Lexical Summary tum'ah: Uncleanness, impurity Original Word: טֻמְאָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance filthiness, uncleanness From tame'; religious impurity -- filthiness, unclean(-ness). see HEBREW tame' Brown-Driver-Briggs טֻמְאָה noun feminine uncleanness; — absolute ׳ט Numbers 5:19 4t.; construct טֻמְאַת Leviticus 5:3 4t.; suffix טֻמְאָתֵךְ Ezekiel 22:15 2t. etc., 18 t. suffixes; plural טֻמְאֹת Leviticus 16:16,19; suffix טֻמְאוֺתֵיכֶם Ezekiel 36:25,29; טֻמְאֹתָם Leviticus 16:16; — 1 sexual Numbers 5:19 (P), Lamentations 1:9. 2 of a foul or filthy mass Ezekiel 24:11 (in a caldron), 2 Chronicles 29:16 (in the temple). 3 ethical and religious Leviticus 16:16 (P); Ezekiel 22:15; Ezekiel 24:13; Ezekiel 39:24; ׳כפר על הקדשׁ מט Leviticus 16:16 (P); ׳קדּשׁ מט Leviticus 16:19 (P); ׳טהר מט Ezekiel 24:13; Ezekiel 36:25; ׳הושׁיע מכל ט Ezekiel 36:29; ׳רוּחַ הט unclean spirit, which inspired the prophets to lie Zechariah 13:2. 4 ritual, of men Leviticus 5:3 (twice in verse); Leviticus 7:20,21; Leviticus 14:19; Leviticus 15:3 (twice in verse); Leviticus 15:31 (twice in verse); Numbers 19:13 (all P), Leviticus 22:3,5 (H); women 2 Samuel 11:4; וַיִּשְׁכַּב עִמָּהּ וְהִיא מִתְקַדֶּשֶׁת מִטֻמְאָתָהּ see Dr; a time favourable to conception RSK 276; Leviticus 15:25,26,30 (P), Leviticus 18:19 (H), Ezekiel 36:17; of meats Judges 13:7,14. 5 local, of the nations Ezra 6:21; Ezra 9:11. Topical Lexicon Definition and Scope טֻמְאָה (tumʾah) denotes ceremonial uncleanness that renders a person, place, or object unfit for contact with the holy presence of God until purification is effected. Though often translated “impurity” or “uncleanness,” the term embraces both a tangible state of defilement and the covenantal breach it represents. Ritual Impurity in the Levitical System Leviticus devotes entire sections to tumʾah. Contact with certain animals (Leviticus 11:24), partaking of forbidden fat or blood (Leviticus 7:21), childbirth (Leviticus 12:2), skin disease (Leviticus 13:46), and bodily discharges (Leviticus 15:30) transmit impurity. Each case requires specific intervals, washings, and offerings. “For I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves therefore and be holy, because I am holy” (Leviticus 11:44). Ritual impurity is not identical with personal sin, yet it vividly portrays man’s distance from perfect holiness. Impurity Through Contact with Death The gravest source of tumʾah is proximity to a corpse. “Whoever touches a human corpse and does not purify himself defiles the tabernacle of the LORD” (Numbers 19:13). The red-heifer ashes mixed with living water cleanse the defiled (Numbers 19:17-19). This underscores the antithesis between death and the life-giving presence of God. Moral and Spiritual Dimensions The prophets expand tumʾah beyond ritual boundaries to describe idolatry and ethical corruption. “But you brought into My sanctuary foreigners uncircumcised in heart and flesh to defile it, even My house” (Ezekiel 44:7). Ritual impurity becomes a metaphor for covenant infidelity: “Your ways and deeds have brought this upon you. This is your punishment. How bitter it is, because it pierces to the heart!” (Jeremiah 4:18). Theology of Separation and Holiness Tumʾah functions pedagogically, teaching Israel that sin disrupts fellowship and requires atonement. Each encounter with impurity drives worshippers toward the priesthood, sacrifice, and ultimately the mercy of God. “You are to distinguish between the holy and the common, between the unclean and the clean” (Leviticus 10:10). Purification Provisions Water, time, sacrifice, and occasionally fire effect cleansing. Leviticus 15:13-15 prescribes washing of clothes, bathing, and a sin offering. Numbers 31:23 commands that objects passing through fire “shall also be purified with the water of cleansing.” Sacrificial blood and water signify substitutionary removal of defilement, foreshadowing the perfect sacrifice. Prophetic Hope of Ultimate Cleansing Ezekiel proclaims a future definitive purification: “I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and all your idols” (Ezekiel 36:25). Zechariah 13:1 anticipates “a fountain will be opened … to cleanse them from sin and impurity.” These promises converge in the redemptive work of Messiah, whose sacrificial blood “purifies our conscience from dead works to serve the living God” (compare Hebrews 9:13-14). Ministry Significance Today Understanding tumʾah enriches pastoral teaching on holiness, repentance, and the once-for-all sufficiency of Christ’s atonement. It also guards against trivializing sin by illustrating the costliness and seriousness of defilement. The categories of impurity remind believers that sanctification involves body and spirit (2 Corinthians 7:1) and calls the church to communal vigilance: “Therefore, let us cleanse ourselves from every impurity of body and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” Representative Occurrence Survey Leviticus 5:3; 7:21; 11:24, 43; 12:2; 15:3, 25, 30-31; 16:19; 18:19; 20:25; Numbers 19:13, 20; 31:12, 23-24; Deuteronomy 24:8; Ezra 9:11; 2 Chronicles 29:16; Isaiah 64:6; Jeremiah 2:23; Lamentations 1:17; Ezekiel 22:10; 36:17, 25; 44:7-23; Hosea 5:3; Zechariah 13:1. Summary טֻמְאָה frames Israel’s awareness of sin, mortality, and need for divine cleansing. It protects the sanctity of worship, exposes the depth of human fallenness, and directs faith toward God’s provision of perfect purity in His Anointed One. Forms and Transliterations בְּטֻמְאַ֣ת בְּטֻמְאַ֤ת בְּטֻמְאָתֵ֖ךְ בְּטֻמְאָתָ֔ם בְּטֻמְאָתָֽם׃ בטמאת בטמאתך בטמאתם בטמאתם׃ הַטֻּמְאָ֖ה הַטֻּמְאָה֙ הטמאה וְטֻמְאָת֖וֹ וטמאתו טֻמְאָ֔ה טֻמְאָ֖ה טֻמְאָת֔וֹ טֻמְאָת֖וֹ טֻמְאָת֥וֹ טֻמְאָתֵ֖ךְ טֻמְאָתָ֑הּ טֻמְאָתָ֔הּ טֻמְאָתָ֗הּ טֻמְאָתָ֣הּ טֻמְאָתָֽהּ׃ טֻמְאָתֽוֹ׃ טֻמְאֹתָֽם׃ טֻמְאֽוֹתֵיכֶ֑ם טֻמְאוֹתֵיכֶ֛ם טמאה טמאותיכם טמאתה טמאתה׃ טמאתו טמאתו׃ טמאתך טמאתם׃ כְּטֻמְאַ֖ת כְּטֻמְאַת֙ כְּטֻמְאָתָ֥ם כטמאת כטמאתם מִטֻּמְאַ֥ת מִטֻּמְאָת֑וֹ מִטֻּמְאָתֵךְ֙ מִטֻּמְאָתָ֑הּ מִטֻּמְאָתָ֑ם מִטֻּמְאֹ֖ת מִטֻּמְאֹת֙ מטמאת מטמאתה מטמאתו מטמאתך מטמאתם bə·ṭum·’ā·ṯām bə·ṭum·’ā·ṯêḵ bə·ṭum·’aṯ bəṭum’aṯ bəṭum’āṯām bəṭum’āṯêḵ betumAt betumaTam betumaTech haṭ·ṭum·’āh haṭṭum’āh hattumAh kə·ṭum·’ā·ṯām kə·ṭum·’aṯ kəṭum’aṯ kəṭum’āṯām ketumAt ketumaTam miṭ·ṭum·’ā·ṯāh miṭ·ṭum·’ā·ṯām miṭ·ṭum·’ā·ṯêḵ miṭ·ṭum·’ā·ṯōw miṭ·ṭum·’aṯ miṭ·ṭum·’ōṯ miṭṭum’aṯ miṭṭum’āṯāh miṭṭum’āṯām miṭṭum’āṯêḵ miṭṭum’āṯōw miṭṭum’ōṯ mittumAt mittumaTah mittumaTam mittumateCh mittumaTo mittumOt ṭum’āh ṭum’āṯāh ṭum’āṯêḵ ṭum’āṯōw ṭum’ōṯām ṭum’ōwṯêḵem ṭum·’ā·ṯāh ṭum·’ā·ṯêḵ ṭum·’ā·ṯōw ṭum·’āh ṭum·’ō·ṯām ṭum·’ō·w·ṯê·ḵem tumAh tumaTah tumaTech tumaTo tumoTam tumoteiChem vetumaTo wə·ṭum·’ā·ṯōw wəṭum’āṯōwLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Leviticus 5:3 HEB: כִ֤י יִגַּע֙ בְּטֻמְאַ֣ת אָדָ֔ם לְכֹל֙ NAS: human uncleanness, of whatever KJV: Or if he touch the uncleanness of man, INT: if touches uncleanness human of whatever Leviticus 5:3 Leviticus 7:20 Leviticus 7:21 Leviticus 14:19 Leviticus 15:3 Leviticus 15:3 Leviticus 15:25 Leviticus 15:26 Leviticus 15:30 Leviticus 15:31 Leviticus 15:31 Leviticus 16:16 Leviticus 16:16 Leviticus 16:19 Leviticus 18:19 Leviticus 22:3 Leviticus 22:5 Numbers 5:19 Numbers 19:13 Judges 13:7 Judges 13:14 2 Samuel 11:4 2 Chronicles 29:16 Ezra 6:21 36 Occurrences |
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