The Hebrew word עָוֹן, awon occurs 232 times in the Hebrew Old Testament. It is translated into English (NASB) as various words: affliction (1), blame (1), brought (1), guilt (22), iniquities (46), iniquity (149), looked (1), punishment (11). The first occurrence of the word “punish/punishment” in the Bible is this word, awon, which occurs in Genesis 4:13 when Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is too great to bear!” In the context of annihilationism, we want to know if typically, a person’s punishment is something experienced or not experienced. After all, annihilationism says that the punishment of God at the final judgment is annihilation. But, nonexistence is not something experienced. Eternal conscious torment is experienced. Of the 232 occurrences of the word in the Old Testament, 11 are translated into the English term punishment. Of those 11 we find four main categories: consciously experienced punishment (Gen. 4:13; Lev. 5:17; 22:16), the destruction of the city (Gen. 19:15), physical death (Job 19:29; Jer. 51:6), and unspecified punishment (1 Sam. 28:10; 2 Kings 7:9; Ezek. 21:25; 21:29; 35:5).

Summary of usages of the Hebrew awon as they relate to people and punishment.

1. Consciously experienced
   1. Gen. 4:13; Lev. 5:17; 22:16
2. Destruction of the city
   1. Gen. 19:15
3. Physical death
   1. Job 19:29; Jer. 51:6
4. Unspecified
   1. 1 Sam. 28:10; 2 Kings 7:9; Ezek. 21:25; 21:29; 35:5

 

• Hebrew word: ַעָוֹן, awon
• Meaning:   iniquity, punishment, fault
• Strong’s #: H5771
• Frequency:  232 occurrences

 

TABLE OF ALL OLD TESTAMENT USAGES OF AWON, עָוֹן AS ENGLISH PUNISH/MENT
Address	Verse	Meaning
Gen. 4:13	Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment is too great to bear!	Consciously Experienced
Gen. 19:15	When morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Up, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away in the punishment of the city.”	Destruction of the city
Lev. 5:17	“Now if a person sins and does any of the things which the LORD has commanded not to be done, though he was unaware, still he is guilty and shall bear his punishment.	Consciously Experienced
Lev. 22:16	and so cause them to bear punishment for guilt by eating their holy gifts; for I am the LORD who sanctifies them.’ ”	Consciously Experienced
1 Sam. 28:10	Saul vowed to her by the LORD, saying, “As the LORD lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this thing.”	Unspecified
2 Kings 7:9	Then they said to one another, “We are not doing right. This day is a day of good news, but we are keeping silent; if we wait until morning light, punishment will overtake us. Now therefore come, let us go and tell the king’s household.”	Unspecified
Job 19:29	“Then be afraid of the sword for yourselves, For wrath brings the punishment of the sword, So that you may know there is judgment.”	Physical death
Jer. 51:6	Flee from the midst of Babylon, and each of you save his life! Do not be destroyed in her punishment, For this is the LORD’S time of vengeance; He is going to render recompense to her.	Physical death
Ezek. 21:25	‘And you, O slain, wicked one, the prince of Israel, whose day has come, in the time of the punishment of the end,’	Unspecified
Ezek. 21:29	while they see for you false visions, while they divine lies for you—to place you on the necks of the wicked who are slain, whose day has come, in the time of the punishment of the end.	Unspecified
Ezek. 35:5	“Because you have had everlasting enmity and have delivered the sons of Israel to the power of the sword at the time of their calamity, at the time of the punishment of the end”	Unspecified

• “(conscious, intentional) offense, sin 2 S 22:24;—2. > guilt (incurred by offense, sin) Gn 15:16; phr.: ʿawōnāh bāh her guilt (lies) upon her Nu 15:31, nāśāʾ ʿawōnāh (her husband) bears her guilt 30:16; bî-ʾanî heʿāwôn I am (the only one) guilty 1 S 25:24 &c.;—3. > punishment (for guilt) Gn 4:13.
  • Holladay, William Lee, and Ludwig Köhler. A Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament. Leiden: Brill, 2000.