אָשָׁם H0817
Guilt, offense, or wrongdoing; a guilt offering (sacrifice); compensation or restitution for trespass
Asham weaves together the offense, the inner state of guilt, and the ritual remedy into a single word. Its most frequent use is the guilt offering—a specific sacrifice prescribed in Leviticus 5–7 for offenses that could be assessed and compensated, distinguishing it from the sin offering (chattat). The offering implies measurable wrong: someone defrauded a neighbor, violated a sacred boundary, or unwittingly transgressed. A second sense captures guilt as an abstract state—'you would bring guilt upon us' (Gen 26:10). A third, rarer sense denotes the restitution payment itself (Num 5:7–8), where the offender must return what was taken plus a fifth. German Schuld ('guilt/debt') and Schuldopfer ('guilt offering') preserve the conceptual unity beautifully.
Senses
1. guilt offering (sacrifice) — The guilt offering as a specific sacrificial rite, prescribed primarily in Leviticus 5–7 and Numbers 6:12; 18:9. Unlike the sin offering, the asham addresses offenses where restitution is possible—violations of holy things, false dealings with neighbors, or uncertain guilt (Lev 5:6, 15–16; 14:12). Ezekiel envisions it continuing in the restored temple (Ezek 40:39; 42:13; 46:20). Spanish ofrenda por la culpa and French sacrifice de culpabilité both gloss it as a sacrifice for guilt. 39×
AR["-الذَّنْبِ", "إِثْمٍ", "ال-إِثْمِ", "الْ-إِثْمَ", "ذَبِيحَةَ-إِثْمٍ", "ذَبِيحَةُ-الْإِثْمِ", "ذَبِيحَةِ-الْإِثْمِ", "ذَنْبَهُ", "ٱلْإِثْمِ"]·ben["তার-দোষার্থক-বলি", "দোষ-বলি", "দোষার্থক-বলি", "দোষার্থক-বলির", "সেই-দোষ-বলি", "সেই-দোষ-বলির"]·DE["Schuldopfer", "[האשם]", "der-Schuldopfer", "guilt-Opfer", "sein-Schuld-Opfergabe"]·EN["guilt-offering", "his-guilt-offering", "the-guilt-offering"]·FR["culpabilité-offrande", "le-sacrifice-de-culpabilité", "sacrifice-de-culpabilité", "son-culpabilité-offrande"]·heb["אשם", "אשמו", "ה-אשם"]·HI["आशाम-की", "दोषबलि", "दोषबलि के लिए", "दोषबलि-अपनी", "दोषबलि-का", "दोषबलि-के", "पर", "पवित्र"]·ID["korban-pelanggaran", "korban-penebus-salah", "korban-penebus-salah.", "korban-penebusannya", "persembahan-penebus-salah", "sebagai-persembahan-penebus-salah"]·IT["[האשם]", "colpa-offerta", "il-sacrificio-per-la-colpa", "sacrificio-per-la-colpa", "suo-colpa-offerta"]·jav["kalepatan", "kurban-kalepatan", "pisungsung-kalepatan"]·KO["그-배상제를", "그-속건제", "그-숫양으로", "그-의-속건제를", "속건제", "속건제는", "속건제로", "속건제를", "속건제의"]·PT["a-culpa", "a-oferta-pela-culpa", "culpa", "oferta-pela-culpa", "sua-culpa", "sua-oferta-pela-culpa"]·RU["жертва-повинности", "жертву-повинности", "жертвы-повинности", "повинной-жертвой", "повинности", "повинность-его", "повинную-жертву"]·ES["culpa", "de-ofrenda-por-la-culpa", "la-ofrenda-por-la-culpa", "ofrenda-de-culpa", "ofrenda-por-la-culpa", "ofrenda-por-la-culpa-suya"]·SW["hatia", "hatia-yake", "sadaka-ya-hatia", "wa-hatia"]·TR["-suç-sunusu", "suç-sunusu", "suç-sunusunu", "suç-sunusunun"]·urd["اپنا-جرمانہ", "جرم-کی", "جرم-کی-قربانی", "جرم-کی-قربانی-اپنی", "جرم-کی-قربانی-کے", "جرمانہ", "جرمانے-کا", "جرمانے-کے"]
2. guilt or offense — The abstract state of guilt or the offense itself—the wrongdoing that creates liability before God or man. Abimelech protests that taking Rebekah could have 'brought guilt upon us' (Gen 26:10). The Psalmist declares God will strike the 'guilty head' (Ps 68:21). Proverbs 14:9 observes that 'fools mock at guilt.' Jeremiah 51:5 says the land of the Chaldeans 'is full of guilt' before the Holy One. This sense names the moral condition that the sacrifice of sense 1 addresses. 4×
AR["إِثْمًا", "بِالإثْمِ", "ذَنباً", "في-آثامِهِ"]·ben["অপরাধ", "তার-পাপে।", "দোষ-অর্পণকে", "দোষে"]·DE["Schuld", "[אשם]", "in-sein-guilt"]·EN["guilt", "in-his-guilt", "with-guilt"]·FR["[אשם]", "culpabilité", "dans-culpabilité", "אשם"]·heb["אשם", "ב-אשמיו"]·HI["अपराध-बलि-पर", "अपराध-से", "दोष"]·ID["dalam-kesalahannya", "kesalahan", "korban-penebus-salah"]·IT["[אשם]", "[באשמיו]", "guilt"]·jav["dosa", "ing-dosanipun", "kalepatan", "kaluputan"]·KO["그-의-죄-들-안에서", "죄-를", "죄가", "죄를"]·PT["culpa", "de-culpa", "em-suas-culpas"]·RU["в-винах-своих", "виной", "вину", "вины"]·ES["culpa", "de-culpa", "en-sus-culpas"]·SW["hatia", "katika-dhambi-zake"]·TR["suç", "suçla", "suçlarında"]·urd["بِ-اپنے-گناہوں-میں", "جرم-سے", "گناہ", "گناہ-سے"]
3. compensation for guilt — The compensation or restitution payment owed for a trespass—the material reckoning of guilt. Numbers 5:7–8 prescribes that the offender must confess, then return 'his guilt' (ashamo) in full plus a fifth to the wronged party; if the wronged party has no kinsman, the restitution goes to the priest. This sense captures the transactional dimension: guilt is not only felt or atoned for but repaid. 3×
AR["الْـذَّنْبَ", "الْـذَّنْبُ", "ذَنْبَهُ"]·ben["তার-দোষ", "দোষার্থক-নৈবেদ্য"]·DE["der-Schuld", "sein-Schuld"]·EN["his-guilt", "the-guilt"]·FR["le-culpabilité", "son-culpabilité"]·heb["אשם", "ה-אשם"]·HI["दोष-मूल्य", "दोष-मूल्य-उसका"]·ID["kesalahan", "kesalahannya"]·IT["il-colpa", "suo-colpa"]·jav["kaluputan", "kaluputan-ipun"]·KO["그-죄-배상", "그의-죄-배상"]·PT["a-culpa", "culpa-dele"]·RU["вина", "вину-его", "вины"]·ES["culpa-de-él", "la-culpa"]·SW["Hashm", "Shmu"]·TR["suç-", "suçu-", "suçunu"]·urd["اپنا-جرمانہ", "جرمانہ"]
Related Senses
H3548 1. priest, cultic officiant (750×)G5547 1. Christ, Messiah, Anointed One (540×)H5030 1. Prophet, divine spokesperson (317×)H5930a 1. burnt offering (sacrifice) (286×)H3881 1. Levites (priestly class) (283×)G4396 1. prophet, spokesperson of God (146×)H6944 1. sanctuary, holy place (129×)G0749 1. high priest, chief priest (123×)H6944 2. holiness, sacredness (abstract quality) (123×)G5330 1. Pharisee (99×)G4336 1. pray to God (86×)H6944 3. holy things, sacred offerings (plural) (86×)H3722a 1. make ritual atonement (Piel) (85×)H6912 1. bury (Qal active) (82×)H6419 1. pray (Hitpael) (80×)H6944 4. holiness (with possessive pronoun) (77×)H6942 1. sanctify, consecrate (Piel factitive) (76×)H2930a 1. Qal: be/become unclean (75×)H7819a 1. slaughter an animal (Qal active) (72×)H1486 1. lot (object cast for decisions) (71×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
אָשָׁם n.m. offence, guilt—א׳ Gn 26:10 + 37 times sf. אֲשָׁמוֹ Nu 5:7 + 7 times— 1. offence, trespass, fault ψ 68:22 (guiltiness RV). 2. guilt Gn 26:10 (J) Pr 14:9 Je 51:5. 3. compensation, לְהָשִׁיב הָאָשָׁם אֵלָיו to whom to return the compensation (or satisfaction for injury) Nu 5:8; cp. v 7 (P; restitution for guilt RV). 4. trespass-offering (AV, but guilt-offering RV) used only in Lv 5,…