Word meaning Good, Evil, and Sin

Almost anyone knows today what ‘sin’ is, but so few understand it. The world is filled with churchy church words, and these are some of them. This lengthy study needs to set the stage to affect a changed mind and heart.

Let’s start at the beginning.

Genesis 2:8 “And the Lord God made a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had made.”

Genesis 2:25 “And the man and his wife were without clothing, and they had no sense of shame.”

Genesis 2:16-17 “And the Lord God gave the man orders, saying, You may freely take of the fruit of every tree of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you may not take; for on the day when you take of it, death will certainly come to you.”

Good

The Hebrew word for “good” is טוב (tov).
It is spelled with three letters: Tet (ט), Vav (ו), and Bet (ב).

Now let’s see what each of these letters mean from Paleo-Hebrew.

1. Tet (ט)
   • Symbol: Basket, Snake (coiled up – reeds or snakes)
   • Meanings: Surround
2. Vav (ו)
   • Symbol: Nail, Peg
   • Meanings: Connect, “And”
3. Bet (ב)
   • Symbol: House
   • Meanings: “In”

Putting them together:

    Tet (ט) = “Surround” (something enclosed or contained, possibly like goodness surrounding or encompassing)

    Vav (ו) = “Nail, Peg, And” (that which connects or secures)

    Bet (ב) = “House, In” (dwelling, family, inside)

So, in Paleo-Hebrew picture meanings, טוב (good / tov) could be understood as:

“Surrounding + secured connection + inside the house (dwelling).”

Symbolically, this paints the picture of something secure, connected, and enclosed within a house — which gives a sense of goodness, safety, and well-being. In other words, “good” (טוב) in ancient Hebrew can be visualized as:

“What surrounds and secures life inside the house.”

Another beautiful illustration by the imagery of placing fruit into a basket for safekeeping as you walk. The letter Tet (ט), which means “basket” or “surround,” suggests the act of enclosing fruit to protect it from harm, keeping it intact on the journey. Tied with Beyt (ב), symbolizing “house” or “within,” the word “good” embodies the idea of shelter and preservation, just as a basket shields its contents and a house provides refuge. As one walks, the basket holding the fruit offers connection and security, meaning Vav (ו), or “nail/peg”, so nothing is lost or damaged along the way. Therefore, good in its pictographic sense signifies more than moral goodness; it reflects the daily act of caring for what is valuable, ensuring it is surrounded and kept safe within life’s journey. Adam and Eve were placed in the Lord’s Garden, their house, and fully cared for, secure and surrounded by God’s previsions.

 

Evil

The Hebrew word for “evil” is רַע (ra).

It is composed of two letters:

1. Resh (ר)
   • Symbol: Head
   • Meanings: Person, First, Top, Beginning, Chief
2. Ayin (ע)
   • Symbol: Eye
   • Meanings: Eye, To See, Experience

Putting it together:

• Resh (ר) = “The head, a person, leader, beginning”
• Ayin (ע) = “Eye, to see, experience”

So, in Paleo-Hebrew picture meanings, רע (ra / evil) could be read as:
“The person’s eye / what the person sees and experiences.”

Symbolic Understanding:

• In the biblical sense, “evil” (רע) isn’t always “moral wickedness” in the modern sense, but rather what is bad, harmful, or brings destruction/misery.
• With Resh (head/person) + Ayin (eye/experience), it paints a picture of a person led by what they see or experience — meaning following outward appearances or desires, rather than higher spiritual truth.
• This aligns with the Hebrew worldview: “evil” is often what looks appealing but leads to harm.

 

Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (Etz HaDa’at Tov va-Ra) in Genesis.

Good, “That which surrounds and secures inside the house” is a picture of protection, order, well-being, and life. Good is what preserves and secures harmony, as if being safe inside a home.

Evil, “A person’s eye/experience” following what one sees and desires. Evil here is not just moral corruption, but that which brings harm through being guided by appearance and self-desire instead of God’s wisdom.

Before Eating from the Tree

Genesis 2:25 says: “Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.”

• Nakedness here symbolizes innocence or ignorance of self-consciousness.
• They did not yet “see” (Ayin) themselves with judgment or comparison.
• Their experience (Ra – Ayin) was not driven by appearances; they lived in trustful dependence on God, surrounded (Tet) and secured (Vav) by His provision (Beyt, the “house”).

In other words:
Before eating the fruit, they lived only within God’s definition of good, safe, surrounded, and cared for, without defining reality from their own perspective.

After Eating from the Tree

When they ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil:

• Their eyes (Ayin) were opened (Gen. 3:7).
• They suddenly saw themselves and judged their own nakedness.
• Instead of being surrounded and secured inside God’s “house”, they now relied on their own sight and experience (Ayin-Resh = Ra).

This shift was not simply gaining new information. Rather, it was a change in awareness:
They moved from innocence (trusting God’s perspective) to self-consciousness (judging good/evil through their own eyes).

Nakedness as a Symbol

• Before eating: Nakedness = innocence, freedom, no shame (they existed in God’s definition of good).
• After eating: Nakedness = exposure, vulnerability, awareness of self in a broken way (they now define good/evil through appearances).

This shows the Hebrew symbolism:

• Tov (Good) = security inside God’s order = no shame, peace.
• Ra (Evil) = the person’s eye/experience = self-judgment, shame, separation.

The Tree of “Good and Evil”

The phrase suggests not just opposites but the full spectrum of human judgment.

• To “know good and evil” is to define reality for oneself, apart from God.
• Eating from the tree represents humanity claiming the right to decide for themselves what is good (Tov) and what is evil (Ra), rather than living by God’s word and command.

Before eating from the tree, Adam and Eve were innocent, unshaped by appearances, and secure in God’s good order. After eating, however, their eyes (Ayin) were opened, and they entered into shame, self-awareness, and vulnerability. In doing so, they left God’s definition of good and instead embraced the human judgment of good and evil. They sinned.

Proverbs 21:2 “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD ponders the heart.”

 

Sin in Greek

The Greek word for Sin is ἁμαρτία (hamartia)

Sin in Greek is ἁμαρτία and means “that which disqualifies one from receiving a portion in the prize” as in “to miss the mark.” It can also mean “to be without a share in” as in being excluded from continued participation, like in an archery competition. You missed the mark so you cannot advance to the next round; you’ve been eliminated.

Psalms 51:5 “Truly, I was formed in evil, and in sin did my mother give me birth.”

Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”

When Adam ate the forbidden fruit in disobedience to God, he stepped outside of divine life and allowed sin to enter his very nature. That act corrupted his DNA and killed his spirit (Eph. 2:1), altering the blueprint of his being. Since life is carried through blood and seed (Lev. 17:11), this brokenness was passed to his offspring. Instead of inheriting pure communion with God, every generation received a nature bent away from Him, carrying within their own flesh the consequence of Adam’s disobedience.

After Adam and Eve disobeyed and sin entered their nature, they became disqualified, so God expelled them from the garden so they would not eat from the tree of life and live forever in a corrupted state. As Genesis says, He placed cherubim and a flaming sword to guard the way, protecting humanity from eternal separation by ensuring that redemption, not unending brokenness, would be our future in Jesus.

 

Sin in Hebrew

In Hebrew it’s the same חטאה “to miss the mark” or to “go astray.”

Here’s חטאה (Chet-Tet-Alef-Heh) broken down:

1. Chet (ח)
   o Symbol: Fence, Wall, Enclosure
   o Meanings: Boundary, Separation, Protection, Inside/Outside
2. Tet (ט)
   o Symbol: Basket, Coil, Serpent-like shape
   o Meanings: Hidden, Twisted, Contained
3. Aleph (א)
   o Symbol: Ox Head
   o Meanings: Strength, Authority, Leader, God, First
4. Heh (ה)
   o Symbol: Person with arms raised
   o Meanings: Behold, Reveal, Expression, Breath, Worship, Grace

 

Putting it together:

חטאה (Chet-Tet-Alef-Heh) paints a picture of being outside the fence of protection (Chet), twisted within (Tet), turning from God’s strength and authority (Aleph), and revealing or expressing this break (Heh).

In essence, חטאה shows sin as stepping outside God’s boundary, becoming twisted internally, rejecting His order, and manifesting that rebellion outwardly. It’s not just missing a target accidentally, but a process of moving from God’s protection into self-direction, which becomes revealed in behavior.

God was the first to use this word sin in His conversation with Cain: Genesis 4:7 “If you do well, will you not have honor? and if you do wrong, sin is waiting at the door, desiring to have you, but do not let it be your master.”

Sin, described as both a genetic and spiritual parasite, seeks to dominate human life, yet God’s words to Cain show it can be resisted. When God told him, “sin crouches at the door, its desire is for you, but you must rule over it,” He revealed that while sin is ever-present, waiting like a predator, it is not irresistible. Though inherited through Adam’s nature, sin does not remove human responsibility. God affirmed Cain still had the power to master it, showing that even in a fallen state, choice and obedience to God remain the means of keeping sin from gaining control.

Both Greek and Hebrew words can mean the simplest of mistakes. In English, most people misspell words and without the red squiggly underline to indicate their “sin” they wouldn’t know it. Another example lost driving is a sin – you missed your designated target, that is, “an error” meaning “sin.”

We’re all born in sin but there is hope. John the Baptist declares of Jesus, “…Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin (noun) of the world.” John 1:29.

Psalms 91:1 “He who dwells in the secret place [i.e., Jesus] of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.”

Through Jesus, we can again be restored in fellowship with God. John 1:29 calls Jesus “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world,” highlighting His sinlessness of His sacrifice. According to scripture, sin entered the human race through Adam (Rom 5:12), corrupting both our nature and our blood, the very life within us (Lev 17:11). Because life is in the blood, compensation requires the shedding of blood. Jesus, fully human yet without sin, offered His own perfect blood as a substitution for ours. (Rom 5:15) On the cross, His punishment satisfied the justice of God, bearing the consequences that humanity deserved, and demonstrated His love for us. By His death and shed blood, the barrier of sin that passed through our nature and ancestry was broken, making it possible for anyone who believes to be forgiven and restored to communion with God. His blood does not merely cover sin, it removes its penalty and power, providing spiritual life where there was death.

Romans 5:17 “For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.”

When a person is sick, they are constantly aware of their condition; every thought, action, and plan is shaded by the sickness. They consider how it limits them, how it might worsen, and how it separates them from normal life. But when they are cured, the sickness no longer dominates their mind; they no longer dwell on what it prevents or threatens. In the same way, Jesus’ payment for Adam’s sin works as a cure for humanity’s spiritual sickness. While sin once dominated every thought and action, His sacrifice removes that burden. Believers are no longer enslaved to the awareness of sin, guilt, or death; they can live in freedom, not constantly conscious of their brokenness, because the debt has been fully paid.

Freedom from the “parasite” of Sin

Hebrews 10:1-2 “For the law, being only a poor copy of the future good things, and not the true image of those things, is never able to make the people who come to the altar every year with the same offerings completely clean. For if this had been possible, would there not have been an end of those offerings, because the worshippers would have been made completely clean and would have been no longer conscious of sins?”

 The scriptures shows that the “power of sin is activated through the law” (Rom 7:8). In Genesis, God commanded Adam, “You shall not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (Gen. 2:17). That law revealed Adam’s vulnerability, showing that disobedience brings death, sin crouched at the door (the serpent “seeming to be good”) (Gen. 3:1; Gen. 4:7). Likewise, the Ten Commandments (Exod. 20) outline God’s standards, exposing humanity’s inability to live perfectly and our need for a Savior (Rom. 3:20, Gal. 3:24). In this context, the law is not only a boundary but also a mirror, showing our brokenness and pointing us to Jesus, who restores life and security. In the Paleo-Hebrew understanding of Tov (טוב), being surrounded, secured, and inside God’s “house”, Jesus provides the ultimate Good, placing believers within Himself, harmony, and life, where sin no longer rules.

Romans 8:1-2 “For this cause those who are in Christ Jesus will not be judged as sinners. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.”

Romans 10:13; Joel 2:32 “For whosoever [that’s you and me] shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”