English · KJV
H2933

טָמָה

ṭâmâh /taw-maw'/ Ask about this word
Roota collateral form of טָמֵא
Meaningto be impure in a religious sense
KJV usagebe defiled, be reputed vile.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of ṭâmâh — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word ṭâmâh, represented by H2933, is a term for being impure or defiled. It is a collateral form of the more common word for uncleanness, H2930. Defined as meaning to be impure in a religious sense or to be reputed vile, it appears just 2 times in 2 unique verses, highlighting specific aspects of defilement.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

The two uses of H2933 show its distinct applications. In a social context, it conveys being held in contempt. Job asks, "Wherefore are we counted as beasts, and reputed vile in your sight?" Job 18:3. Here, the word describes being viewed as worthless by others. In a religious context, it refers to ceremonial uncleanness. Leviticus warns against contact with certain creatures, stating, "neither shall ye make yourselves unclean with them, that ye should be defiled thereby" Leviticus 11:43, linking the word directly to the violation of dietary laws.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the meaning of H2933:

  • H2930 ṭâmêʼ (to be foul... defile... pollute... unclean): As the root form, this word reinforces the concept of ceremonial and moral contamination. It is used to command against defiling the self Leviticus 11:44 and God's sanctuary Ezekiel 5:11.
  • H2803 châshab (to think, regard, value, compute): This word is used alongside H2933 in Job 18:3, where Job's friends are "counted" or esteemed as beasts. It shows that being "reputed vile" is a matter of perception and judgment.
  • H8262 shâqats (to be filthy... abhor, make abominable): This term appears in the same verse as H2933 in Leviticus 11:43, where the Israelites are commanded not to make themselves "abominable." It describes the deep loathing associated with things God has declared unclean.
  • H5315 nephesh (soul, life, person, self): The command in Leviticus 11:43 warns against making "yourselves" (nephesh) unclean, indicating that this defilement affects the very essence or soul of a person.
  • H929 bᵉhêmâh (beast, cattle): In Job 18:3, being "reputed vile" is directly compared to being "counted as beasts," emphasizing a state of being considered less than human.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H2933 is tied to its dual contexts of social worth and religious purity.

  • Reputational Defilement: The use in Job demonstrates that being "reputed vile" is a profound affliction. It is a state of being devalued and seen as contemptible in the eyes H5869 of others, which is presented as a significant aspect of suffering.
  • Ceremonial Uncleanness: The Levitical use highlights the importance of maintaining ritual purity as a reflection of God's holiness. To become unclean H2933 is to be defiled H2930 and to make oneself abominable H8262, violating the sacred separation between the clean and the unclean.
  • The Integrity of the Self: The warning in Leviticus is against making one's soul H5315 unclean, framing purity not merely as an external act but as a matter central to one's being and relationship with God.

Summary

In summary, H2933 ṭâmâh, though rare, provides a nuanced understanding of impurity. It illustrates that defilement can be both a social state of being reputed vile and a religious state of ceremonial uncleanness. In both cases, the word points to a condition that is undesirable and separates one either from community or from a state of holiness before God.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a verb across 2 occurrences, inflected in 2 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

  • תִטַּמְּאוּ
  • נִטְמִינוּ

Related Words

Related

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

H2930 טָמֵא a primitive root; to be foul, especially in a ceremial or moral sense (contaminated); defile (self), pollute (self), be H2803 חָשַׁב a primitive root; properly, to plait or interpenetrate, i.e. (literally) to weave or (generally) to fabricate; figurativ H8262 שָׁקַץ a primitive root; to be filthy, i.e. (intensively) to loathe, pollute; abhor, make abominable, have in abomination, dete H5315 נֶפֶשׁ from נָפַשׁ; properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accomm H929 בְּהֵמָה from an unused root (probably meaning to be mute); properly, a dumb beast; especially any large quadruped or animal (oft H5869 עַיִן probably a primitive word; an eye (literally or figuratively); by analogy, a fountain (as the eye of the landscape); aff

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 2 verses across 2 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Leviticus and Job (1 verse each); never once in the other 37.

1
Leviticus
1
Job

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.