שְׁגָגָה
she.ga.gah (H7684)
unintentionally
AI Word Study
# שְׁגָגָה (sheḡāḡāh): Unintentional Action in Hebrew The Hebrew word *sheḡāḡāh* denotes actions performed without deliberate intention or awareness. With nineteen occurrences throughout the biblical text, this term occupies a significant place in Hebrew's vocabulary for describing human conduct, particularly in contexts where the distinction between intentional and unintentional behavior carries legal or moral weight. The term's consistent rendering as "unintentionally" across its biblical appearances suggests a stable, recognizable category of action distinct from purposeful wrongdoing. The frequency and distribution of this word across biblical texts indicate its importance in ancient Hebrew legal and ethical thought. By appearing nineteen times, *sheḡāḡāh* represents a recurring concern—the need to classify and address actions that occurred without the agent's knowledge or deliberate choice. This reflects a sophisticated understanding that human responsibility and culpability vary depending on whether an act was committed knowingly or unknowingly, a distinction that likely influenced how communities administered justice and how individuals understood their own accountability before God.
AI synthesis uses only provided lexicon data -- never training knowledge.
“Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘If anyone sins unintentionally, in any of the things which Yahweh has commanded not to be done, and does any one of them,
“ ‘When a ruler sins, and unwittingly does any one of all the things which Yahweh his God has commanded not to be done, and is guilty,
“ ‘If anyone of the common people sins unwittingly, in doing any of the things which Yahweh has commanded not to be done, and is guilty,
“If anyone commits a trespass, and sins unwittingly regarding Yahweh’s holy things, then he shall bring his trespass offering to Yahweh: a ram without defect from the flock, according to your estimation in silver by shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, for a trespass offering.
He shall bring a ram without defect from of the flock, according to your estimation, for a trespass offering, to the priest; and the priest shall make atonement for him concerning the thing in which he sinned and didn’t know it, and he will be forgiven.
“ ‘If a man eats something holy unwittingly, then he shall add the fifth part of its value to it, and shall give the holy thing to the priest.
then it shall be, if it was done unwittingly, without the knowledge of the congregation, that all the congregation shall offer one young bull for a burnt offering, for a pleasant aroma to Yahweh, with its meal offering and its drink offering, according to the ordinance, and one male goat for a sin offering.
The priest shall make atonement for all the congregation of the children of Israel, and they shall be forgiven; for it was an error, and they have brought their offering, an offering made by fire to Yahweh, and their sin offering before Yahweh, for their error.
All the congregation of the children of Israel shall be forgiven, as well as the stranger who lives as a foreigner among them; for with regard to all the people, it was done unwittingly.
“ ‘If a person sins unwittingly, then he shall offer a female goat a year old for a sin offering.
The priest shall make atonement for the soul who errs when he sins unwittingly before Yahweh. He shall make atonement for him; and he shall be forgiven.
You shall have one law for him who does anything unwittingly, for him who is native-born among the children of Israel, and for the stranger who lives as a foreigner among them.
then you shall appoint for yourselves cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the man slayer who kills any person unwittingly may flee there.
For the children of Israel, and for the stranger and for the foreigner living among them, shall these six cities be for refuge, that everyone who kills any person unwittingly may flee there.
that the man slayer who kills any person accidentally or unintentionally may flee there. They shall be to you for a refuge from the avenger of blood.
These were the appointed cities for all the children of Israel, and for the alien who lives among them, that whoever kills any person unintentionally might flee there, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stands trial before the congregation.
Don’t allow your mouth to lead you into sin. Don’t protest before the messenger that this was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice, and destroy the work of your hands?
There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, the sort of error which proceeds from the ruler.