2932. tum'ah
Lexical Summary
tum'ah: Uncleanness, impurity

Original Word: טֻמְאָה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: tum'ah
Pronunciation: too-maw'
Phonetic Spelling: (toom-aw')
KJV: filthiness, unclean(-ness)
Word Origin: [from H2930 (טָּמֵא - unclean)]

1. religious impurity

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’āṯōw
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Englishman'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
HEB: אָדָ֔ם לְכֹל֙ טֻמְאָת֔וֹ אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִטְמָ֖א
NAS: of whatever [sort] his uncleanness [may] be with which
KJV: of man, whatsoever uncleanness [it be] that a man shall be defiled
INT: human of whatever his uncleanness which becomes

Leviticus 7:20
HEB: אֲשֶׁ֣ר לַיהוָ֔ה וְטֻמְאָת֖וֹ עָלָ֑יו וְנִכְרְתָ֛ה
NAS: belong to the LORD, in his uncleanness, that person
KJV: that [pertain] unto the LORD, having his uncleanness upon him, even that soul
INT: which to the LORD his uncleanness and shall be cut

Leviticus 7:21
HEB: בְּכָל־ טָמֵ֗א בְּטֻמְאַ֤ת אָדָם֙ א֣וֹ ׀
NAS: whether human uncleanness, or
KJV: that shall touch any unclean [thing, as] the uncleanness
INT: anything unclean uncleanness human or

Leviticus 14:19
HEB: עַל־ הַמִּטַּהֵ֖ר מִטֻּמְאָת֑וֹ וְאַחַ֖ר יִשְׁחַ֥ט
NAS: for the one to be cleansed from his uncleanness. Then afterward,
KJV: for him that is to be cleansed from his uncleanness; and afterward
INT: the one to be cleansed his uncleanness afterward shall slaughter

Leviticus 15:3
HEB: וְזֹ֛את תִּהְיֶ֥ה טֻמְאָת֖וֹ בְּזוֹב֑וֹ רָ֣ר
NAS: This, moreover, shall be his uncleanness in his discharge:
KJV: And this shall be his uncleanness in his issue:
INT: likewise become shall be his uncleanness his discharge run

Leviticus 15:3
HEB: בְּשָׂרוֹ֙ מִזּוֹב֔וֹ טֻמְאָת֖וֹ הִֽוא׃
NAS: in his discharge: it is his uncleanness whether his body
KJV: from his issue, it [is] his uncleanness.
INT: his body discharge is his uncleanness he

Leviticus 15:25
HEB: יְמֵ֞י ז֣וֹב טֻמְאָתָ֗הּ כִּימֵ֧י נִדָּתָ֛הּ
NAS: the days of her impure discharge
KJV: of the issue of her uncleanness shall be as the days
INT: the days discharge of her impure the days period

Leviticus 15:26
HEB: טָמֵ֣א יִהְיֶ֔ה כְּטֻמְאַ֖ת נִדָּתָֽהּ׃
NAS: shall be unclean, like her uncleanness at that time.
KJV: upon shall be unclean, as the uncleanness of her separation.
INT: shall be unclean like her uncleanness time

Leviticus 15:30
HEB: יְהוָ֔ה מִזּ֖וֹב טֻמְאָתָֽהּ׃
NAS: because of her impure discharge.'
KJV: for the issue of her uncleanness.
INT: God the issue of her impure

Leviticus 15:31
HEB: בְּנֵי־ יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מִטֻּמְאָתָ֑ם וְלֹ֤א יָמֻ֙תוּ֙
NAS: separated from their uncleanness, so
KJV: of Israel from their uncleanness; that they die
INT: the sons of Israel their uncleanness so die

Leviticus 15:31
HEB: וְלֹ֤א יָמֻ֙תוּ֙ בְּטֻמְאָתָ֔ם בְּטַמְּאָ֥ם אֶת־
NAS: that they will not die in their uncleanness by their defiling
KJV: that they die not in their uncleanness, when they defile
INT: so die their uncleanness their defiling my tabernacle

Leviticus 16:16
HEB: עַל־ הַקֹּ֗דֶשׁ מִטֻּמְאֹת֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל
NAS: place, because of the impurities of the sons
KJV: for the holy [place], because of the uncleanness of the children
INT: for the holy of the impurities of the sons of Israel

Leviticus 16:16
HEB: אִתָּ֔ם בְּת֖וֹךְ טֻמְאֹתָֽם׃
NAS: with them in the midst of their impurities.
KJV: among them in the midst of their uncleanness.
INT: in the midst of their impurities

Leviticus 16:19
HEB: וְטִהֲר֣וֹ וְקִדְּשׁ֔וֹ מִטֻּמְאֹ֖ת בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
NAS: and cleanse it, and from the impurities of the sons
KJV: it, and hallow it from the uncleanness of the children
INT: and cleanse consecrate the impurities of the sons of Israel

Leviticus 18:19
HEB: אִשָּׁ֖ה בְּנִדַּ֣ת טֻמְאָתָ֑הּ לֹ֣א תִקְרַ֔ב
NAS: during her menstrual impurity.
KJV: as long as she is put apart for her uncleanness.
INT: A woman her menstrual impurity shall not approach

Leviticus 22:3
HEB: יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ לַֽיהוָ֔ה וְטֻמְאָת֖וֹ עָלָ֑יו וְנִכְרְתָ֞ה
NAS: to the LORD, while he has an uncleanness, that person
KJV: unto the LORD, having his uncleanness upon him, that soul
INT: of Israel to the LORD has an uncleanness and shall be cut

Leviticus 22:5
HEB: ל֔וֹ לְכֹ֖ל טֻמְאָתֽוֹ׃
NAS: whatever his uncleanness;
KJV: of whom he may take uncleanness, whatsoever uncleanness he hath;
INT: unclean whatever his uncleanness

Numbers 5:19
HEB: לֹ֥א שָׂטִ֛ית טֻמְאָ֖ה תַּ֣חַת אִישֵׁ֑ךְ
NAS: you have not gone astray into uncleanness, [being] under
KJV: with thee, and if thou hast not gone aside to uncleanness [with another] instead of thy husband,
INT: no gone uncleanness under your husband

Numbers 19:13
HEB: יִהְיֶ֔ה ע֖וֹד טֻמְאָת֥וֹ בֽוֹ׃
NAS: on him, he shall be unclean; his uncleanness is still
KJV: upon him, he shall be unclean; his uncleanness [is] yet upon him.
INT: become is still his uncleanness

Judges 13:7
HEB: תֹּֽאכְלִי֙ כָּל־ טֻמְאָ֔ה כִּֽי־ נְזִ֤יר
NAS: any unclean thing, for the boy
KJV: neither eat any unclean [thing]: for the child
INT: eat any unclean for Nazirite

Judges 13:14
HEB: תֵּ֔שְׁתְּ וְכָל־ טֻמְאָ֖ה אַל־ תֹּאכַ֑ל
NAS: any unclean thing; let her observe
KJV: nor eat any unclean [thing]: all that I commanded
INT: drink any unclean nor eat

2 Samuel 11:4
HEB: וְהִ֥יא מִתְקַדֶּ֖שֶׁת מִטֻּמְאָתָ֑הּ וַתָּ֖שָׁב אֶל־
NAS: with her; and when she had purified herself from her uncleanness, she returned
KJV: with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned
INT: she had purified her uncleanness returned to her

2 Chronicles 29:16
HEB: אֵ֤ת כָּל־ הַטֻּמְאָה֙ אֲשֶׁ֤ר מָֽצְאוּ֙
NAS: [it], and every unclean thing which
KJV: [it], and brought out all the uncleanness that they found
INT: brought and every unclean which found

Ezra 6:21
HEB: וְכֹ֗ל הַנִּבְדָּ֛ל מִטֻּמְאַ֥ת גּוֹיֵֽ־ הָאָ֖רֶץ
NAS: those who had separated themselves from the impurity of the nations
KJV: and all such as had separated themselves unto them from the filthiness of the heathen
INT: and all had separated the impurity of the nations of the land

36 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 2932
36 Occurrences


bə·ṭum·’aṯ — 2 Occ.
bə·ṭum·’ā·ṯām — 2 Occ.
bə·ṭum·’ā·ṯêḵ — 1 Occ.
haṭ·ṭum·’āh — 2 Occ.
kə·ṭum·’aṯ — 2 Occ.
kə·ṭum·’ā·ṯām — 1 Occ.
miṭ·ṭum·’aṯ — 1 Occ.
miṭ·ṭum·’ā·ṯāh — 1 Occ.
miṭ·ṭum·’ā·ṯām — 1 Occ.
miṭ·ṭum·’ā·ṯêḵ — 1 Occ.
miṭ·ṭum·’ā·ṯōw — 1 Occ.
miṭ·ṭum·’ōṯ — 2 Occ.
ṭum·’āh — 3 Occ.
ṭum·’ā·ṯāh — 5 Occ.
ṭum·’ā·ṯêḵ — 1 Occ.
ṭum·’ā·ṯōw — 5 Occ.
ṭum·’ō·ṯām — 1 Occ.
ṭum·’ō·w·ṯê·ḵem — 2 Occ.
wə·ṭum·’ā·ṯōw — 2 Occ.

2931
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