Difference between sin and iniquity

Answer 1

Read this article by a messianic Israelite. So far is the best explanation I have encounter.

Sin

In the Torah, the word for "sin" is chatta'ah (or sometimes chata'). Chatta'ah almost always refers to an action. Only one of the Ten Commandments is about intent instead of action. Chatta'ah is also very legalistic. Wrong actions would "count as sin". There were even actions which could "count as sin" not as the act happened, but at the time someone felt the wrongness.

"Beware, lest there is a base thought in your heart, saying, 'The seventh year, the year of remission is near,' and your eye is hostile toward your poor brother, and you give him nothing; then he may cry to the Lord against you, and it will be a sin in you."

-Deuteronomy 15:9

"You shall give him his wages on his day before the sun sets, for he is poor and sets his heart on it; so that he may not cry against you to the Lord and it become sin in you."

-Deuteronomy 24:15

With respect to sin, an ancient Israelite was in one of two states. Either he or she had not broken a commandment since the last time he or she offered the appropriate atoning sacrifice, and was in a state of no sin, or he or she had broken a commandment, was in a state of sin, and needed to go offer another atoning sacrifice.

Because sin was so much about actions, and sin could be atoned for, it was possible for an ancient Israelite to follow the law completely. In other words, the expectation was for the ancient Israelites to normally be in a state of no sin.

"For this commandment which I command you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach. It is not in heaven, that you should say, 'Who will go up to heaven for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?' Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, 'Who will cross the sea for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?' But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may observe it."

-Deuteronomy 30:11-14

Iniquity

This is quite a different issue than holiness. Just because an ancient Israelite was in a state of no sin did not mean that his or her heart (temperament, disposition, habits) was godly. The word "iniquity" ('avon in Hebrew) is used to express how a human heart is not holy--not set apart, not perfect, not godly.

The Torah speaks of a "sin offering" but never an offering to remove iniquity. The Torah speaks of "bearing iniquity" but never "bearing sin". They are clearly quite different concepts, even though our modern English has improperly slurred them together.

Orthodox Judaism understands iniquity, calling it "the evil inclination". For the most part, Conservative and Reform Judaism have lost sight of this important concept.

Isaiah taught that iniquity puts a wall between a person and God, and sin prevents prayers from being answered.

Behold, the Lord's hand is not so short / That it cannot save;

Neither is His ear so dull / That it cannot hear.

But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God,

And your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He does not hear.

-Isaiah 59:1-2

"Bring your worthless offerings no longer,

Incense is an abomination to Me.

New moon and sabbath, the calling of assemblies--

I cannot endure iniquity and the solemn assembly.

I hate your new moon festivals and your appointed feasts,

They have become a burden to Me.

I am weary of bearing them.

So when you spread out your hands in prayer,

I will hide My eyes from you,

Yes, even though you multiply prayers,

I will not listen.

Your hands are covered with blood."

-Isaiah 1:13-15

This is consistent with the Jewish idea that people are not fit for God's presence. They are not holy enough to survive the holiness of God, because of their iniquity.

But He said, "You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!"

-Exodus 33:20

In the year of King Uzziah's death, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings; with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called out to another and said, "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts,/ The whole earth is full of His glory." And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke.

Then I said, "Woe is me, for I am ruined!/ Because I am a man of unclean lips,/ And I live among a people of unclean lips;/ For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts."

Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal in his hand which he had taken from the altar with tongs. And he touched my mouth with it and said, "Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away, and your sin is forgiven."

-Isaiah 6:1-7

The Torah mentions sin about three times as often as it mentions iniquity, for in the Torah the laws are put forth, and the laws deal primarily with sin. The prophets mention iniquity and sin about equally (iniquity is actually mentioned slightly more often than sin), for the prophets call the Israelites back to godliness, and proclaim that with repentance God is willing to forgive both iniquity and sin, even as

Moses prayed after replacing the tablets of the Ten Commandments:

"Perhaps the house of Judah will hear all the calamity which I plan to bring on them, in order that every man will turn from his evil way; then I will forgive their iniquity and their sin."

-Jeremiah 36:3

And Moses made haste to bow low toward the earth and worship. And he said, "If now I have found favor in Thy sight, O Lord, I pray, let the Lord go along in our midst, even though the people are so obstinate; and do Thou pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us as Thine own possession."

-Exodus 34:8-9

The confusion

Despite this difference in form and function between sin and iniquity, Christendom incorrectly uses the word "sin" for both. To the mind of someone within Christendom, this blurring of sin and iniquity does not matter, for the suffering servant of whom Isaiah foretold suffers for both our sins and our iniquities

But He was wounded for our transgressions,

He was crushed for our iniquities;

The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,

And by His scourging we are healed.

All of us like sheep have gone astray

Each of us has turned to his own way;

But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all

To fall on Him.

-Isaiah 53:5-6

and in the new covenant that Jeremiah foretold, both sins and iniquities are no longer remembered.

"But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days," declares the Lord, "I will put My law within them, and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. And they shall not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' for they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them," declares the Lord, "for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more."

-Jeremiah 31:33-34

However, to the Jewish mind the distinction between sin and iniquity is important. Traditional Judaism has a strong focus on sin, instead of iniquity. Traditional Christianity has a strong focus on iniquity, instead of sin. Since the word "sin" is normally used for both sin and iniquity, no wonder confusion abounds when Jews and Christians discuss theology.

Two examples

For example, this resolves the "original sin" issue. Christendom believes in "original sin". Judaism believes people are made in God's image. What's up? Well, let us examine "original sin" with the distinction between sin and iniquity in mind. It would not make sense for someone to be born sinful--to be somehow responsible for violating a commandment while in the womb and thus, as a newborn, be expected do a sin offering. However, people are born with a large dose of iniquity: children need to be taught to share, to speak nicely, and so on. For a believer, "original sin" means that people are born with iniquity--they are not naturally fit for God's presence; it does not mean that people are somehow naturally more evil than good, or deserving punishment, or that newborns are responsible for having violated the commandments.

For another example, Judaism accepts that people could, in theory, lead a "sinless" life, and is willing to ponder if Noah or Daniel or Job did so. Christendom, on the other hand, asserts that "all people are sinful". Again these beliefs are not actually opposing. The Jewish view is about sin. People could live without violating any commandments. They might get angry, but they would not murder. The Christian view is about iniquity. No one could live without ever getting angry.

The Origin of the Confusion

Who or what started this linguistic confusion? The blurring of sin and iniquity began with the Greek language. The Greek language has only one word, hamartia, to mean both sin and iniquity. Hamartia is always translated "sin" in the New Testament, even though its context shows it can mean either sin or iniquity.

I should give one example of each context for hamartia, to be a responsible essayist. I can actually do so within one passage, even if this means the examples are not the very best. The story of "He who is without sin throw the first stone" is well known, but I'll retype it anyway since we are discussing grammar. (This passage does not appear in most of the old manuscripts, but that does not matter since we are discussing grammar instead of doctrine.)

But Yeshua went to the Mount of Olives. And early in the morning he came again into the Temple, and all the people were coming to him; and he sat down and began to teach them. And the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the midst, they said to him, "Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do you say?" And they were saying this, testing him, in order that they might have grounds for accusing him. [By Roman law the Jewish high court, the Sanhedrin, could no longer carry out capital punishment; this is why, later, Yeshua is taken to the Roman official Pilate by the Sanhedrin, and was only crucified after Pilate agreed to it.]

But Yeshua stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground. But when they persisted in asking him, he straightened up, and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.

And when they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and he was left alone, and the woman, where she had been, in the midst. And straightening up, Yeshua said to her, "Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?"

And she said, "No one, Lord."

And Yeshua said, "Neither do I condemn you; go your way. From now on sin no more."

-John 8:1-11

The first use of the word "sin" is about iniquity. The story happened at the Temple, where sin offerings still were happening, and even if the Sadducees were running the Temple it seems unlikely that all the Pharisees present had violated the Mosaic Law since their last sin offerings. The second use of the word "sin" is about sin; keeping the commandments is possible for the woman, but having a heart free of iniquity is not.