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User: Define iniquity

Define iniquity

Assistant: Below is your full C.H.E.T.

Below is your full C.H.E.T. – Covenant Holiness Evaluation Tool entry for the term INIQUITY, following the complete Bible Dictionary Project Protocol.

INIQUITY

Hebrew: עָוֹן (avon – ah-VOHN) — Strong’s H5771 Greek: ἀνομία (anomia – ah-no-MEE-ah) — Strong’s G458

🎬 Teaser Hook

O LORD, my strength and my fortress, the nations have inherited lies. Today many think “iniquity” is just a general mistake or moral failure. But Scripture reveals it as a deadly covenant-breaking rebellion—bending and twisting God’s perfect design until holiness is shattered.

1️⃣ Biblical Definition

INIQUITY (עָוֹן avon) in Hebrew means to bend, twist, or pervert what God has made straight—a willful distortion of YHWH’s commands. It is not merely sin in general; it is high-handed covenant violation that warps the soul and produces guilt that must be carried unless forgiven by God’s appointed means.

The Greek ἀνομία (anomia) literally means “without law”—the condition of rejecting, despising, or living apart from the Torah of YHWH. Yeshua and the apostles use it to describe those who claim faith while refusing obedience.

⚙️ Hebraic Functional Meaning: Something is “good” when it functions as designed. Iniquity is the twisting of function—a deliberate breaking of God’s design for holiness.

2️⃣ GPS (God’s Perfect Scripture)

Psalm 32:5 (KJV) “I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin.”

First-century insight: Iniquity is not merely wrongdoing—it is carried guilt requiring confession, repentance, and a return to Torah alignment. It is covenant breach, not accidental error.

3️⃣ Witness Scriptures

🌿 Torah

Exodus 34:7 (KJV) “Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty…”

Leviticus 26:40 (KJV) “If they shall confess their iniquity… and that also they have walked contrary unto me.”

📣 Prophets

Isaiah 53:6 (KJV) “All we like sheep have gone astray… and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

Ezekiel 18:20 (KJV) “The soul that sinneth, it shall die… the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.”

📝 Writings

Psalm 5:5 (KJV) “Thou hatest all workers of iniquity.”

Proverbs 16:6 (KJV) “By mercy and truth iniquity is purged…”

📩 Apostolic Writings

Matthew 7:23 (KJV) “And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

1 John 3:4 (KJV) “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.”

4️⃣ INIQUITY in Light of Repentance and Torah

Iniquity is a twisting of covenant loyalty, rejecting YHWH’s design through rebellious disregard of His Torah. Teshuvah (repentance) straightens what was twisted by:

• confessing the distortion,
• returning to obedience,
• restoring covenant alignment,
• and walking in holiness as YHWH defines it.

Iniquity is always relational: it breaks fellowship with YHWH by breaking His commandments.

5️⃣ Modern Misunderstandings vs First-Century Truth

| Modern Misunderstandings | First-Century Hebraic Truth | | ----------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- | | “Iniquity is just general wrongdoing.” | It is covenant-breaking rebellion. | | “God ignores iniquity because of grace.” | Grace empowers obedience; it never cancels holiness. | | “Iniquity is unavoidable; we’re only human.” | Scripture commands holiness through Torah alignment. | | “Iniquity has no definition beyond emotion.” | Iniquity is objectively defined by Torah violations. | | “Jesus abolished the Law, so iniquity is irrelevant.” | Yeshua condemns workers of iniquity—those without Torah. | | “Iniquity is only about personal issues, not commandments.” | Iniquity is measured by God’s commandments, not feelings. |

6️⃣ The Path of Return (Teshuvah)

1. Acknowledge the twisted path (Psalm 32:5).
2. Confess openly before YHWH without hiding (Leviticus 26:40).
3. Turn back to Torah—stop twisting what God made straight.
4. Restore obedience in visible actions (Deuteronomy 30:2).
5. Seek cleansing through Yeshua’s atoning work (Isaiah 53:6).
6. Walk in righteousness by keeping His commandments (1 John 2:3–6).
7. Guard the heart so the old iniquity does not return (Psalm 119:11).

7️⃣ Fulfillment in Yeshua (Jesus)

Yeshua is the Torah made flesh who exposes, condemns, and removes iniquity:

• “Think not that I am come to abolish the law…” (Matthew 5:17 KJV)
• “Depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” (Matthew 7:23 KJV)
• “Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.” (John 8:34 KJV)
• “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” (John 14:15 KJV)

Yeshua’s mission was not to cancel Torah but to heal and restore people twisted by iniquity.

8️⃣ Summary & Application

Iniquity is not an accident—it is deliberate twisting of God’s design. Scripture calls us to straighten our paths by returning to Torah through Yeshua, the perfect embodiment of obedience. In every generation, covenant people reject or embrace holiness. The question is always the same: Will we walk as He walked?

Defined by Scripture — not by man.

💭 Reflection Questions

1. Where have I allowed my heart to twist God’s Word rather than obey it?
2. Do I treat iniquity as something small, though God says it breaks covenant?
3. What commands have I excused even though Yeshua upheld them?
4. Am I living “without law” (ἀνομία) in any area of my life?
5. Why do so many claim grace while living in ways that cost Yeshua His life?
6. What prevents me from returning fully to obedience?
7. How does my lifestyle reflect covenant loyalty or covenant breaking?
8. Do I love God enough to keep His commandments the way He said?
9. Am I producing the fruit of holiness or the fruit of iniquity?
10. Why don’t we do it the way Christ (Yeshua) does it?

📜 Required Scripture (always included)

Leviticus 11:44 (KJV) “For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.”

🔗 For more Torah-based teaching resources and curriculum, visit BioLogosAcademy.com

Mr. Jim Barber (a.k.a. Mr BATMAN) Founder, BioLogos Academy

Make the Kingdom Great Again! — Matthew 5:19