What does the word 'sin' mean? Isn't it from latin, meaning 'lack', or 'without'?

Question

If you think it means something else, then how do you explain this verse:
Hos 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.

"Depart from me, all ye who practice lawlessness!"

For madnoelle: Nowhere in the bible does it say God did not let them back into Paradise... that's just a general assumption made by interpreters.

Answer 1

I can't remember where it is in the bible (James, I believe), he describes sin as transgression of God's laws (10 commandments). You see described it many times in the bible as being "lawless".

Answer 2

Well, no, it's not Latin. It's Old English, syn, an offense or bad deed. English is a complicated mixture of many languages. If you go back to the Latin root of that Old English word, the Latin root is sons, sontis, which is an adjective that means guilty or criminal. In Europe, sounds of vowels changed, (known as the great vowel shift) which is when the o changed to y. This can complicate matters when looking for words that came into English's contributing languages from Latin at some point before that shift.

I explain the verse by saying that it is one of many translations of the original, and translations are not the same as the original. Something is always lost, which is a shame, considering the Source of the original. Certainly everyone must realize that the verse written above doesn't contain the word this question is about; we must be careful in how we go about making leaps that might or might not be what the Author of all things had in mind in the original statement.

Answer 3

Interesting question since the word sin is used in both the Old & New Testaments so how much further do you need to go back? In old English it's spelled syn but translates to the same thing.
To many theologians the 'Original sin' is the morally vitiated condition at birth as a member of a sinful race. In Genesis 3 it's depicted as Adams failing that we all inherited!
The Old Testament links sin to the Hebrew monotheistic beliefs of the Hebrews. Sinful acts are seen as defiant acts or hatred of the one God.
The New Testament, however, accepts the Judaic concept of sin but regards humanity's state of collective & individual sinfulness as a condition that Jesus came to heal.

Answer 4

There are many different definitions for the word "sin" in the bible. In the New Testament, it has up to 5 different meanings, depending where it is used. It can mean:

to cross a line (God's line of right and wrong"

to miss the mark (God's mark of perfection)

to owe a debt

to trespass

lawlessness

Answer 5

RE:
What does the word 'sin' mean? Isn't it from latin, meaning 'lack', or 'without'?
If you think it means something else, then how do you explain this verse:
Hos 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy...

Answer 6

SDW has got it pegged. you raise an interesting point though. if people are destroyed for lack of godly knowledge, that would mean they are 'without,' or 'lacking' knowledge of God. that lack of knowledge crosses over into the secular (the christian definition of ''secular,'' contrary to popular belief, refers to something ''outside the temple of God, but not against the law/ known will of God.'' charity is an example of a secular practice.) world though, more than you, or many christians, probably realize.

Answer 7

sin 1

sin [sin]
noun (plural sins)
1. transgression of theological principles: an act, thought, or way of behaving that goes against the law or teachings of a religion, especially when the person who commits it is aware of this
2. shameful offense: something that offends a moral or ethical principle
3. estrangement from God: in Christian theology, the condition of being denied God's grace because of a sin or sins committed


intransitive verb (past and past participle sinned, present participle sin·ning, 3rd person present singular sins)
1. knowingly do wrong: to commit a sin, especially by knowingly violating the law or teachings of a religion
2. commit shameful offense: to commit a serious moral or ethical offense


[ Old English synn < Indo-European]


-sin·less, adjective
-sin·less·ly, adverb
-sin·less·ness, noun
live in sin to live together as husband and wife without being married (dated or humorous)

It means mankind or people will not be blessed by God for having lack of knowledge about the existence of God. Inspite of the efforts of God to let you have knowledge about him, mankind still refuse to accept it and continue to disobey God. and if that is the case, God will also reject you to go to heaven with him and there is no priest to him because you have forgotten the law of God, that we will also be forgotten by Him
(God)
jtm

Answer 8

lol-Glad my parents aren't 'loving' like that...
Wait a minute-didn't he punish Adam and Eve for obtaining knowledge?

Answer 9

It's from a Greek word, actually. Closest translation we have is "to miss the mark," as in to miss a target in archery.

Answer 10

Sin is deed done in conflict with inner voice.