Lexical Summary tamah: To become unclean, to defile Original Word: טָמָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance be defiled, be reputed vile A collateral form of tame'; to be impure in a religious sense -- be defiled, be reputed vile. see HEBREW tame' NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to be stopped up, stupid NASB Translation stupid (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [טָמָה] verb only Niph`al Perfect נִטְמִינוּ we are stopped up, stupid Job 18:3 so Thes MV Di De Zö (Aramaic טַמֵּם, טַמְטֵם stop up (e.g. of ear or heart), Topical Lexicon Semantic Field and Thematic Overview טָמָה (tamah) embodies the idea of becoming polluted, defiled, or rendered unclean. While the wider Hebrew Scriptures employ several related terms for impurity, this particular verb appears only twice, yet it neatly captures the tension between ceremonial uncleanness and perceived social or moral contempt. Canonical Occurrences 1. Leviticus 11:43 – “Do not defile yourselves by any crawling creature; do not become unclean or defile yourselves by them.” Though sparse, these occurrences span two very different genres—legal narrative and wisdom poetry—allowing the verb to illuminate both covenantal ritual and existential complaint. Ceremonial Purity in the Torah Context Leviticus 11 stands in the heart of the Holiness Code (Leviticus 11–20). The passage warns Israel against self-contamination through prohibited animals. Uncleanness in this sphere is neither merely hygienic nor symbolic; it is covenantal. To become טָמָה is to place oneself outside the sphere where God’s holiness dwells among His people (Leviticus 11:44–45). The command presupposes: • Israel’s identity as “a kingdom of priests” (Exodus 19:6). Thus, the verb marks a boundary that protects both worshiper and sanctuary and reinforces the holiness motif that threads through Scripture. Social and Moral Overtones in Job In Job 18:3, Bildad employs the verb figuratively: “Why are we regarded as cattle, as stupid in your sight?” The complaint is not about ritual status but about reputation—Job allegedly treats his friends as τָמֵא, beneath human dignity. This usage shows that defilement language easily migrates from ceremonial law into the realm of honor and shame. To label someone טָמָה is to deny them covenant fellowship and communal respect. Job’s narrative, placed outside Israel’s cultic setting, indicates that the concept of defilement resonated more broadly in the ancient Near East as a metaphor for disgrace. Theology of Purity Scripture consistently ties uncleanness to separation from God. Leviticus warns, “You must distinguish between the holy and the common” (Leviticus 10:10). The Prophets expand this: “Woe to me … I am a man of unclean lips” (Isaiah 6:5). The Wisdom Books convert the ritual term into a moral one: “He who justifies the wicked … both are an abomination” (Proverbs 17:15). The New Testament keeps the trajectory. Jesus declares, “Nothing that enters a man from the outside can defile him … it is from within” (Mark 7:15, 18-23). Peter learns the lesson in the vision of unclean animals (Acts 10:14-15). Thus, the external prohibition in Leviticus 11 foreshadows a deeper call: holiness of heart. Historical Development and Rabbinic Reception Second Temple literature systematized defilement laws, ranking impurities and regulating contact. The Mishnah tractate “Tohorot” illustrates how richly the concept developed. Yet the core remained: טָמָה cut off the worshiper from sacred space until cleansing rituals restored eligibility. Contemporary archaeology (e.g., mikva’ot near first-century synagogues) confirms the pervasive concern for ritual purity. Christological and Ministerial Significance By assuming human flesh yet remaining sinless, Jesus interacted with lepers, corpses, and the hemorrhaging woman—sources of טָמָה—without Himself becoming defiled (Luke 5:13; 7:14; 8:44-48). In Him, holiness proves more contagious than impurity. Hebrews 9:13-14 contrasts “the ashes of a heifer” with “the blood of Christ,” showing that His sacrifice purifies the conscience, accomplishing what ritual could only symbolize. For ministers of the Gospel the verb reminds: • Sin always separates; cleansing is essential before communion. Practical Application for Believers Today 1. Vigilance against spiritual defilement: entertain no “creeping thing” (compromise) that dulls sensitivity to God. Summary Though only appearing twice, טָמָה bridges ceremonial law and human dignity, pointing to the ultimate need for a Redeemer who eradicates defilement at its source. From Leviticus’ dietary constraints to Job’s plea for respect, the term underscores a biblical axiom: fellowship with the Holy One requires cleansing, and that cleansing is fully realized in Jesus Christ. Forms and Transliterations וְנִטְמֵתֶ֖ם ונטמתם נִ֝טְמִ֗ינוּ נטמינו niṭ·mî·nū nitMinu niṭmînū venitmeTem wə·niṭ·mê·ṯem wəniṭmêṯemLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Leviticus 11:43 HEB: תִֽטַּמְּאוּ֙ בָּהֶ֔ם וְנִטְמֵתֶ֖ם בָּֽם׃ KJV: that creepeth, neither shall ye make yourselves unclean with them, that ye should be defiled INT: shall not make unclean Job 18:3 2 Occurrences |
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, etc., and derivatives; Arabic 
fill or choke up); ᵑ9 Ew Hengst AV RV Da SS take it as metaplastic for נִטְמֵאנוּ we are regarded as unclean, see Ew§ 198 b Köi, 614; ᵐ5 reads נִדְמִינוּ σεσιωπήκαμεν; ᵑ7 טְמַעֲנָא.