Bible Dictionary
FAULT
A fault is a defect, error, trespass, or failure, sometimes involving moral guilt. In legal contexts it may mean a charge or crime, while “faultless” means without blemish or reproach.
Definition
A fault is a defect, error, failure, trespass, or wrong. It may have less moral weight than crime or sin, but in some contexts it means guilt, wickedness, or a legal charge.
Biblical Usage
Scripture speaks of faults as errors, sins, trespasses, and accusations. Pilate found no fault or crime in Jesus; believers are urged to confess faults or sins; and God is able to present his people without blemish.
Historical Background
The word translates terms meaning error, perversity, wickedness, cause, defect, falling aside, blame, conviction, spotless, and blameless. Revised translations often clarify whether the reference is to sin, crime, guilt, or blemish.
Related Figures
Historical Bible Dictionaries
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>folt (chaTa'; aitia, memphomai): Implies defect, of less moral weight than crime or sin. It is the translation of chaTa', "error," "failure," "sin" (Ex 5:16); of cheT', same meaning (Ge 41:9, "I do remember my faults this day"); of `awon, "perversity," "iniquity" (2Sa 3:8; Ps 59:4); of rish`ah, "wrongness," "wickedness" (De 25:2, the Revised Version (British and American) "wickedness"); of shechath (Aramaic) "corruption" (Da 6:4 twice); me'umah, "anything" (1Sa 29:3, "no fault in him," literally, "not anything"); of aitia, "cause," "case," "guilt," (Joh 18:38; 19:4,6; Pilate of Jesus, "I find no fault in him," the Revised Version (British and American) "no crime"; the same word is rendered "accusation," i.e. `legal cause for prosecution,' Mt 27:37; Mr 15:26; compare Ac 25:18,27); of aition, same meaning (Lu 23:4,14; 23:22, aition thanatou "cause of death"); of hettema, "a worse condition," "defect" (1Co 6:7, the Revised Version (British and American) "a defect," margin "a loss to you"); of paraptoma, "a falling aside" (Ga 6:1, "If a man be overtaken in fault," the Revised Version (British and American) "in any trespass," margin "by"; Jas 5:16, "Confess your faults one to another," the Revised Version (British and American) "Confess therefore your sins one to another"); hamartano, "to miss," "err," "sin," is translated "your faults" (1Pe 2:20 the Revised Version (British and American), "when ye sin"); memphomai, "to blame," is translated "to find fault" (Mr 7:2 omitted the Revised Version (British and American); Ro 9:19; Heb 8:8); elegcho, "to convict," "to tell one's fault" (Mt 18:15, the Revised Version (British and American) "show him his fault"); amomos, "without blemish," "spotless," is translated "without fault" (Re 14:5, the Revised Version (British and American) "without blemish," "faultless"; Jude 1:24, "able to present you faultless," the Revised Version (British and American) "without blemish"); amemptos, "blameless," "without reproach" (Heb 8:7, "for if that first covenant had been faultless"). "Faulty" is the translation of 'ashem, "guilty" (2Sa 14:13, "as one which is faulty," the Revised Version (British and American) "guilty"); of 'asham, "to be or become guilty" (Ho 10:2, Revised Version "guilty").</p><p>W. L. Walker</p>