Sinner sin'-er (chaTTa; hamartolos, "devoted to sin," "erring one"): In the New Testament, in addition to its ordinary significance of one that sins (Luke 5:8, Luke 13:2, Romans 5:8, Romans 5:19, 1 Timothy 1:15, Hebrews 7:26), the term is applied to those who lived in disregard of ceremonial prescription (Matthew 9:10, Matthew 9:11, Mark 2:15, Luke 5:30, Galatians 2:15); to those stained with certain definite vices or crimes, as the publicans (Luke 15:2, Luke 18:13, Luke 19:7); to the heathen (Matthew 26:45, Galatians 2:15; compare Tobit 13:6, Macc 1:34, 2Macc 2:48,62); to the preeminently sinful (Mark 8:38, John 9:24, John 9:31, Galatians 2:17, 1 Timothy 1:9, Judges 1:15). It was the Jewish term for a woman of ill-fame (Luke 7:37; compare Matthew 21:32, where it is stated that such had come even to John's baptism also). For the general Biblical conception of the term, see SIN.
M. O. Evans