English · KJV
H5753

עָוָה

ʻâvâh /aw-vaw'/ Audio pronunciations are computer-generated and may not be fully accurate. Provided as a convenience only.

Roota primitive root
Meaningto crook, literally or figuratively
KJV usagedo amiss, bow down, make crooked, commit iniquity, pervert, (do) perverse(-ly), trouble, do wickedly, do wrong.
In idiomsturn

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In depth

Word Study

A plain-language study of ʻâvâh — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word ʻâvâh, represented by H5753, is a primitive root meaning to crook, pervert, or do amiss. It appears 17 times in 17 unique verses. The term describes actions that are literally bent or crooked, as well as figuratively perverse or iniquitous, capturing a sense of twisting what is right.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In biblical usage, ʻâvâh carries a dual meaning of physical distortion and moral corruption. In a literal sense, God "turneth" the earth upside down in judgment Isaiah 24:1, and a path can be "made crooked" Lamentations 3:9. It can also describe a physical posture of distress, as when Isaiah was "bowed down" by a terrible vision Isaiah 21:3. More frequently, it denotes moral transgression. It is a key term in confessions of sin, where individuals or the nation admit they have "committed iniquity" or "done perversely" (Daniel 9:5; 1 Kings 8:47). It describes the act of perverting God's way Jeremiah 3:21 or twisting what is right Job 33:27.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the scope of perversity and sin:

  • H2398 châṭâʼ (to sin): This word, meaning to miss the mark, is frequently paired with ʻâvâh. In confessions, it establishes the initial failure, while ʻâvâh describes the subsequent twisting of the standard Psalms 106:6.
  • H7561 râshaʻ (do wickedly): Often appearing in a triad with H2398 and ʻâvâh, this term describes active wickedness. The sequence suggests a progression from missing the mark to perverting the way and finally to committing wicked acts Daniel 9:5.
  • H5771 ʻâvôn (iniquity): As the noun form derived from ʻâvâh, this word signifies the state of perversity or the guilt resulting from it. A servant who "did perversely" H5753 asks that the king not impute "iniquity" H5771 to him 2 Samuel 19:19.
  • H4775 mârad (to rebel): Used alongside ʻâvâh in Daniel's prayer, this word highlights that perversity is an act of rebellion against divine authority Daniel 9:5.
  • H7725 shûwb (to turn back): This verb represents the remedy for perversity. Confessions of having "done perversely" H5753 are often linked with a call to "turn" or "repent" H7725, demonstrating the path to restoration 2 Chronicles 6:37.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of ʻâvâh is significant, defining the nature of sin and the path of repentance.

  • Comprehensive Confession: The frequent use of ʻâvâh in a three-part formula with H2398 and H7561 illustrates a thorough understanding of sin. This confession acknowledges missing the standard, perverting the way, and acting wickedly 1 Kings 8:47.
  • The Essence of Perversity: ʻâvâh moves beyond a simple mistake to describe a deliberate distortion. It is the act of taking something straight and making it crooked, whether it is God's law, a personal path, or justice itself. This is seen in the confession of having "perverted that which was right" Job 33:27.
  • Divine and Human Action: While humans commit iniquity ʻâvâh, God can also perform a similar action in judgment by making paths "crooked" Lamentations 3:9 or turning the world "upside down" Isaiah 24:1. This connects human moral distortion with divine consequences.
  • Personal and Social Wrongdoing: The term is not limited to theological sin but applies to interpersonal relationships. A person with a "perverse heart" is despised Proverbs 12:8, and Queen Vashti is accused of having "done wrong" H5753 against the king and his people Esther 1:16.

Summary

In summary, ʻâvâh is a powerful word that encapsulates the idea of distortion and deviation. It describes more than just a failure; it signifies a willful act of bending, twisting, and corrupting. From a crooked path to a perverse heart, and from a body "bowed down" in anguish to a nation that has "committed iniquity," H5753 illustrates the profound nature of turning away from the straight path of righteousness.

Translation

How the KJV Renders It

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Morphology

Grammatical Forms

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a verb across 17 occurrences, inflected in 13 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it. These are this word’s own inflections, not words built from it — for those, see Related Words.

  • הֶעֱוִינוּ
  • הֶעֱוֵיתִי
  • נַעֲוֵיתִי
  • הַעֲוֵה
  • הַעֲוֹת
  • הֶעֱוּוּ
  • הֶעֱוָה
  • נַעֲוַת
  • נַעֲוֵה
  • עִוָּה
  • עִוָּה
  • עָוִינוּ
  • עָוְתָה
Related

Related Words

Words formed from this one

5 entries in Strong’s name this word as their origin. These are its derivatives — a different relationship from the inflected forms above, which are this same word bent by grammar.

H4596 מְעִי (compare עִי); a pile of rubbish (as contorted), i.e. a ruin H5754 עַוָּה overthrow H5762 עֲוִית ruin; Avvith (or Avvoth), a place in Palestine H5773 עַוְעֶה perversity H5856 עִי a ruin (as if overturned)

Also mentioned in the study

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

H2398 חָטָא properly, to miss; hence (figuratively and generally) to sin; by inference, to forfeit, lack, expiate, repent… H7561 רָשַׁע to be (causatively, do or declare) wrong; by implication, to disturb, violate H5771 עָוֺן (2 Kings 7:9; Psalm 51:5 (7)), from עָוָה; perversity, i.e. (moral) evil H4775 מָרַד to rebel H7725 שׁוּב to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of…
Context

Theographic Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Distribution

Biblical Distribution

Appears in 17 verses across 12 of the 39 books. Most frequent in 2 Samuel (3 verses); never once in the other 27.

1
1 Samuel
3
2 Samuel
1
1 Kings
1
2 Chronicles
1
Esther
1
Job
2
Psalms
1
Proverbs
2
Isaiah
2
Jeremiah
1
Lamentations
1
Daniel
Concordance

Every Occurrence

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.