תֻּמָּה

𐤕𐤌𐤄

tummâh

H8538 noun

SILEX Entry

Root תם to be complete, to be whole, to be blameless

Definition

State of being blameless, upright, or having moral integrity. The term denotes an inner completeness, innocence, or unblemished moral character, especially in relation to ethical conduct or faithfulness.

Semantic Range

integrity, innocence, uprightness, blamelessness, completeness (of character), moral purity

Root / Etymology

From the root תֹּם (tom), meaning 'completeness,' 'perfection,' or 'integrity'; תֻּמָּה is the feminine noun form, emphasizing the state or condition of being whole or morally complete. Root conveys abstract quality of 'completeness' or 'soundness.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

In biblical usage, תֻּמָּה frequently describes the moral quality of an individual—namely, their integrity, innocence, or uprightness before deity and community. Primarily appears in poetic and wisdom literature (e.g., Job 2:9; Ps 26:1, 11), where it is contrasted with crookedness or duplicity. While later translations (such as 'innocence' or 'integrity') often collapse its meaning into broader moral categories, the ancient Israelite conception behind תֻּמָּה often focused on the wholeness or undividedness of one's heart and behavior, particularly in contrast to hypocrisy or moral fault. The term is cognate with תֹּם (tom), but תֻּמָּה more often emphasizes the state of being. Not limited to legal innocence, it also covers the broader sense of unblemished character (cf. Prov 10:9; 28:6). In later Israelite and early Judean literature, its usage persists, generally retaining the same nuance. English translations vary ('integrity,' 'innocence,' 'uprightness'), but often fail to convey the sense of holistic inner consistency denoted by the term.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

feminine of תֹּם; innocence; integrity.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

תם (t-m) — completeness, wholeness, blamelessness

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3147 יוֹתָם to YHWH-is-complete

Word Forms

4 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H8538-04 תֻּמָּתִ֣/י tumati HNcfsc/Sp1cs my integrity my integrity 2
H8538-03 תֻּמַּ֣ת tumat HNcfsc integrity integrity of 1
H8538-01 בְּ/תֻמָּתֶ֑/ךָ betumatekha HR/Ncfsc/Sp2ms your integrity in your blameless integrity 1
H8538-02 בְּ/תֻמָּת֔/וֹ betumato HR/Ncfsc/Sp3ms to his integrity in his integrity 1

Occurrences in Scripture

5 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H8538-03 Proverbs 11:3 תֻּמַּ֣ת tumat HNcfsc integrity integrity of
H8538-02 Job 2:3 בְּ/תֻמָּת֔/וֹ betumato HR/Ncfsc/Sp3ms to his integrity in his integrity
H8538-01 Job 2:9 בְּ/תֻמָּתֶ֑/ךָ betumatekha HR/Ncfsc/Sp2ms your integrity in your blameless integrity
H8538-04 Job 27:5 תֻּמָּתִ֣/י tumati HNcfsc/Sp1cs my integrity my integrity
H8538-04 Job 31:6 תֻּמָּתִֽ/י tumati HNcfsc/Sp1cs my integrity my integrity