Greek · Missing the Mark · Misalignment
ἁμαρτία
hamartia
Often translated as: Sin
Missing the mark, failure, deviation from the intended aim.
Translation range
sin · failure · missing the mark
Beneath the translation
Originally an archery term: the arrow that did not strike where it was aimed. It names a falling-short, not just a violation.
Why this matters
Sin reframed as missing the mark invites a different response — recalibration, not only condemnation.
In context
Romans 3:23
πάντες γὰρ ἥμαρτον
"For all have sinned."
Translated 'sinned' — literally, 'missed the mark.'
1 John 1:9
ἀφῇ ἡμῖν τὰς ἁμαρτίας
"He will forgive us our sins."
Rendered 'sins,' though the underlying word carries the image of a falling-short to be re-aimed.
Reflection
What if sin is not only rule-breaking, but misalignment from purpose?
For contemplation
An arrow released, aimed at a mark, and falling short. That is hamartia. Not first a verdict, but a description. The question is not only what you have done wrong — it is what you were aimed at, and what it would mean to be re-aimed.
Questions to sit with
- 01
What were you made to aim at, that you have stopped aiming at?
- 02
Where might recalibration matter more than condemnation in your life?
- 03
If sin is missing the mark, what would it look like to be drawn back to it?
Related words