3:9 Exodus 34:9; Numbers 14:19 (J), Psalm 25:11; Psalm 103:3; Jeremiah 31:34; Jeremiah 33:8; Jeremiah 36:3; Exodus 34:7; Numbers 14:18 (J), Psalm 32:5; Psalm 85:3; Isaiah 33:24; Hosea 14:3; Micah 7:18; Isaiah 6:7; Micah 7:19; (3) of covering over, Nehemiah 3:37; Psalm 78:38; Proverbs 16:6; Isaiah 22:14; Isaiah 27:9; Daniel 9:24; Jeremiah 18:23; 1 Samuel 3:14; (4) of cleansing from: Psalm 51:4; Psalm 51:11; Jeremiah 33:8; Ezekiel 36:33; (5) of imputing, reckoning to one: 2 Samuel 19:20; Psalm 32:2; Psalm 79:8; Isaiah 64:8; Jeremiah 14:10; Hosea 8:13; Hosea 9:9; Psalm 109:14; Job 10:6; Jeremiah 50:20; -6 Psalm 130:8 ransom from iniquity.
Guilt of iniquity (not always easy to distinguished from
; SS give more, Buhl fewer, sub
); — "" Ezekiel 36:31; "" Isaiah 59:3; "" Ezekiel 9:9; Joshua 22:17 (P); Ezekiel 16:49; Isaiah 57:17; Ezekiel 4:4; Jeremiah 2:22 the guilt of thine iniquity is marked before me; Genesis 44:16 (E) Psalm 36:3.
: guilt of iniquity upon one Numbers 15:31 (P) 1 Samuel 20:8; 2 Samuel 14:32; Job 33:9 ("" ); Psalm 59:5 without my guilt.
guilt, as great, increased: Jeremiah 13:22; Jeremiah 30:14,15; Ezekiel 28:18; Hosea 9:7; Genesis 15:16 (J); Psalm 38:5; Psalm 49:6; Psalm 40:13; Psalm 65:4; Isaiah 1:4; Ezekiel 33:6.
, : with was I brought forth Psalm 51:7; with expire Joshua 22:20 (P); with die Jeremiah 31:30; Ezekiel 3:18,19; Ezekiel 18:17,18; Ezekiel 33:8,9.
Consequence of, or punishment for, iniquity (SS include most of these under , and do not recognize
; Buhl thinks this meaning rare, giving only Genesis 4:13; Isaiah 5:18); — 1 Samuel 28:10 no punishment shall happen unto thee for, etc.; bear the punishment for iniquity of others Exodus 28:38; Leviticus 10:17 (take away Di Nowii. 233 n.) Leviticus 16:22; Numbers 30:16 (P), Ezekiel 4:4,5,6; Ezekiel 18:19,20 (twice in verse); one's own, Exodus 28:43; Leviticus 5:1,17; Leviticus 7:18; Leviticus 17:16; Leviticus 19:8; Leviticus 20:17,19; Leviticus 22:16; Numbers 5:31; Numbers 14:34; Numbers 18:1 (twice in verse); Numbers 18:23 (P), Ezekiel 14:10; Ezekiel 44:10,12; Genesis 4:13 (J) my punishment is greater than I can bear; Isaiah 40:2 her punishment is accepted, compare Leviticus 26:41,43 (H); 2 Kings 7:9 punishment will overtake us; Psalm 69:28 add punishment to their punishment; Isaiah 53:11 the consequences of their iniquities he shall bear, compare Lamentations 5:7; Isaiah 53:6; freed from punishment Numbers 5:31 (P) Job 10:14; 1 Samuel 25:24 on me the punishment; 2 Samuel 14:9; with various verbs: Genesis 19:15 (J) Leviticus 26:39 (twice in verse) (H) Psalm 31:11; Psalm 106:43; Jeremiah 51:6; Ezekiel 4:17; Ezekiel 7:16; Ezekiel 24:23; Ezekiel 39:23; Ezekiel 21:30; Ezekiel 21:34; Ezekiel 35:5; see also: Proverbs 5:22 ("" ), Isaiah 30:13; Isaiah 64:5; Isaiah 64:6; Lamentations 4:22; Ezekiel 4:4; Ezekiel 14:10 (twice in verse); Ezekiel 32:27.
Topical Lexicon
Core Meaning and Scope עָוֹן (avon) gathers the ideas of twistedness, moral perversity, the personal or corporate guilt that arises from such acts, and the consequent liability to punishment. Scripture never isolates the deed from its effects on the sinner’s heart or on the community. Because the term carries both deed and burden, it can be translated “iniquity,” “guilt,” or “punishment for iniquity” depending on context.
Frequency and Distribution
Appearing roughly 231 times, עָוֹן spans every major corpus of the Old Testament—Torah, Former Prophets, Writings, and the Prophets—underscoring its central place in the biblical doctrine of sin.
Old Testament Usage Patterns
1. Judicial and Covenantal Language
• Judges 19:30 shows Israel appalled by the communal iniquity of Gibeah, demonstrating how עָוֹן threatens covenant life.
• In covenant lawsuits (for example Micah 2:1), prophets indict the nation’s iniquities, proving God’s justice in judgment and His faithfulness in discipline.
2. Cultic and Priestly Contexts
• The priest “bears the iniquity” of the holy things (Exodus 28:38), illustrating substitution and mediation.
• On the Day of Atonement the scapegoat “shall carry on itself all their iniquities to a solitary land” (Leviticus 16:22), picturing removal rather than mere cover-up.
3. Personal Confession and Restoration
• David exemplifies repentance: “I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,’ and You forgave the guilt of my sin” (Psalm 32:5).
• Proverbs 5:22 warns that a sinner is “held fast by the cords of his own iniquity,” stressing personal responsibility.
4. National and Generational Scope
• Exodus 34:7 balances divine mercy and justice: God “forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin,” yet “by no means leaving the guilty unpunished.”
• Isaiah 59:2 links national exile to accumulated iniquities that separated Israel from God.
Major Theological Themes
1. The Weight of Guilt
עָוֹן reveals sin not merely as broken rule but corrupted orientation that breeds ongoing culpability. Hence Leviticus 10:17 distinguishes between ritual uncleanness and moral load: “He has given it to you to bear the guilt of the congregation.”
2. Divine Forbearance and Forgiveness
God alone can “blot out” or “pass over” iniquity (Numbers 14:18-19); human efforts cannot annul the debt. Psalm 85:2 rejoices, “You forgave the iniquity of Your people; You covered all their sin,” showing forgiveness as covenant grace rooted in God’s character.
3. Substitution and Transfer
• Priestly bearing of iniquity (Numbers 18:1) and the scapegoat rite foreshadow a transfer mechanism.
• The Servant of Isaiah bears global significance: “The LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6). Verse 11 adds, “He will bear their iniquities,” blending priestly and royal motifs into a messianic hope.
4. Punishment and Exile
עָוֹן often denotes the penalty itself. Lamentations 4:6, “The punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of Sodom,” equates suffering with incurred guilt, explaining historical catastrophe without accusing God of injustice.
Historical Perspective
Ancient Near Eastern texts occasionally treat guilt as transferable, but Israel’s Scriptures uniquely unite ethical monotheism with substitutionary grace. Post-exilic books (Ezra, Nehemiah, Daniel) confess ancestral iniquities, seeing exile as both consequence and catalyst for renewed covenant fidelity.
Redemptive Trajectory toward the New Covenant
Jeremiah 31:34 promises, “I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sins no more,” predicting a definitive remedy. The New Testament identifies that remedy in Jesus Christ, integrating עָוֹן theology with the atoning cross (Romans 4:7 quotes Psalm 32:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24 echoes Isaiah 53:5-6).
Ministry and Pastoral Application
1. Preaching: Articulate the double aspect of sin—act and guilt—to magnify both human need and divine grace.
2. Counseling: Direct troubled consciences to the completeness of God’s forgiveness. The burden that crushed Israel’s heart is fully carried away in Christ.
3. Corporate Worship: Confession should include acknowledgment of personal and communal iniquities, echoing Nehemiah 9:2.
4. Ethical Formation: Because iniquity distorts relationships, discipleship must address heart-level perversity, not merely behavioral compliance.
Representative Passages
Genesis 15:16; Exodus 34:7; Leviticus 10:17; Leviticus 16:22; Numbers 14:18-19; 2 Samuel 12:13; Psalm 32:5; Psalm 38:4; Psalm 51:2; Isaiah 6:7; Isaiah 53:5-6, 11; Jeremiah 31:34; Ezekiel 18:20; Daniel 9:24; Micah 7:18.
Summary
עָוֹן binds deed, guilt, and consequence into a single, weighty reality that pervades Scripture. It exposes the depth of human rebellion, explains the necessity of judgment, and sets the backdrop for the gospel of divine forgiveness accomplished through substitutionary atonement.
Forms and Transliterations
בְּעָו֥וֹן בֶּֽעָוֹ֑ן בַּֽעֲוֹנָ֔ם בַּעֲוֹ֣ן בַּעֲוֹ֥ן בַּעֲוֹנ֖וֹ בַּעֲוֹנ֛וֹ בַּעֲוֹנ֣וֹ בַּעֲוֹנִ֣י בַּעֲוֹנֶֽךָ׃ בַּעֲוֹנָ֑הּ בַּעֲוֹנָ֔ם בַּעֲוֹנָֽם׃ בַּעֲוֹנֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם בַּעֲוֹנֹ֥ת בַּעֲוֹנֹֽתֵיכֶם֙ בַּעֲוֹנֹתֶֽיךָ׃ בַּעֲוֹנֽוֹ׃ בַעֲוֹנָ֞ם בְּעֵינִ֑י בעוון בעון בעונה בעונו בעונו׃ בעוני בעונך׃ בעונם בעונם׃ בעונת בעונתיך׃ בעונתיכם בעיני הֶֽעָוֹ֑ן הֶֽעָוֹ֖ן הֶעָוֹ֖ן הֶעָוֹ֣ן הֶעָוֹ֨ן העון וַעֲוֹ֘נִ֤י וַעֲוֹנ֖וֹת וַעֲוֹנֵ֖נוּ וַעֲוֹנֹ֨ת וַעֲוֹנֹתֵ֖ינוּ וַעֲוֹנֹתָ֖ם וּ֝מֵעֲוֹנִ֗י וּֽ֝מֵעֲוֹֽנֹתֵיהֶ֗ם וּבַעֲוֹנ֣וֹת וּבַעֲוֹנֹתֵ֡ינוּ ובעונות ובעונתינו ומעוני ומעונתיהם ועונות ועוני ועוננו ועונת ועונתינו ועונתם כַ֝עֲוֹנֹתֵ֗ינוּ כַּֽעֲוֹן֙ כַּעֲוֹ֥ן כעון כעונתינו לַ֝עֲוֹנִ֗י לַֽעֲוֹנָ֔ם לַעֲוֹ֛ן לַעֲוֹנִ֑י לַעֲוֹנֵ֥נוּ לַעֲוֹנָ֖ם לַעֲוֹנֹתֶֽיךָ׃ לעון לעוני לעונם לעוננו לעונתיך׃ מֵֽעֲוֹנֵ֔נוּ מֵעֲוֹנִ֑י מֵעֲוֹנִֽי׃ מֵעֲוֹנֶֽךָ׃ מֵעֲוֹנֹתֵ֑ינוּ מֵעֲוֹנֽוֹתֵיהֶ֑ם מֵעָוֹ֑ן מֵעָוֹֽן׃ מעון מעון׃ מעונותיהם מעוני מעוני׃ מעונך׃ מעוננו מעונתינו עֲ֠וֹנֹתֵיכֶם עֲ֭וֹנֹת עֲ֭וֹנֹתַי עֲו֣וֹן עֲוֹ֖ן עֲוֹ֖נֹתַ֣י עֲוֹ֣ן עֲוֹ֣נְכֶ֔ם עֲוֹ֤ן עֲוֹ֥ן עֲוֹ֧ן עֲוֹ֨ן עֲוֹ֫נִ֥י עֲוֹֽן־ עֲוֹֽנִי׃ עֲוֹֽנֹתֵ֑ינוּ עֲוֹֽנֹתָם֙ עֲוֹנ֑וֹ עֲוֹנ֔וֹ עֲוֹנ֖וֹת עֲוֹנ֣וֹ עֲוֹנ֣וֹת עֲוֹנ֥וֹ עֲוֹנ֥וֹת עֲוֹנְךָ֔ עֲוֹנְךָ֣ עֲוֹנִ֖י עֲוֹנִ֤י עֲוֹנִ֥י עֲוֹנִֽי׃ עֲוֹנֵ֑כִי עֲוֹנֵ֔ךְ עֲוֹנֵ֖ךְ עֲוֹנֵ֗ךְ עֲוֹנֵ֙ינוּ֙ עֲוֹנֵ֙נוּ֙ עֲוֹנֵ֛ךְ עֲוֹנֵֽנוּ׃ עֲוֹנֵךְ֙ עֲוֹנֶ֔ךָ עֲוֹנֶ֗יךָ עֲוֹנָ֑הּ עֲוֹנָ֑ם עֲוֹנָ֔ם עֲוֹנָ֖הּ עֲוֹנָ֖ם עֲוֹנָ֥ה עֲוֹנָ֥הּ עֲוֹנָ֥ם עֲוֹנָֽהּ׃ עֲוֹנָֽם׃ עֲוֹנָם֙ עֲוֹנֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם עֲוֹנֹ֨ת עֲוֹנֹ֪ת עֲוֹנֹֽתֵיכֶֽם׃ עֲוֹנֹֽתֵיכֶם֙ עֲוֹנֹת֙ עֲוֹנֹתֵ֣ינוּ עֲוֹנֹתֵ֤ינוּ עֲוֹנֹתֵיהֶ֥ם עֲוֹנֹתָ֖ם עֲוֹנֹתָֽיו׃ עֲוֹנֽוֹ׃ עֲוֹנֽוֹתֵיכֶ֑ם עֲוֹנוֹ֙ עֲוֹנוֹתֵיכֶ֖ם עַֽווֹנוֹתָ֗יו עָ֭וֹן עָו֑וֹן עָוֹ֑ן עָוֹ֔ן עָוֹ֖ן עָוֹ֛ן עָוֹ֣ן עָוֹ֥ן עָוֹ֨ן ׀ עָוֹֽן׃ עָוֹן֒ עָוֹן֙ עָוֹן֮ עֹויֵ֣ן עוון עוונותיו עוין עון עון־ עון׃ עונה עונה׃ עונו עונו׃ עונות עונותיכם עוני עוני׃ עוניך עונינו עונך עונכי עונכם עונם עונם׃ עוננו עוננו׃ עונת עונתי עונתיהם עונתיו׃ עונתיכם עונתיכם׃ עונתינו עונתם ‘ă·wō·nāh ‘ă·wō·nām ‘ă·wō·ne·ḵā ‘ă·wō·nə·ḵā ‘ă·wō·nə·ḵem ‘ă·wō·nê·ḵî ‘ă·wō·nê·nū ‘ă·wō·nêḵ ‘ă·wō·nî ‘ă·wō·nō·ṯām ‘ă·wō·nō·ṯāw ‘ă·wō·nō·ṯay ‘ă·wō·nō·ṯê·hem ‘ă·wō·nō·ṯê·ḵem ‘ă·wō·nō·ṯê·nū ‘ă·wō·nō·w·ṯê·ḵem ‘ă·wō·nō·wṯ ‘ă·wō·nōṯ ‘ă·wō·nōw ‘a·wō·w·nō·w·ṯāw ‘ă·wō·wn ‘ā·wō·wn ‘ă·wōn ‘ā·wōn ‘ă·wōn- ‘ăwōn ‘āwōn ‘ăwōn- ‘ăwōnāh ‘ăwōnām ‘ăwōnêḵ ‘ăwōneḵā ‘ăwōnəḵā ‘ăwōnəḵem ‘ăwōnêḵî ‘ăwōnênū ‘ăwōnî ‘ăwōnōṯ ‘ăwōnōṯām ‘ăwōnōṯāw ‘ăwōnōṯay ‘ăwōnōṯêhem ‘ăwōnōṯêḵem ‘ăwōnōṯênū ‘ăwōnōw ‘ăwōnōwṯ ‘ăwōnōwṯêḵem ‘ăwōwn ‘āwōwn ‘awōwnōwṯāw ‘ō·w·yên ‘ōwyên aVon avoNah avoNam avoneCh avoneCha aVoneChem avoNechi avoNeicha avoNeinu avoNenu avoNi avoNo avoNot Avonotai avonoTam avonoTav avoNoteiChem avonoteiHem avonoTeinu ba‘ăwōn ba‘ăwōnāh ba‘ăwōnām ḇa‘ăwōnām ba‘ăwōneḵā ba‘ăwōnî ba‘ăwōnōṯ ba‘ăwōnōṯeḵā ba‘ăwōnōṯêḵem ba‘ăwōnōw ba·‘ă·wō·nāh ba·‘ă·wō·nām ḇa·‘ă·wō·nām ba·‘ă·wō·ne·ḵā ba·‘ă·wō·nî ba·‘ă·wō·nō·ṯe·ḵā ba·‘ă·wō·nō·ṯê·ḵem ba·‘ă·wō·nōṯ ba·‘ă·wō·nōw ba·‘ă·wōn baaVon baavoNah baavoNam baavoNecha baavoNi baavoNo baavoNot baavonoTeicha baavonoteiChem be‘āwōn bə‘āwōwn bə‘ênî bə·‘ā·wō·wn be·‘ā·wōn bə·‘ê·nî beaVon beeiNi chaavonoTeinu he‘āwōn he·‘ā·wōn heaVon ka‘ăwōn ḵa‘ăwōnōṯênū ḵa·‘ă·wō·nō·ṯê·nū ka·‘ă·wōn kaaVon la‘ăwōn la‘ăwōnām la‘ăwōnênū la‘ăwōnî la‘ăwōnōṯeḵā la·‘ă·wō·nām la·‘ă·wō·nê·nū la·‘ă·wō·nî la·‘ă·wō·nō·ṯe·ḵā la·‘ă·wōn laaVon laavoNam laavoNenu laavoNi laavonoTeicha mê‘āwōn mê‘ăwōneḵā mê‘ăwōnênū mê‘ăwōnî mê‘ăwōnōṯênū mê‘ăwōnōwṯêhem mê·‘ă·wō·ne·ḵā mê·‘ă·wō·nê·nū mê·‘ă·wō·nî mê·‘ă·wō·nō·ṯê·nū mê·‘ă·wō·nō·w·ṯê·hem mê·‘ā·wōn meaVon meavoNecha meavoNenu meavoNi meavonoteiHem meavonoTeinu oYen ū·ḇa·‘ă·wō·nō·ṯê·nū ū·ḇa·‘ă·wō·nō·wṯ ū·mê·‘ă·wō·nî ū·mê·‘ă·wō·nō·ṯê·hem ūḇa‘ăwōnōṯênū ūḇa‘ăwōnōwṯ ūmê‘ăwōnî ūmê‘ăwōnōṯêhem umeavoNi umeavonoteiHem uvaavoNot uvaavonoTeinu vaavoNam vaavoNenu vaaVoNi vaavoNot vaavonoTam vaavonoTeinu wa‘ăwōnênū wa‘ăwōnî wa‘ăwōnōṯ wa‘ăwōnōṯām wa‘ăwōnōṯênū wa‘ăwōnōwṯ wa·‘ă·wō·nê·nū wa·‘ă·wō·nî wa·‘ă·wō·nō·ṯām wa·‘ă·wō·nō·ṯê·nū wa·‘ă·wō·nō·wṯ wa·‘ă·wō·nōṯ
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