Short answer: In the Bible, iniquity is wickedness or moral twistedness: wrongdoing seen in its crooked, perverse character rather than as a single act. The main Hebrew word, avon, comes from the idea of bending or twisting, and often carries the sense of guilt and its consequences too. Iniquity is a deeper way of describing sin, and Scripture says God forgives it through Christ.
In This Article
The word "iniquity" turns up all over older translations of the Bible, and most of us hear it as a churchy synonym for sin. That is partly right and partly misleading. The biblical writers had several different words for wrongdoing, and iniquity points to something particular.
In this article I want to look at the Hebrew behind the word, set sin, transgression and iniquity side by side, look at examples in Scripture, and finish with what God does about it. As a pastor, I think this matters for more than word study. If you see what the word is describing, it helps you understand what repentance and forgiveness actually mean.
What Hebrew Word Is Behind Iniquity?
The word most often translated iniquity in the Old Testament is avon (also written awon). It is related to a verb meaning to bend, twist or make crooked. The picture is of something that ought to be straight and has been warped. That is why I describe iniquity as pointing to the nature and character of the wrong, its crookedness, rather than only to the action.
Avon has an unusual range. Depending on the context it can mean:
- the crooked act itself (the perversion);
- the guilt that comes from it;
- the punishment or consequence that follows.
You can see the last two meanings in Cain's reply after God confronts him about Abel. He says, "My punishment is more than I can bear" (Genesis 4:13). The Hebrew word there is avon, and translators have chosen "punishment" because guilt and its weight are bound up together. In the Bible, the twist, the guilt and the burden are one idea.
In the New Testament the Greek word most often behind iniquity is anomia, which means lawlessness: living as if God's law did not apply. John puts it plainly:
Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.1 John 3:4 (NIV)
Jesus uses the same word when he warns of those who will say "Lord, Lord" and are told to depart, those who practise lawlessness (Matthew 7:21-23). The NIV renders it "evildoers." And in Romans 3:23, Paul reminds us that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Iniquity is not a category reserved for the really bad people. It is the common human condition seen from one angle.
What Is The Difference Between Sin, Transgression And Iniquity?
The Bible often places these three words next to each other, and the combination is deliberate. A famous example is the way God describes his own name to Moses:
forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sinExodus 34:7 (NIV)
In the Hebrew those three words are avon, pesha and chatta'ah, and older translations render them "iniquity, transgression and sin." Together they make a complete picture of wrongdoing and of God's willingness to forgive all of it.
| Word | Hebrew | Basic Picture | Emphasis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sin | chatta'ah | Missing the mark | Falling short of God's standard, the widest and most common term |
| Transgression | pesha | Stepping over a line, rebellion | Deliberate defiance of an authority |
| Iniquity | avon | Bending, twisting | The perverse nature of the wrong, and the guilt it carries |
So "sin" is the broad category. It covers any act, thought or attitude that falls short of God's perfect standard of righteousness. It appears throughout both Testaments, with many passages calling for repentance and forgiveness (for the wider background see what sin is).
Iniquity, on the other hand, goes toward the character of the thing. It points to the crookedness inside the act, emphasizing its inherent evil or twisted nature. It tends to be used with a weightier tone, in contexts of deep moral perversity or rebellion against God. Sin and iniquity both describe wrongdoing and moral failure, but they differ in what they highlight: the missing of the mark, or the warping of what is right.
I do not want to push the distinction too far. The Hebrew words overlap, Hebrew poetry often stacks them for emphasis, and translators vary. Isaiah 53 is a good example, as the same chapter speaks of "transgressions," "iniquities" and "sin" for the same burden borne by the Servant. But the nuance helps us see that wrongdoing is not trivial. It bends us out of shape.
Seeing these distinctions helps in understanding the Bible's teaching on human morality, redemption and the power of faith and repentance. For a related question about degrees of wrongdoing, see are all sins equal?
What Are Examples Of Iniquity In Scripture?
Iniquity in the Old Testament is shown as a pervasive human problem, closely tied to rebellion against God and his commands. Here are some clear pictures.
A people turned away. Isaiah tells Israel what their wrongdoing has done to their relationship with God:
But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.Isaiah 59:2 (NIV)
That is the heart of the Old Testament's answer to the cost of iniquity. It cuts people off. It ranges from personal suffering to national judgment, and the prophets say so repeatedly. Isaiah goes on in the same chapter to describe violence, lies and injustice (Isaiah 59:3-4).
A king's fall. David's iniquity is the story of a man after God's own heart who took another man's wife and arranged for the husband's death to cover it up. His prayer afterwards asks, "Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin" (Psalm 51:2). Notice that he uses both words together.
A city's failures. Ezekiel names the iniquity of Sodom: arrogance, being overfed and unconcerned, and not helping the poor and needy (Ezekiel 16:49). This is the same pattern we see in sins of omission.
The human default. Isaiah 53:6 describes all of us: "We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way." Turning to our own way is the beginning of a crooked path.
In the New Testament, Jesus warns against lawlessness in Matthew 7:23, describing a life that disregards God's commands and lacks a genuine relationship with him. Paul speaks of the power of sin, then points to the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ as the way of redemption. He writes that the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:23).
What does God consider iniquity? Whatever twists what he has made straight: injustice, deceit, violence, idolatry, cruelty, the exploitation of the weak, and the refusal to follow his ways. Many of these are sins of attitude and of social life, not only private ones. If your mind goes straight to individual moral lapses, the prophets would widen your view.
What Does God Do With Our Iniquity?
While iniquity signifies deep-seated wickedness or moral corruption, the Scriptures offer hope in the forgiveness of iniquity. This is where the word becomes good news.
The most profound demonstration of God's willingness to forgive iniquity is in Exodus 34:6-7. This passage emphasizes God's abundant mercy and readiness to forgive, extending love and compassion even to those who have committed iniquity. The promise is repeated across the Bible. Micah celebrates it:
You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.Micah 7:19 (NIV)
The New Testament shows how that forgiveness was won. Isaiah had already pointed ahead to it:
he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquitiesIsaiah 53:5 (NIV)
and a few verses later: "the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all" (Isaiah 53:6). Jesus took the crookedness, the guilt and the punishment: all three meanings of avon at once. That is the gospel in one Hebrew word. If you want to see how forgiveness works in more detail, read what the Bible says about forgiveness of sin.
The response is repentance. David stopped hiding: "I did not cover up my iniquity," he said, and "you forgave the guilt of my sin" (Psalm 32:5). The steps are described in how to repent, and God's promise in does God forgive all sins?
Bottom Line
Understanding iniquity in the Bible shows a profound aspect of our human condition: our potential for deep moral corruption and rebellion against God's righteous standards. But the Bible also offers a message of hope and redemption.
As a pastor, my advice is simple: acknowledge the reality of sin and iniquity in your life, for we all fall short of God's perfect standard. Embrace genuine repentance and turn to God in faith, knowing he is rich in mercy and eager to forgive even the gravest iniquities.
Key Bible Verses About Iniquity
- Exodus 34:7: God forgives wickedness, rebellion and sin
- Psalm 51:2: David asks to be washed from his iniquity
- Isaiah 53:5: the Servant crushed for our iniquities
- Isaiah 53:6: the LORD laid on him the iniquity of us all
- Isaiah 59:2: iniquities separate people from God
- 1 John 3:4: sin is lawlessness
- Micah 7:19: God hurls our iniquities into the depths of the sea
- Romans 6:23: the wages of sin is death; the gift of God is eternal life
Frequently Asked Questions
What are examples of iniquity?
Scripture shows iniquity in David's adultery and the murder that covered it, in Israel's idolatry and violence described in Isaiah 59, and in the pride and neglect of the poor that Ezekiel names in Sodom. It is also the root of everyday injustice.
What is the difference between sin and iniquity?
Sin is the broad word for missing God's standard in any way. Iniquity points to the twisted, perverse quality of the wrong and the guilt it leaves behind. Every iniquity is sin, but the word carries a weightier, more deep-seated sense.
What does God consider iniquity?
Anything that twists what is right: injustice, violence, deceit, idolatry and rebellion against his law. In the New Testament the Greek word anomia, lawlessness, is used, and 1 John 3:4 says that sin is lawlessness.
Can God forgive iniquity?
Yes. God describes himself as "forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin" (Exodus 34:7), and Micah promises he will "hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea."
Is iniquity in the KJV the same as in the NIV?
The KJV uses the word iniquity frequently, translating mainly the Hebrew avon. Modern versions like the NIV often render it as sin, guilt or wickedness depending on context, which is why a word study helps.
