Abstract

This article proposes a cognitive-linguistic approach to understanding the concept of sin in the Holy Bible through the lens of conceptual metaphor theory. Rather than treating sin as a strictly theological or moral category, it draws on the metaphor theory of Lakoff and Johnson to demonstrate how metaphor structures religious meaning. Focusing on the metaphors of sin in both the Old and New Testaments, the study identifies five core metaphors: [SIN IS DIRT], [SIN IS HUMAN], [SIN IS MASTER], [SIN IS OBJECT], and [SIN IS ANIMAL]. These metaphors function not merely as rhetorical flourishes, but as cognitive models that shape the believer's understanding of sin, morality, and redemption. The essay explores how each metaphor encodes a particular theological worldview, with [SIN IS DIRT] dominating biblical representations and linking closely with purification rituals and the doctrine of atonement. By analyzing how these metaphors function across biblical narratives, this article generates a deeper discussion about the ways in which metaphor informs religious experience, moral judgment, and the shaping of spiritual identity. It concludes that conceptual metaphor theory offers not only a tool for linguistic analysis, but a framework for engaging the cognitive architecture of Christian theology across cultures.