adjective
hamartōlos
Strong’sG268
sinning, sinful, a sinner
stem hamartōl-47 times in the New Testamentin 11 of 27 books10 of 26 forms occur
What it means
A plain-English reading of the word, with the lexicons it draws on — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, and Liddell-Scott-Jones — right below it, in full.
AI Summary
Sinful, or as a noun, a sinner — describing a person who sins or does wrong 124. It is used broadly of all people as sinners, and also more narrowly of those regarded as especially wicked, such as certain despised groups like tax collectors 1. As a noun meaning "sinner," this is its standard use in Greek Jewish scripture and in the New Testament 3. In the Greek Old Testament it is the word regularly chosen to translate a Hebrew term for "wicked" 1.
Sources: 1 Abbott-Smith 2 Strong's 3 LSJ 4 Dodson. Condensed by anthropic/claude-sonnet-5 on 2026-09-23 — it may still misstate what these say; check them yourself if it matters to you.
The lexicons it was drawn from, in full:
Abbott-Smith — the 1922 lexicon entry, in full
ἁμαρτωλός, -όν
(< ἁμαρτάνω), [in LXX chiefly for רשׁﬠ;]
G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, 1922 — public domain. References open in the reader.
Strong’s G268 — the 1890 definition, and where the word comes from
Saidham-ar-to-los'
sinful, i.e. a sinner
Fromfrom G264;
King Jamessinful, sinner.
James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, 1890 — public domain. The numbers in it link to the entries here.
Liddell-Scott-Jones — the classical dictionary this word appears in
erroneous, ἁμαρτωλότερονRefs 4th c.BC+; erring, ἐν πᾶσινRefs 1st c.AD+
2 of bad character, δοῦλοιRefs 1st c.BC+ W.: with genitive, sinning against, θεῶνRefs —ἁμαρτωλὴ γέρων, barbarism in Refs 5th c.BC+. adverb -ῶςRefs 5th c.BC+
II substantive ἁμαρτωλός, ὁ, sinner, LXX+NT
H. G. Liddell, R. Scott, H. S. Jones, A Greek-English Lexicon (9th ed., 1925–1940) — digitised by the Perseus Digital Library and corrected and expanded by Tyndale House, Cambridge, via STEPBible-Data's TFLSJ table, CC BY 4.0. Covers all of Greek literature, not just the Bible.
Translated as
Every occurrence, sorted by the English it was actually given — the evidence for what the word means, not a gloss of it.
Berean Standard Bible (BSB), dedicated to the public domain — berean.bible.
Biblang forms
Every form this word takes in Biblang, with the Greek it corresponds to and how often the New Testament uses it.
| Job in the sentence case | masculine singular | feminine singular | neuter singular | masculine plural | feminine plural | neuter plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| subject nominative | hamartōlos6×ἁμαρτωλός | hamartōlas3×ἁμαρτωλός | hamartōlem | hamartōlois11×ἁμαρτωλοὶ | hamartōlais | hamartōleim |
| object accusative | hamartōlon1×ἁμαρτωλὸν | hamartōlan | hamartōloin5×ἁμαρτωλοὺς | hamartōlain | ||
| direct address vocative | hamartōlor | hamartōlar | hamartōloir1×ἁμαρτωλοί | hamartōlair | ||
| of, belonging to genitive | hamartōlou | hamartōlau | hamartōleu | hamartōloiu13×ἁμαρτωλῶν | hamartōlaiu | hamartōleiu |
| to, for dative | hamartōlo4×ἁμαρτωλῷ | hamartōla1×ἁμαρτωλῷ | hamartōle | hamartōloi2×ἁμαρτωλοῖς | hamartōlai | hamartōlei |
Tinted cells are forms the New Testament never uses, so there is no Greek to show against them — but they are still correct Biblang, built from the slots below like any other.
Why these forms, and no others — the slots that make them
hamartōl is this word in every one of its forms. The slots after it make all the rest.
same in every form varies — every value shown
Where it appears
Every verse the word appears in, filed under the form it takes there.
47 occurrences, every one of them listed
hamartōlos“sinner”subjectnominative singular6×
Luke 5:8… legarōntos; Exerchasar apo mu, hoti andros hamartōlos amō, kurior;… he said, “for I am a sinful man.”
John 9:16“sinner”… tēratō. allosois legale; Pōs dunotō anthrōpos hamartōlos toiouteim sēmeim poiarō? kai schismem ate …… does not keep the Sabbath.” But others said, “How can a sinful man perform such signs?” And there was division among them.
John 9:24… nis oidanē hoti houtos tos anthrōpos hamartōlos atō.… know that this man is a sinner.”
John 9:25apokrinita oun ekeinos; Ei hamartōlos atō ouk oidamē; henem oidamē hoti …He answered, “Whether He is a sinner I do not know. There is …
Romans 3:7… doxan autou, tinem ēti kamis hōs hamartōlos krinomō,… am I still condemned as a sinner?
1 Peter 4:18… dikaios molis sōzotō, tos asebos kai hamartōlos pou faneti?… become of the ungodly and the sinner?”
hamartōlon“sinner”objectaccusative singular1×
James 5:20gnōskatōr hoti tos epistrefarantos hamartōlon ek planau hodau autou sōzati psuchan …consider this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way …
hamartōlo“sinner”to, fordative singular4×
Luke 15:7… en to ourano eti epi heno hamartōlo metanoarōnto ē epi enenēkonta ennea dikaioi …… more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous …
Luke 15:10… toiu angeloiu tou theou epi heno hamartōlo metanoarōnto.… presence of God’s angels over one sinner who repents.”
Luke 18:13… legarōntos; Tos theor, hilaskisar mi to hamartōlo.… God, have mercy on me, a sinner!’
Luke 19:7“sinner”… horarantois pantois diagonguzale legarōntois hoti Para hamartōlo andro eiserchata kataluara.And all who saw this began to grumble, saying, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinful man!”
hamartōlas“sinner”subjectnominative singular3×
Luke 7:37“sinner”… gunaikas hotinas ate en ta pola hamartōlas, kai epignōskarantas hoti katakeiotō en ta …When a sinful woman from that town learned that Jesus was dining there …
Luke 7:39… tas gunaikas hotinas haptotō autou, hoti hamartōlas atō.… touching Him — for she is a sinner!”
Romans 7:13… katergazorōntas thanaton; hina geneteia kata huperbolan hamartōlas tas hamartas dia tau entolau.… the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.
hamartōla“sinful”to, fordative singular1×
Mark 8:38… ta genea houta ta moichalida kai hamartōla, kai tos huios tou anthrōpou epaischuniti …… My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will …
hamartōlois“sinners”subjectnominative plural11×
Matthew 9:10… oikia, kai idou pollois telōnois kai hamartōlois ercharantois sunanakeiole to Iēso kai toi …… Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with Him and …
Mark 2:15… oikia autou, kai pollois telōnois kai hamartōlois sunanakeiole to Iēso kai toi mathētoi …… Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with Him and His …
Luke 6:32… vi charitas atō? kai gar tois hamartōlois toin agaparōntoin autoin agapalō.… credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.
Luke 6:33… poias vi charitas atō? kai tois hamartōlois tem autem poialō.… credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same.
Luke 6:34… labara, poias vi charitas atō? kai hamartōlois hamartōloi daneizalō hina apolabaleia teim iseim.… credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be …
Luke 13:2… autoi; Dokavō hoti tois Galilaiois houtois hamartōlois para pantoin toin Galilaioin genela, hoti …… think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because …
Luke 15:1… engizarōntois pantois tois telōnois kai tois hamartōlois akouarō autou.Now all the tax collectors and sinners were gathering around to listen to …
Romans 5:19… dia tau parakoau tou henou anthrōpou hamartōlois katastēila tois pollois, houtōs kai dia …… one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of …
Galatians 2:15… fusia Ioudaiois kai ouk ek ethneiu hamartōlois,… Jews by birth and not Gentile “sinners”
Galatians 2:17… dikaiira en Christo heuriskina kai autois hamartōlois, ara Christos hamartau diakonos? mē genetoia;… we ourselves are found to be sinners, does that make Christ a minister …
Jude 1:15… teiu sklēreiu heiu lalala kata autou hamartōlois asebois.… word spoken against Him by ungodly sinners.”
hamartōloin“sinners”objectaccusative plural5×
Matthew 9:13… ouk gar erchama kalara dikaioin alla hamartōloin.… come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Mark 2:17… echarōntois; ouk erchama kalara dikaioin alla hamartōloin.… come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Luke 5:32ouk erchamē kalara dikaioin alla hamartōloin eis metanoian.… come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”
Luke 15:2… kai tois grammatevois legarōntois hoti Houtos hamartōloin prosdechotō kai sunesthiatō autoi.… began to grumble: “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
1 Timothy 1:15… Christos Iēsus erchata eis ton kosmon hamartōloin sōzara; hoiu prōtos amō mis,… came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the worst.
hamartōloir“sinners”direct addressvocative plural1×
James 4:8… theo, kai engizati vi. katharizavar cheirain, hamartōloir, kai hagnizavar kardiain, dipsuchoir.… to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
hamartōloiu“sinners”of, belonging togenitive plural13×
Matthew 9:11… Dia tinem meta toiu telōnoiu kai hamartōloiu esthiatō tos didaskalos vu?… Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
Matthew 11:19… fagos kai oinopotos, telōnoiu filos kai hamartōloiu. kai dikaiita tas sofias apo teiu …… a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is vindicated by her …
Matthew 26:45… huios tou anthrōpou paradōotō eis cheirain hamartōloiu.… is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
Mark 2:16“sinners”… Farisaioiu horarantois hoti esthiatō meta toiu hamartōloiu kai telōnoiu legale toi mathētoi autou; …… who were Pharisees saw Jesus eating with these people, they asked His disciples, “Why does …
Mark 2:16… autou; Hoti meta toiu telōnoiu kai hamartōloiu esthiatō?… He eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
Mark 14:41… tou anthrōpou eis tain cheirain toiu hamartōloiu.… is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
Luke 5:30… Dia tinem meta toiu telōnoiu kai hamartōloiu esthiavō kai pinavō?… and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”
Luke 7:34… fagos kai oinopotos, filos telōnoiu kai hamartōloiu.… a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’
Luke 24:7… hoti datō paradōira eis cheirain anthrōpoiu hamartōloiu kai staurira kai ta trita hēmera …… be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and on …
John 9:31oidanē hoti hamartōloiu tos theos ouk akouatō, alla ean …… that God does not listen to sinners, but He does listen to the …
Romans 5:8… eis nin tos theos hoti ēti hamartōloiu arōntoiu nu Christos huper nu apothnēskata.… in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Hebrews 7:26… hosios, akakos, amiantos, chōrizorēntos apo toiu hamartōloiu, kai hupsēloteros toiu ouranoiu generantos;… holy, innocent, undefiled, set apart from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.
Hebrews 12:3… gar ton toioutan hupomenarēnton hupo toiu hamartōloiu eis heautoin antilogian, hina mē kamnaveia …… Him who endured such hostility from sinners, so that you will not grow …
hamartōloi“sinners”to, fordative plural2×
Luke 6:34… poias vi charitas atō? kai hamartōlois hamartōloi daneizalō hina apolabaleia teim iseim.… to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full.
1 Timothy 1:9“sinners”… anomoi de kai anupotaktoi, aseboi kai hamartōloi, anosioi kai bebēloi, patrolōoi kai mētrolōoi, …… the righteous, but for the lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinful, for the unholy and profane, for killers of father or mother, for murderers,