Hamartia (Official Music Video)

The term hamartia derives from the Greek ἁμαρτία, from ἁμαρτάνειν hamartánein, which means "to miss the mark" or "to err".[1][2] It is most often associated with Greek tragedy, although it is also used in Christian theology.[3] The term is often said to depict the flaws or defects of a character and portraying these as the reason of a potential downfall.[4][5] However, other critics point to the term's derivation and say that it refers only to a tragic but random accident or mistake, with devastating consequences but with no judgment implied as to the character.

Hamartia is also used in Christian theology because of its use in the Septuagint and New Testament. The Hebrew (chatá) and its Greek equivalent (àµaρtίa/hamartia) both mean "missing the mark" or "off the mark".[10][11][12]

There are four basic usages for hamartia:

1. Hamartia is sometimes used to mean acts of sin "by omission or commission in thought and feeling or in speech and actions" as in Romans 5:12, "all have sinned".[13]

2.Hamartia is sometimes applied to the fall olof man from original righteousness that resulted in humanity's innate propensity for sin, that is original sin.[3][14] For example, as in Romans 3:9, everyone is "under the power of sin".[15]

3. A third application concerns the "weakness of the flesh" and the free will to resist sinful acts. "The original inclination to sin in mankind comes from the weakness of the flesh."[16]

4.Hamartia is sometimes "personified".[17] For example, Romans 6:20 speaks of being enslaved to hamartia (sin).