Actually the word sin is quite correctly defined as missing the mark. There is an unfortunate teaching become prevalent that takes a legalistic approach to sin, but this is not the way in which the Hebrews saw sin. Sin does not equal evil. There are certainly evil sins and evil people but the common definition of sin in the Hebrew means missing the mark.
The Hebrew word ajx (chata) means to miss the mark, as when the archer misses his target. This word isalso used when the student, or son, misses his target or direction. In this last case, the word ajx (chata) istranslated as sin. Sin is to miss the target, the teacher or father has directed.
This understanding ties in directly with the understanding of the law from the Hebrew perspective.
The torah as the Hebrews (including Jesus) practiced had little to do with law as we know it today. Jesus never taught from the perspective of Law. He always dealt with the motives and intentions of man. Jesus taught wisdom on how to live to become sons of God.
In order to understand sin, the law and our responsibility, perhaps it is important to understand the Hebrew behind the word comandments and what it means to break or keep them.
The word commandment or mits'vah (Heb) is better understood as a directive The Ancient Hebrews were a nomadic people who traveled the deserts in search of green pastures for their flocks. A nomad uses the various rivers, mountains, rock outcroppings, etc as landmarks to give them their direction. The verb form of mits'vah is tsavah meaning to direct one on a journey. The mits'vah of the Bible are not commands as a general might command his troops. Nor are they rules and regulations, they are directives or landmarks that we look for to guide us. A related word tsiyon meaning landmark is also the word translated as Zion, the mountain of God but, not just a mountain, it is the landmark. The proper understanding of the word commandment is directions toward Zion.
The term to keep the commandments has also been missunderstood by many. The word shamiyr (keep) means a thorn. This is in reference the the sheepfold and the fences built of thorny bushes to protect their flocks. The word shamar means to guard and protect and can be seen in the Aaronic blessing, May Yahweh bless you and keep (guard and protect) you. One keeps the commands of God by guarding and protecting them.
The Hebrew word parar, translated as break, is the treading of grain on the threshing floor by oxen to open up the hulls to remove the seeds. To the Ancient Hebrews, breaking the commands of God was equated with throwing it on the ground and trampling on it. In both cases, keeping and breaking are related to ones attitude toward the commands. A child who disobeys his parents and is genuinely apologetic shows honor and respect to his parents. But a child who willfully disobeys with no sign of remorse has trampled on his parents teachings and deserves punishment.
The purpose of a parents Torah is to teach and bring the children to maturity. If the Torah is violated out of disrespect or defiant disobedience, the child is punished. If the child desires to follow the instructions out of a loving obedience but falls short of the expectations, (missing the mark) the child is commended for the effort and counseled on how to perform the instructions better the next time. Unlike Torah, law is a set of rules from a government or authority and binding on a community. Violation of the rules require punishment. With this type of law, there is no room for teaching, either the law was broken with the penalty of punishment or it was not broken.
The Torah was a set of teachings on wisdom designed to help the child live, prosper and succeed in this world as a son. Teachings designed to develop proper character and heart toward God and man. God, as our heavenly Father, gives his children his Torah in the same manner and for the same reasons. Gods laws are all designed with the welfare of His children in mind. They are designed to further His purpose to raise up children with His character. The so-called laws of today must function as the Torah did in Biblical times or they are not Gods teachings.
Do we show proper attitude toward the directions given us to find Zion? Do we miss the mark but keep a good attitude or do we willfully trample underfoot our heavenly Father's directives?
Some information taken directly from "The Ancient Hebrew Research Center".
