Basic HTML Version
acted unfaithfully” (
NIV
). Some versions give the sense more freely: “But the people of
Israel broke faith” (
RSV
); “But the Israelites defied the ban” (
NEB
).
The first occurrence of the verb (together with the noun) is found in Lev. 5:15: “If a
soul commit a trespass, and sin through ignorance.…” The sense of the verb is similar to
the verb “to sin.” In fact, in the next chapter the verb for “to sin” and
are used
together: “If a soul sin, and commit a trespass against the Lord, and lie unto his neighbor
…” (Lev. 6:2). The combining of these two usages in Leviticus is significant. First, it
shows that the verb may be a synonym for “to sin.”
"
has basically this meaning in
Lev. 5:15, since the sin is here out of ignorance instead of a deliberate act of treachery.
Second, the meaning of
is further expressed by a verb indicating the intent of being
unfaithful to one’s neighbor for personal profit (“commit a trespass against the Lord, and
lie unto his neighbor …”).
The offense is against God, even when one acts unfaithfully against one’s neighbor.
In 2 Chron. 29:6 we read: “For our fathers have trespassed, and done that which was evil
in the eyes of the Lord our God, and have forsaken him …”; and Daniel prayed: “…
Because of their trespass that they have trespassed against thee” (Dan. 9:7; cf.
NIV
, “…
because of our unfaithfulness to you”).
In view of the additional significance of “treachery,” many versions translate the verb
“to act unfaithfully” or “to act treacherously” instead of “to transgress” or “to commit a
trespass.” Both the verb and the noun have strongly negative overtones, which the
translator must convey in English. When God spoke to Ezekiel: “Son of man, when the
land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out mine hand upon
it, and … cut off man and beast from it” (Ezek. 14:13), He communicated also His
displeasure with Israel’s rebellious, treacherous attitude. This is communicated in other
versions: “Son of man, if a country sins against me by being unfaithful …” (
NIV
); “Son of
man, if a country sins against Me by committing unfaithfulness …” (
NASB
).
The verb
generally expresses man’s unfaithfulness to God (Lev. 26:40; Deut.
32:51; 2 Chron. 12:2; Ezra 10:2; Ezek. 14:13). The word further signifies man’s
unfaithfulness to his fellow man; particularly it is illustrative of unfaithfulness in
marriage: “If any man’s wife go aside, and commit a trespass against him, And a man lie
with her carnally …” (Num. 5:12-13). In this sense also must Lev. 6:2 be understood: “If
anyone sins and is unfaithful to the Lord by deceiving his neighbor about something
entrusted to him …” (
NIV
)
In the Septuagint we find these translations:
(“to nullify; reject; commit an
offense”);
$
(“to be faithless”); and
2 2
(“to mislead; withdraw”).
Modern versions set forth more explicitly the overt nature of the sin than the
KJV
(“trespass; transgress”):
RSV
,
NASB
,
NIV
, “act or be unfaithful;
RSV
,
NASB
, “to break
faith.”
B. Noun.
(
, 4604), “trespass; unfaithful, treacherous act.” This noun is used 29
times in biblical Hebrew. In addition to the primary sense of “trespass,” given in
KJV
,
there may be an indication of the motivation through which the sin was committed. Most
of the usages support the idea of “faithlessness, treachery.” It is an act committed by a