Lexical Summary methom: Wholeness, completeness, integrity Original Word: מְתֹם Strong's Exhaustive Concordance wholesomeness, soundness From tamam; wholesomeness; also (adverb) completely -- men (by reading math), soundness. see HEBREW tamam see HEBREW math NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom tamam Definition soundness NASB Translation entire (1), sound (1), soundness (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs מְתֹם noun [masculine] soundness; in phrase ׳אֵין מְתֹם ב Isaiah 1:6; Psalm 38:4; Psalm 38:8; מֵעִיר מְ֯תֹם Judges 20:48 from entire city (Manuscripts De Rossi Bu GFM מְתִם, see מַת and compare עיר מת(י)ם Deuteronomy 2:34; Deuteronomy 3:6; Job 24:12). תֵּמָן, תֵּמָנִי see תֵּימָן below ימן. תִּמְנָה, תִּמְנָ֫תָה, תִּמְנִי, תִּמְנַת see מנה. תִּמְנָע see מָנַע. תֶּ֫מֶס see מסס. תמר (√of following; compare perhaps Arabic Topical Lexicon Meaning and Nuance מְתֹם portrays the idea of total soundness, wholeness, or completeness. It can denote a state of unimpaired health and integrity, or, when negated, convey utter lack of such soundness. The same root can also describe completeness of action—something carried out thoroughly and without remainder. Occurrences in Scripture 1. Judges 20:48 – used adverbially to stress that Israel’s punitive campaign against Benjamin was carried out to the last remnant, “from the city, men and beasts, all that was found.” Wholeness and Human Brokenness The Psalms and Isaiah employ the term to declare the collapse of wholeness under the weight of sin. David’s personal lament (Psalm 38) links moral guilt to bodily infirmity; the prophet’s national indictment (Isaiah 1) describes Judah as diseased from head to foot, graphically demonstrating that rebellion against God fractures every dimension of life. The text teaches that true soundness is inseparable from covenant faithfulness. Judges 20: Completeness of Judgment In the civil war narrative, מְתֹם underscores the exhaustive nature of divine-sanctioned discipline within the covenant community. The phrase “from the city, men and livestock, all that was found” signals that nothing escaped the sword. The same word that elsewhere signifies health and integrity here describes the totality of destruction, illustrating a solemn principle: when sin is unrepented, wholeness may be forfeited entirely. Prophetic Momentum Toward Restoration Isaiah’s declaration of “no soundness” is not the final word. The chapter moves quickly to the call, “Come now, let us reason together … though your sins are scarlet, they shall be white as snow” (Isaiah 1:18). The absence of מְתֹם becomes a platform for God’s promise of cleansing and renewal. The prophetic tension anticipates the Messianic Servant, “By His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5), revealing that the One who bears our wounds restores our soundness. Christological Fulfillment The Gospels record Jesus pronouncing wholeness on the afflicted (“Your faith has made you well”). Though Greek vocabulary is employed, the background idea resonates with מְתֹם: redemption that reaches every part of human existence. The comprehensive healings of the New Testament display the Redeemer’s authority to reverse the condition Isaiah lamented and David experienced. Pastoral and Practical Implications • Conviction of Sin: Psalm 38 invites believers to reckon with the bodily and emotional toll of unconfessed sin, encouraging transparent repentance. Doctrinal Reflection Scripture presents God as the source and sustainer of מְתֹם. Human wholeness begins in creation (“very good”), is fractured by the Fall, and is progressively restored through covenant, climaxing in Christ. Final consummation will see complete soundness restored to creation itself (Revelation 21:4). Thus the theme moves from loss to restoration, from “no soundness” to perfect integrity in the new heavens and new earth. Homiletical Suggestions • “From Head to Foot” (Isaiah 1:6): expose the pervasive reach of sin and the greater reach of grace. Summary מְתֹם is a small word with sweeping implications. Whether describing the thoroughness of judgment or the absence of health, its ultimate trajectory points to the absolute wholeness God intends for His people—a completeness secured through the atoning work of the Messiah, applied in personal and communal repentance, and consummated in the age to come. Forms and Transliterations מְ֝תֹ֗ם מְתֹ֔ם מְתֹ֣ם מְתֹם֙ מתם mə·ṯōm meTom məṯōmLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Judges 20:48 HEB: חֶ֔רֶב מֵעִ֤יר מְתֹם֙ עַד־ בְּהֵמָ֔ה NAS: both the entire city KJV: of the sword, as well the men of [every] city, INT: of the sword city the entire as the cattle Psalm 38:3 Psalm 38:7 Isaiah 1:6 4 Occurrences |
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be erect, stiff (e.g. of lance), so Buhl13, who derives thence תמר palm-tree, and also תִּימָרָה, Late Hebrew תִּמָּרָה column of smoke, Late Hebrew תִּמּוּר rising motion, etc., but these denominative from תָּמָר LevyNHWB Buhl14; compare Arabic 
date, Ethiopic 
id., 
date-palm, Aramaic תַּמְרָא, 
date-palm, Late Hebrew תָּמָר date (-palm))).