טָמָה
𐤈𐤌𐤄
ṭâmâh
H2933 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To become unclean, to be or become ritually or morally impure or defiled. The verb refers primarily to entering a state of impurity, often as defined by Israelite ritual and legal standards, commonly as the result of contact with substances, conditions, or actions deemed impure (such as bodily emissions, certain diseases, or proximity to corpses). Depending on context, it may also refer to being regarded or treated as ceremonially or socially defiled, and occasionally can have the extended sense of being regarded as reprehensible or disqualified for ritual participation.
Semantic Range
to become ritually impure, to be in a state of impurity, to be defiled in a cultic sense, to be regarded as impure by community standards, to be socially or ceremonially disqualified, to be regarded as reprehensible (rare or extended sense)
Root / Etymology
From the root טמא, which conveys the sense 'to be unclean, impure, defiled.' טָמָה is a collateral form or variant of the much more common verb טָמֵא, likely sharing the same root meaning but differing slightly in vocalization. The form טָמָה is rare and appears only in a small number of texts, indicating a minor morphological variation rather than a distinct etymological development.
Historical & Contextual Notes
טָמָה occurs very infrequently in the Hebrew Bible and is regarded as a rare or archaic variant of טָמֵא. Its usage reflects the concept of ritual impurity in ancient Israelite religious practice, which was not necessarily synonymous with moral impurity; the impurity could be temporary and related to normal aspects of life, such as bodily discharges or contact with the dead. The verb may be translated in some traditions as 'be defiled' or 'become impure,' but these English expressions do not always capture the technical and ritual dimension of the underlying Hebrew legal and cultic systems. In contrast to טָהֵר (to be clean, pure), טָמָה/טָמֵא underlines a status that can be both ritually consequential and, in certain contexts, socially marginalizing. Later Jewish tradition and translation history sometimes render this as 'become unclean' or use the term 'defile,' but in the Hebrew Bible these words often reflected specific ritual categories, not inherent moral judgment.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a collateral form of טָמֵא; to be impure in a religious sense; be defiled, be reputed vile.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
טמא (ṭ-m-ʾ) — uncleanness, impurity, defilement
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H2930 | טָמֵא | in defiling you |
| H2931 | טָמֵא | in a ritually-unclean state |
| H2932 | טֻמְאָה | in ritual-impurity of |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2933-01 |
נִ֝טְמִ֗ינוּ | niteminu | HVNp1cp |
and reputed vile | we became defiled | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2933-01 |
Job 18:3 | נִ֝טְמִ֗ינוּ | niteminu | HVNp1cp |
and reputed vile | we became defiled |