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תֵּימָא

𐤕𐤉𐤌𐤀

Teyma

H8485 noun

SILEX Entry

Root uncertain uncertain, possibly to designate or name

Definition

Proper noun referring both to Tema, a son of Ishmael, and to the arid region or oasis traditionally associated with his descendants. In biblical texts, תֵּימָא designates both an individual and the territory/or settlement that bears his name, often understood as a locale in northern Arabia frequently mentioned in connection with trade routes and desert travel.

Semantic Range

Proper name of an individual (son of Ishmael); region or locality (oasis or settlement in northern Arabia); inhabitants or traders associated with Tema

Root / Etymology

The name is most likely of Arabic origin and not native to Hebrew, reflecting cross-cultural contacts; possibly related to Arabic 'Taymāʾ', the ancient oasis north of the Arabian Peninsula. The Hebrew root, if any, is uncertain and etymology is considered uncertain by most modern lexicographers due to foreign derivation.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, תֵּימָא first appears in genealogies as an Ishmaelite patriarch (Genesis 25:15; 1 Chronicles 1:30) and later as a geographic region (Job 6:19; Isaiah 21:14; Jeremiah 25:23) associated with desert caravans and Arabian trade centers. The name persisted into later periods as a toponym. In later translations and literature, the region is sometimes erroneously conflated with places called Tema in other locations. The term is not ethnically or religiously loaded in biblical contexts, simply designating descent or geographic association. English translations that render it simply as 'Tema' are accurate, but modern readers may miss the significance of its Arabian location or the trading context implied in biblical passages.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or תֵּמָא; probably of foreign derivation; Tema, a son of Ishmael, and the region settled by him; Tema.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

uncertain (uncertain) — uncertain, possibly designation or naming

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1085 בִּלְדַּד Bildad
H1095 בֵּלְטְשַׁאצַּר Belteshatsar
H1114 בִּלְשָׁן Bilshan
H1150 בִּנְעָא Bin'a
H116 אֱדַיִן and then

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H8485-02 תֵּימָ֔א teyma HNp Tema Tema 2
H8485-03 וְ/תֵימָ֔א veteyma HC/Np and Tema and Tema 2
H8485-01 תֵּמָ֑א tema HNp Tema Tema 1

Occurrences in Scripture

5 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H8485-03 Genesis 25:15 וְ/תֵימָ֔א veteyma HC/Np and Tema and Tema
H8485-02 Isaiah 21:14 תֵּימָ֔א teyma HNp Tema Tema
H8485-02 Jeremiah 25:23 תֵּימָא֙ teyma HNp Tema Tema
H8485-01 Job 6:19 תֵּמָ֑א tema HNp Tema Tema
H8485-03 1 Chronicles 1:30 וְ/תֵימָֽא veteyma HC/Np and Tema and Tema
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