Strong's Lexicon
tame: To be unclean, defile
Original Word:טָמֵא
Part of Speech:Verb
Transliteration:tame'
Pronunciation:tah-MAY
Phonetic Spelling:(taw-may')
Definition:To be unclean, defile
Meaning:to be foul
Word Origin:A primitive root
Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: - G169 (ἀκάθαρτος, akathartos) - unclean
- G2840 (κοινόω, koinoō) - to make common, to defile
Usage:The Hebrew verb "tame" primarily means to be or become unclean, defiled, or impure. It is used extensively in the Old Testament to describe a state of ritual impurity, which could result from various causes such as contact with a corpse, certain diseases, or moral transgressions. The concept of uncleanness is central to the Levitical laws, where it denotes a condition that separates individuals from the holiness required to approach God.
Cultural and Historical Background:In ancient Israel, the concept of purity and impurity was deeply embedded in the religious and social life of the community. The laws concerning cleanliness were not merely about physical hygiene but were symbolic of spiritual and moral purity. Ritual impurity required specific purification rites to restore a person to a state of cleanliness, allowing them to participate in communal worship and activities. These laws underscored the holiness of God and the need for His people to be set apart from the surrounding nations.
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origina prim. root
Definitionto be or become unclean
NASB Translationbecame unclean (1), become defiled (3), become unclean (6), becomes unclean (13), becoming unclean (1), been defiled (2), defile (25), defiled (38), defilement (1), defiles (5), defiling (2), made unclean (3), make himself unclean (1), make yourselves unclean (1), make...unclean (1), pronounce him unclean (9), pronounced them unclean (1), remain unclean (2), surely pronounce (1), surely pronounce him unclean (1), unclean (44).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
I. (Late Hebrew Pi`el
pollute (ceremonially); Aramaic and especially derivatives,
Pa`el
pollute; see RS
K 307 ff.) —
Perfect3masculine singularLeviticus 11:25 22t.; 3 feminine singularLeviticus 12:2 2t.; 2 feminine singularEzekiel 22:4; pluralLeviticus 15:18;ImperfectLeviticus 5:3 34t.; 3 feminine singularLeviticus 12:2 4t.; pluralPsalm 106:39;InfinitiveLeviticus 15:32 6t.; —be orbecome unclean:
, withLeviticus 18:20,23 (H),Ezekiel 23:17; the landLeviticus 18:25,27 (H).
Ezekiel 22:3; withEzekiel 22:4; with necromancersLeviticus 19:31 (H); by sacrificing children to idolsPsalm 106:39.
Leviticus 11:24,27,28,31,32,33,34 (twice in verse);Leviticus 11:35,36,40 (P); any carcassLeviticus 17:15 (H); eating of a carcassLeviticus 22:8 (H); by issuesLeviticus 15:4,9,20 (twice in verse);Leviticus 15:24,27,32 (P); by contact with an unclean manLeviticus 5:3;Leviticus 15:4 (P),Leviticus 22:5 (H), or thingLeviticus 22:6 (H); by leprosyLeviticus 13:14,46;Leviticus 14:36,46 (P); by contact with the deadNumbers 6:12;Numbers 19:20 (P),Ezekiel 44:25, or with one unclean by such contactNumbers 19:22 (P),Haggai 2:13 (twice in verse); by contact with creeping thingsLeviticus 22:5 (H); certain animals were always uncleanLeviticus 11:26,27 (P). In ordinary cases of uncleannessunclean till evenLeviticus 11:24,25,27,28,31,32,39,40 (twice in verse);Leviticus 14:46;Leviticus 15:5;Leviticus 15:6;Leviticus 15:7;Leviticus 15:8;Leviticus 15:10 (twice in verse);Leviticus 15:11,16,17,18,19,21,22,23,27;Numbers 19:7;Numbers 19:8;Numbers 19:10;Numbers 19:21;Numbers 19:22 (all P),Leviticus 17:15;Leviticus 22:6 (H); but uncleanness lasted 7 days for woman bearings a sonLeviticus 12:2 (twice in verse) (P), for lying with woman having an issueLeviticus 15:24 (P), or one coming in contact with the deadNumbers 19:11,14,16 (P); it lasted 14 days for a woman bearing a daughterLeviticus 12:5 (P).
Perfect3masculine singularHosea 5:3;Hosea 6:10; 3feminine singularNumbers 5:27,28;Numbers 5:13 5t.; 1 singularJeremiah 2:23; 2masculine pluralLeviticus 11:43 ( omitted by scribal error; but Ges and others derive from ), etc. + 4 t. perfect;Participle pluralEzekiel 20:30,31; —defile oneself, be defiled:
,Leviticus 18:24 (H),Numbers 5:13,14 (twice in verse);Numbers 5:20,27,28,29 (P).
Hosea 5:3;Hosea 6:10;Jeremiah 2:23;Ezekiel 20:30,31,43;Ezekiel 23:7,13,30.
Leviticus 11:43.
be regarded as unclean (compare ), probablyJob 18:3we are accounted as unclean; metal. from; on another view see .
PerfectGenesis 34:5 15t.; suffixLeviticus 13:8 3t.; 2 feminine singularEzekiel 5:11, etc. + 7 t. Perfect;Imperfect2 Kings 23:8, etc. + 12 t. Imperfect;Imperative pluralEzekiel 9:7;InfinitiveLeviticus 13:44 2t.; suffixLeviticus 15:31, etc. + 4 t. Infinitive; —defile:
Genesis 34:5,13,27 (R),Ezekiel 18:6,11,15;Ezekiel 22:11;Ezekiel 33:26; the land by sexual impurities of the peopleLeviticus 18:28 (H); Israel by spiritual whoredomEzekiel 23:17.
Numbers 35:34 (P); by allowing the dead body of the murderer to hang on the tree over nightDeuteronomy 21:23; by idolatryJeremiah 2:7;Ezekiel 36:17,18; Israel defiled thesacred places by the sacrifice of childrenLeviticus 20:3 (H),Ezekiel 23:38, and God defiled him therebyEzekiel 20:26; he defileth the sacred places by idolatry 2Chronicles 36:14;Jeremiah 7:30 =Jeremiah 32:34,Ezekiel 5:11; the holy name ofEzekiel 43:7,8; Josiah defiled the idolatrous places of worship by destroying them and making them unfit for use2 Kings 23:8,10,13,16; of Israel defiling idolatrous imagesIsaiah 30:22, and the nations the temple of GodPsalm 79:1.
Leviticus 15:31;Numbers 19:13,20 (P); the campNumbers 5:3 (P); the temple by dead bodiesEzekiel 9:7; the Nazirite's head of separation by a death occurring in his presenceNumbers 6:9 (P); the people defile themselves () by creeping thingsLeviticus 11:44 (P).
pronounce or declare ceremoniallyunclean: the leperLeviticus 13:3,8,11,15,20,22,25,27,30,44 (twice in verse);Leviticus 13:59 (P); unclean animalsLeviticus 20:25 (H).
ParticipleEzekiel 4:14myself is not polluted.
ImperfectLeviticus 21:1 4t.; pluralEzekiel 14:11;Ezekiel 37:23;Hosea 9:4;Ezekiel 44:25, etc. + 6 t. Imperfect — reflexive,defile oneself: by eating of an unaccepted peace-offeringHosea 9:4; withLeviticus 18:24,30 (H),Leviticus 11:43 (P),Ezekiel 14:11;Ezekiel 20:7,18;Ezekiel 37:23; withfor a dead personLeviticus 21:1,3,11 (H),Numbers 6:7 (P);byLeviticus 11:24 (P); without prepositionLeviticus 21:4 (H),Ezekiel 44:25.
PerfectDeuteronomy 24:4after that she has been defiled (sexually); on form see Ges§ 54. 3.
(, Bear, seems to rest upon a misinterpretation of the form)Micah 2:10 (so Thes MV SS); of ethical uncleanness, from wrong-doing.
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
defile self, pollute self, be make, make self, pronounce unclean, utterly
A primitive root; to be foul, especially in a ceremial or moral sense (contaminated) -- defile (self), pollute (self), be (make, make self, pronounce) unclean, X utterly.
Forms and Transliterations
בְּטַֽמַּאֲכֶ֖ם בְּטַמְּאָ֥ם בטמאכם בטמאם הֲיִטְמָ֑א הֻטַּמָּ֔אָה הטמאה היטמא וְטִמְּא֑וֹ וְטִמְּא֖וֹ וְטִמְּא֣וּ ׀ וְטִמְּא֥וֹ וְטִמְּא֧וֹ וְטִמֵּ֖א וְטִמֵּ֣א וְטִמֵּ֤א וְטִמֵּ֥א וְטִמֵּ֧א וְטִמֵּ֨א וְטִמֵּאתֶ֗ם וְטָֽמְאָה֙ וְטָמְא֖וּ וְטָמְאָ֖ה וְטָמְאָ֥ה וְטָמֵ֖א וְטָמֵ֣א וְטָמֵ֥א וְנִטְמָֽאָה׃ וַֽיְטַמְּאֵ֑הוּ וַֽיְטַמְּאוּ֙ וַיְטַמְּא֣וּ וַיְטַמְּא֥וּ וַיְטַמֵּ֣א וַיִּטְמְא֥וּ וַתְּטַמְּא֣וּ וַתִּ֨טְמָא־ וַתִּטְמָ֖א וַתִּטְמָ֣א וָאֲטַמֵּ֤א ואטמא וטמא וטמאה וטמאו וטמאתם ויטמא ויטמאהו ויטמאו ונטמאה׃ ותטמא ותטמא־ ותטמאו טִ֭מְּאוּ טִמְּא֖וּ טִמְּא֤וּ טִמְּאֽוּהָ׃ טִמֵּ֔א טִמֵּ֔את טִמֵּ֖א טִמֵּ֗א טִמֵּ֣א טִמֵּֽא׃ טִמֵּא֙ טִמֵּאתֶ֑ם טַמְּא֣וּ טַמֵּ֧א טַמֵּא֙ טָמְאָ֛ה טָמֵ֔את טָמֵ֖א טמא טמא׃ טמאה טמאו טמאוה׃ טמאת טמאתם יְטַמְּא֣וּ יְטַמְּאֶ֛נּוּ יְטַמְּאוּ֙ יִֽטַמְּא֣וּ יִטְמָ֑א יִטְמָ֖א יִטְמָ֗א יִטְמָ֥א יִטְמָֽא׃ יִטְמָא֒ יִטְמָא֙ יִטְמָא־ יִטַּמְּא֥וּ יִטַּמָּ֖א יִטַּמָּ֥א יִטַּמָּֽא׃ יִטַּמָּֽאוּ׃ יִטַמָּ֑אוּ יטמא יטמא־ יטמא׃ יטמאו יטמאו׃ יטמאנו לְטַמְּאֽוֹ׃ לְטַמֵּֽא׃ לְטָמְאָ֑ה לְטָמְאָ֣ה לְטָמְאָֽה׃ לְטָמְאָה־ לטמא׃ לטמאה לטמאה־ לטמאה׃ לטמאו׃ מְטֻמָּאָ֑ה מטמאה נִטְמְא֣וּ נִטְמְאִ֑ים נִטְמְאִ֤֨ים נִטְמְאָה֙ נִטְמְאָה֮ נִטְמֵ֑את נִטְמֵ֖את נִטְמֵ֗אתִי נִטְמֵאתֶ֖ם נִטְמָ֑אָה נִטְמָ֖א נִטְמָֽאָה׃ נטמא נטמאה נטמאה׃ נטמאו נטמאים נטמאת נטמאתי נטמאתם תְטַמְּאוּ֙ תְטַמֵּ֣א תְטַמֵּא֙ תִּֽטַּמְּא֖וּ תִּטְמָ֥א תִּטְמָֽא׃ תִּטַּמָּ֑אוּ תִּטַּמָּֽאוּ׃ תִֽטַּמְּא֖וּ תִֽטַּמְּאוּ֙ תטמא תטמא׃ תטמאו תטמאו׃ bə·ṭam·ma·’ă·ḵem bə·ṭam·mə·’ām bəṭamma’ăḵem betammaaChem bəṭammə’ām betammeAm hă·yiṭ·mā hayitMa hăyiṭmā huṭ·ṭam·mā·’āh huṭṭammā’āh huttamMaah lə·ṭā·mə·’āh lə·ṭā·mə·’āh- lə·ṭam·mê lə·ṭam·mə·’ōw ləṭāmə’āh ləṭāmə’āh- letameah letamMe ləṭammê ləṭammə’ōw letammeO mə·ṭum·mā·’āh məṭummā’āh metummaAh niṭ·mā niṭ·mā·’āh niṭ·mə·’āh niṭ·mə·’îm niṭ·mə·’ū niṭ·mê·ṯem niṭ·mê·ṯî niṭ·mêṯ nitMa niṭmā niṭmā’āh nitMaah niṭmə’āh niṭmə’îm niṭmə’ū nitmeAh nitmeIm nitMet niṭmêṯ nitmeTem niṭmêṯem nitMeti niṭmêṯî nitmeU ṭā·mê ṭā·mə·’āh ṭā·mêṯ ṭam·mê ṭam·mə·’ū taMe ṭāmê ṭāmə’āh tameAh taMet ṭāmêṯ tamMe ṭammê ṭammə’ū tammeU ṯə·ṭam·mê ṯə·ṭam·mə·’ū tetamMe ṯəṭammê ṯəṭammə’ū tetammeU ṭim·mê ṭim·mə·’ū ṭim·mə·’ū·hā ṭim·mê·ṯem ṭim·mêṯ timMe ṭimmê ṭimmə’ū ṭimmə’ūhā timMet ṭimmêṯ timmeTem ṭimmêṯem timmeU timmeUha tiṭ·mā tiṭ·ṭam·mā·’ū tiṭ·ṭam·mə·’ū ṯiṭ·ṭam·mə·’ū titMa tiṭmā tiṭṭammā’ū tittamMau tiṭṭammə’ū ṯiṭṭammə’ū tittammeU vaatamMe vaiyitmeU vattetammeU vattitMa vaytamMe vaytammeEhu vaytammeU venitMaah vetaMe vetameAh vetameU vetimMe vetimmeO vetimmeTem vetimmeU wā’ăṭammê wā·’ă·ṭam·mê wat·tə·ṭam·mə·’ū wat·tiṭ·mā wat·tiṭ·mā- wattəṭammə’ū wattiṭmā wattiṭmā- way·ṭam·mê way·ṭam·mə·’ê·hū way·ṭam·mə·’ū way·yiṭ·mə·’ū wayṭammê wayṭammə’êhū wayṭammə’ū wayyiṭmə’ū wə·niṭ·mā·’āh wə·ṭā·mê wə·ṭā·mə·’āh wə·ṭā·mə·’ū wə·ṭim·mê wə·ṭim·mə·’ōw wə·ṭim·mə·’ū wə·ṭim·mê·ṯem wəniṭmā’āh wəṭāmê wəṭāmə’āh wəṭāmə’ū wəṭimmê wəṭimmə’ōw wəṭimmə’ū wəṭimmêṯem yə·ṭam·mə·’en·nū yə·ṭam·mə·’ū yəṭammə’ennū yəṭammə’ū yetammeEnnu yetammeU yi·ṭam·mā·’ū yi·ṭam·mə·’ū yiṭ·mā yiṭ·mā- yiṭ·ṭam·mā yiṭ·ṭam·mā·’ū yiṭ·ṭam·mə·’ū yiṭammā’ū yitamMau yiṭammə’ū yitammeU yitMa yiṭmā yiṭmā- yittamMa yiṭṭammā yiṭṭammā’ū yittamMau yiṭṭammə’ū yittammeU
Links
Interlinear Greek •
Interlinear Hebrew •
Strong's Numbers •
Englishman's Greek Concordance •
Englishman's Hebrew Concordance •
Parallel Texts
