Knowing the Difference

Yet they still continued to sin against Him, to rebel against the Most High in the desert. And in their heart they put God to the test   Psalm 78:17-18a  NASB

Sin/ rebel – Hebrew has several words for our general idea of “sin.”  Knowing how they differ is important.  The two words in this verse are ḥāṭāʾ and mārâ.  In addition, the Hebrew terms ʿāwōn and pešaʿ  also express the Hebrew idea of sin.  Here’s the differences between the two  words in this verse:

ḥāṭāʾ- like other words related to the notion of “sin” it assumes an absolute standard or law. But, whereas pešaʿ signifies a “revolt against the standard,” and ʿāwâ means either “to deviate from the standard” or “to twist the standard,” ḥātāʾ means “to miss, to fall short of the standard.” ^[1]

Since Western religion follows Greek terms, we should note that the Greek word anomia “sin,” really means, “without law,” and therefore assumes that the law is binding even if the sinner thinks himself to be without it.  In this regard, Augustine, Luther, and Calvin were incorrect.  In the religious world, there is no such thing as free grace without the law. Remember that “sin” is a religious term, not an ethical term.  Sin exists only in relation to a divine Lawgiver.  If I remove the Law, I also remove the Lawgiver, and I end up with a religion of ethical behavior without God.

To complete our repertoire of Hebrew words for sin, we must add the second word from this verse: mārâ.  “With but five exceptions all uses of mārâ/merî refer to rebellion against God.”^[2]

“The rebellion to which mārâ refers is specifically the rebellion of Israel/Judah against God.” ^[3]

“Not only does mārâ/merî refer to the rebellion of Israel, but primarily it refers to the rebellion of Israel in the wilderness as God led her toward Canaan.”^[4]

As you can see, this psalm concentrates on a single event during the wandering in the Wilderness as the symbolic representation of what it means to oppose God in attitude and deed.  “Rebel” is a good translation because mārâ isn’t just behavior.  It’s also perspective.  It’s the way we approach life, the kind of feelings we have toward our situation, the person or persons we blame, the emotional response and reaction we have.  Rebellion is passive or aggressive rejection.  Every parent knows that rebellion doesn’t always manifest itself in behavior.  It shows up in defiance even if the party complies.  Rebellion is first psychological mutiny and later behavioral disobedience.  This psalm gives us an opportunity to assess our willingness factor.  Perhaps we need to know if the Wilderness is still in us.

Topical Index:  ḥāṭāʾ, sin, mārâ, rebellion, Psalm 78:17-18

^[1] Livingston, G. H. (1999). 638 חָטָא. R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer Jr., & B. K. Waltke (Eds.), Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (electronic ed., pp. 277–278). Chicago: Moody Press.

^[2] Hamilton, V. P. (1999). 1242 מָרָה. R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer Jr., & B. K. Waltke (Eds.), Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (electronic ed., p. 526). Chicago: Moody Press.

^[3] Ibid.

^[4] Ibid.