In Scripture, "sinner" carries both a universal and a specific meaning. In its universal sense, all humans are sinners: "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom 3:23); there is no exception outside of Christ himself. In the NT, the term is also used in a specific social-religious sense for those openly and notoriously living in violation of the Law — tax collectors, prostitutes, Gentiles — those whom the Pharisees refused to associate with. Jesus' willingness to eat with "sinners" (Matt 9:10–11) was a radical statement about the nature of his mission: "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners" (Matt 9:13). The Pharisee's prayer — "God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector" — is the supreme example of missing the universal category. Paul's self-designation as "chief of sinners" (1 Tim 1:15) is not false modesty but honest reckoning with grace.
SIN'NER, n. One that has voluntarily violated the divine law; a moral offender; one that is sinful and unrighteous. The term is applied to all men unregenerate, as we are all sinners by nature and by practice. In a particular sense, a notorious offender.
"Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief." 1 Tim. 1:15.
"There is not a just man on earth that doeth good, and sinneth not." Eccl. 7:20.
Contemporary culture has nearly abolished the concept of "sinner" as a meaningful category. The preferred framework is that of "broken people" (therapeutic), "oppressed people" (political), or "mistaken people" (moralistic). All three evacuate personal moral responsibility — and personal moral responsibility is precisely what the gospel requires to make sense. You cannot be "saved" if you were never a "sinner"; you cannot receive forgiveness if you were never truly guilty. A gospel that offers healing without diagnosis is not the gospel of Jesus, who said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick" (Mark 2:17). The recovery of the word "sinner" — applied honestly to oneself — is the first movement of genuine repentance and the beginning of true gospel faith.
Proto-Germanic *sundjō → Old English synn (sin) → synnere (sinner)
Possibly from PIE *es- (to be): the sinner as one who "is" what they ought not to be
Hebrew:
חַטָּא (chatta', H2400) — sinner, sinful one (habitual/characteristic)
→ From חָטָא (chata', H2398) — to miss the mark, to sin
→ 19 occurrences; denotes one characterized by sin as a lifestyle
Greek:
ἁμαρτωλός (hamartōlos, G268) — sinner; one who misses the mark
→ From ἁμαρτάνω (hamartanō, G264) — to sin, miss the mark
→ 47 occurrences in NT
→ Used of: tax collectors and prostitutes (Matt 9:10-11), prodigal son (Luke 15:7),
Paul (1 Tim 1:15), universal humanity (Rom 5:8; 5:19)
Key theological distinction:
→ ἁμαρτωλός (sinner) vs. δίκαιος (righteous): these are the only two categories
→ Jesus came for sinners — not to affirm them in sin but to call them to repentance
• Romans 3:23 — "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
• 1 Timothy 1:15 — "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost."
• Matthew 9:13 — "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners."
• Romans 5:8 — "God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
• Luke 18:13 — "God, be merciful to me, a sinner!" — The tax collector's prayer, commended by Jesus.
H2400 — chatta' (חַטָּא): habitual sinner; one characterized by sin as a lifestyle or identity.
G268 — hamartōlos (ἁμαρτωλός): sinner; one who misses the divine standard; used universally (all humanity) and specifically (notorious sinners); those Jesus came to save.