Lexical Definition

‎טָמֵא‎ ṭâmêʼ (taw-may') to defile ^H:V
a primitive root

defile (self), pollute (self), be (make, make self, pronounce) unclean, [idiom] utterly.

• to be foul, especially in a ceremial or moral sense (contaminated)

1) to be unclean, become unclean, become impure
1a) (Qal) to be or become unclean
1a1) sexually
1a2) religiously
1a3) ceremonially
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to defile oneself, be defiled
1b1a) sexually
1b1b) by idolatry
1b1c) ceremonially
1b2) to be regarded as unclean
1c) (Piel)
1c1) to defile
1c1a) sexually
1c1b) religiously
1c1c) ceremonially
1c2) to pronounce unclean, declare unclean (ceremonially)
1c3) to profane (God's name)
1d) (Pual) to be defiled
1e) (Hithpael) to be unclean
1f) (Hothpael) to be defiled

See Greek: ἐξαίρω · μιαίνω

Brown-Driver-Briggs

I. ‎טָמֵא‎ verb be or become unclean (Late Hebrew Pi`el pollute (ceremonially); Aramaic ‎טְמָא‎ and especially derivatives, Pa`el pollute; see RS^{K 307 ff.}) —

Qal Perfect 3 masculine singular ‎׳‎‎ט‎ Lev 11:25 + 22 t.; 3 feminine singular ‎טָֽמְאָה‎ Lev 12:2 + 2 t.; 2 feminine singular ‎טָמֵאת‎ Ezek 22:4 plural ‎טָֽמְאוּ‎ Lev 15:18 Imperfect ‎יִטְמָא‎ Lev 5:3 + 34 t.; 3 feminine singular ‎תִּטְמָא‎ Lev 12:2 + 4 t.; plural ‎יִטְמְאוּ‎ Ps 106:39 Infinitive ‎טָמְאָה‎ Lev 15:32 + 6 t.; — be or become unclean:

1. sexually, with ‎בְּ‎ Lev 18:20; Lev 18:23 (H), Ezek 23:17 the land Lev 18:25; Lev 18:27 (H).

2. religiously, with idols Ezek 22:3 with ‎בְ‎ vEzek 22:4 with necromancers Lev 19:31 (H); by sacrificing children to idols Ps 106:39.

3. ceremonially, by contact with carcasses of unclean animals Lev 11:24; Lev 11:27; Lev 11:28; Lev 11:31; Lev 11:32; Lev 11:33; Lev 11:34 (twice in verse); Lev 11:35; Lev 11:36; Lev 11:40 (P); any carcass Lev 17:15 (H); eating of a carcass Lev 22:8 (H); by issues Lev 15:4; Lev 15:9; Lev 15:20 (twice in verse); Lev 15:24; Lev 15:27; Lev 15:32 (P); by contact with an unclean man Lev 5:3; Lev 15:4 (P), Lev 22:5 (H), or thing Lev 22:6 (H); by leprosy Lev 13:14; Lev 13:46; Lev 14:36; Lev 14:46 (P); by contact with the dead Num 6:12; Num 19:20 (P), Ezek 44:25, or with one unclean by such contact Num 19:22 (P), Hag 2:13 (twice in verse); by contact with creeping things Lev 22:5 (H); certain animals were always unclean Lev 11:26; Lev 11:27 (P). In ordinary cases of uncleanness ‎טמא עד הערב‎ unclean till even Lev 11:24; Lev 11:25; Lev 11:27; Lev 11:28; Lev 11:31; Lev 11:32; Lev 11:39; Lev 11:40 (twice in verse); Lev 14:46; Lev 15:5; Lev 15:6; Lev 15:7; Lev 15:8; Lev 15:10 (twice in verse); Lev 15:11; Lev 15:16; Lev 15:17; Lev 15:18; Lev 15:19; Lev 15:21; Lev 15:22; Lev 15:23; Lev 15:27; Num 19:7; Num 19:8; Num 19:10; Num 19:21; Num 19:22 (all P), Lev 17:15; Lev 22:6 (H); but uncleanness lasted 7 days for woman bearings a son Lev 12:2 (twice in verse) (P), for lying with woman having an issue Lev 15:24 (P), or one coming in contact with the dead Num 19:11; Num 19:14; Num 19:16 (P); it lasted 14 days for a woman bearing a daughter Lev 12:5 (P). Niph`al Perfect 3 masculine singular ‎נִטְמָא‎ Hos 5:3; Hos 6:10 3 feminine singular ‎נִטְמְאָה‎ Num 5:27; Num 5:28 ‎נִטְמָ֑אָה‎ Num 5:13 + 5 t.; 1 singular ‎נִטְמֵאתִי‎ Jer 2:23 2 masculine plural ‎נִטְמֵתֶם‎ Lev 11:43 (‎א‎ omitted by scribal error; but Ges and others derive from ‎טמה‎), etc. + 4 t. perfect; Participle plural ‎נִטְמְאִים‎ Ezek 20:30; Ezek 20:31 — defile oneself, be defiled:

1. sexually, Lev 18:24 (H), Num 5:13; Num 5:14 (twice in verse); Num 5:20; Num 5:27; Num 5:28; Num 5:29 (P).

2. by idolatry conceived as whoredom Hos 5:3; Hos 6:10; Jer 2:23; Ezek 20:30; Ezek 20:31; Ezek 20:43; Ezek 23:7; Ezek 23:13; Ezek 23:30.

3. ceremonially, by eating creeping things Lev 11:43.

4. be regarded as unclean (compare Pi`el 4), probably ‎נִטְמִינִוּ‎ Job 18:3 we are accounted as unclean; metal. from; on another view see ‎טמה‎. Pi`el Perfect ‎טִמֵּא‎ Gen 34:5 + 15 t.; suffix ‎טִמְּאוֺ‎ Lev 13:8 + 3 t.; 2 feminine singular ‎טִמֵּאת‎ Ezek 5:11, etc. + 7 t. Perfect; Imperfect ‎יְטַמֵּא‎ 2Kgs 23:8, etc. + 12 t. Imperfect; Imperative plural ‎טַמְּאוּ‎ Ezek 9:7 Infinitive ‎טַמֵּא‎ Lev 13:44 + 2 t.; suffix ‎טַמְּאָם‎ Lev 15:31, etc. + 4 t. Infinitive; — defile:

1. sexually Gen 34:5; Gen 34:13; Gen 34:27 (R), Ezek 18:6; Ezek 18:11; Ezek 18:15; Ezek 22:11; Ezek 33:26 the land by sexual impurities of the people Lev 18:28 (H); Israel by spiritual whoredom Ezek 23:17.

2. religiously: the land by bloodshed Num 35:34 (P); by allowing the dead body of the murderer to hang on the tree over night Deut 21:23 by idolatry Jer 2:7; Ezek 36:17; Ezek 36:18 Israel defiled the sacred places by the sacrifice of children Lev 20:3 (H), Ezek 23:38, and God defiled him thereby Ezek 20:26 he defileth the sacred places by idolatry 2Chr 36:14; Jer 7:30 = Jer 32:34, Ezek 5:11 the holy name of ‎׳‎‎י‎ Ezek 43:7; Ezek 43:8 Josiah defiled the idolatrous places of worship by destroying them and making them unfit for use 2Kgs 23:8; 2Kgs 23:10; 2Kgs 23:13; 2Kgs 23:16 of Israel defiling idolatrous images Isa 30:22, and the nations the temple of God Ps 79:1.

3. ceremonially: by ceremonial uncleanness, the sacred places Lev 15:31; Num 19:13; Num 19:20 (P); the camp Num 5:3 (P); the temple by dead bodies Ezek 9:7 the Nazirite's head of separation by a death occurring in his presence Num 6:9 (P); the people defile themselves (‎נפשׁתיכם‎) by creeping things Lev 11:44 (P).

4. pronounce or declare ceremonially unclean: the leper Lev 13:3; Lev 13:8; Lev 13:11; Lev 13:15; Lev 13:20; Lev 13:22; Lev 13:25; Lev 13:27; Lev 13:30; Lev 13:44 (twice in verse); Lev 13:59 (P); unclean animals Lev 20:25 (H). Pu`al Participle ‎נַפְשִׁי לֹא מְטֻמָּאָה‎ Ezek 4:14 myself is not polluted. Hithpa`el Imperfect ‎יִטַּמָּא‎ Lev 21:1 + 4 t.; plural ‎יִטַּמְּאוּ‎ Ezek 14:11; Ezek 37:23 ‎יִטַּמָּ֑אוּ‎ Hos 9:4; Ezek 44:25, etc. + 6 t. Imperfect — reflexive, defile oneself: by eating of an unaccepted peace-offering Hos 9:4 with ‎בְּ‎ Lev 18:24; Lev 18:30 (H), Lev 11:43 (P), Ezek 14:11; Ezek 20:7; Ezek 20:18; Ezek 37:23 with ‎לְ‎ for a dead person Lev 21:1; Lev 21:3; Lev 21:11 (H), Num 6:7 (P); by Lev 11:24 (P); without preposition Lev 21:4 (H), Ezek 44:25. Hothpa`al Perfect ‎אַחֲרֵי אֲשֶׁר חֻטַּמָּ֑אָה‎ Deut 24:4 after that she has been defiled (sexually); on form see Ges^{«GKC:54»§ 54}. 3.

Also see: טֻמְאָה

‎טָמְאָה‎ noun feminine uncleanness (‎טָֽמְאָה‎, Bear, seems to rest upon a misinterpretation of the form) Mic 2:10 (so Thes MV SS); of ethical uncleanness, from wrong-doing.

Brown-Driver-Briggs References