חָטָ֖אנוּ

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 חָטָ֖אנוּ

   kha-TA-nu

   we have sinned
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 כִּ֥י חָטָ֖אנוּ

   KI kha-TA-nu

   for we have sinned
3. clause🔊 כִּ֥י חָטָ֖אנוּ לָֽךְ׃

   KI kha-TA-nu LAKH

   for we have sinned against you or to you
4. sentence🔊 יָדַ֧עְנוּ יְהוָ֛ה רִשְׁעֵ֖נוּ עֲוֺ֣ן אֲבוֹתֵ֑ינוּ כִּ֥י חָטָ֖אנוּ לָֽךְ׃

   ya-DA-nu ye-ho-VAH rish-e-NU a-VON a-vo-TE-nu KI kha-TA-nu LAKH

   we have known or we acknowledge LORD our wickedness iniquity our fathers for we have sinned against you or to you

Exegesis

The conjunction ki {כִּ֥י | kî} ‘for’ introduces a causal clause, and the phrase chatanu lakh {חָטָ֖אנוּ לָֽךְ | ḥā-ṭā-nū lāḵ} ‘we have sinned against you’ uses the prepositional suffix to indicate offense toward the addressee. The Hebrew word order places personal confession and direct address before stating the grounds of guilt, emphasizing responsibility and relational breach.

Root and etymology

Root🔊 ח־ט־אchet–tet–aleph

“to sin, miss the mark”

• 🔊 חֵטְאchetsinGenesis 4:7