The Hebrew verb pasha means to rebel, transgress, or breach a relationship through willful defection. Unlike chata (missing the mark) or avon (iniquity/crookedness), pasha carries the specific connotation of deliberate revolt — a conscious decision to break covenant fidelity. The related noun pesha (H6588) is often translated 'transgression' or 'rebellion.'
Pasha is the strongest of the three major Hebrew sin words. It implies not weakness but defiance. In Amos 1–2, God repeatedly pronounces judgment 'for three transgressions... and for four' — the rebellions of the nations and of Israel. Isaiah 53:5 uses pasha for the Servant's vicarious bearing of our rebellions. The full forgiveness offered in Psalm 32:1 and Isaiah 44:22 covers even willful rebellion, demonstrating the magnitude of God's grace. Understanding pasha deepens appreciation for the cross — Christ bore not just our mistakes but our deliberate revolts.