H2931 H2931
Unclean; ritually impure or morally defiled, the opposite of tahor (clean/pure)
Tame' is the adjective describing what is ritually or morally unclean in Israel's purity system. It classifies animals forbidden as food (Lev 11:8), persons rendered impure by disease, bodily discharge, or contact with the dead (Lev 13–15; Num 19), and conditions of moral defilement such as Isaiah's 'unclean lips' (Isa 6:5). The term stands in constant opposition to tahor (clean), and this binary structures much of Levitical legislation. Translations consistently distinguish this concept: Spanish 'impuro,' French 'impur,' German 'unrein' — each preserving the ritual-legal connotation of a state requiring purification.
Senses
1. [split] ritually or morally unclean — Ceremonially impure or morally defiled, describing persons, animals, objects, or conditions that fall outside the bounds of ritual purity as defined by Torah legislation. Covers dietary prohibitions (Lev 11:8), bodily impurity (Lev 13–15), corpse contamination (Num 19), and metaphorical defilement like Isaiah's 'unclean lips' (Isa 6:5). The uniform rendering across languages — 'impuro,' 'impur,' 'unrein' — reflects a universally recognized concept of a polluted state requiring prescribed purification. 0×
AR["نَجِسٌ", "نَجِسٍ", "نَجِسَةٌ", "نَجِسَةٍ"]·ben["অশুচি", "অশুচির"]·DE["ist-unrein", "unrein"]·EN["is-unclean", "unclean"]·FR["est-impur", "impur"]·heb["טמא", "טמאה"]·HI["अशुद्ध", "जीवित", "तुम छुओगे", "तोड़ा जाएगा", "पर-वह", "वह"]·ID["najis"]·IT["e-impuro", "impuro"]·jav["najis"]·KO["부정하고", "부정하다", "부정한"]·PT["impura", "impuro", "impuros"]·RU["нечист", "нечиста", "нечисто", "нечистого", "нечистой", "нечистому", "нечисты"]·ES["impura", "impuro", "impuros"]·SW["kichafu", "mchafu", "wachafu"]·TR["kirli"]·urd["ناپاک"]
1. ritually unclean, ceremonially impure — Split from sense 100335. Criteria: Ceremonial impurity according to Levitical purity laws; applies to animals (dietary prohibitions, Lev 11:8), bodily discharges (Lev 13-15), corpse contamination (Num 19), requiring prescribed purification rituals 78×
AR["نَجِسٌ", "نَجِسٍ", "نَجِسَةٌ", "نَجِسَةٍ"]·ben["অশুচি", "অশুচির"]·DE["ist-unrein", "unrein"]·EN["is-unclean", "unclean"]·FR["est-impur", "impur"]·heb["טמא", "טמאה"]·HI["अशुद्ध", "जीवित", "तुम छुओगे", "तोड़ा जाएगा", "पर-वह", "वह"]·ID["najis"]·IT["e-impuro", "impuro"]·jav["najis"]·KO["부정하고", "부정하다", "부정한"]·PT["impura", "impuro", "impuros"]·RU["нечист", "нечиста", "нечисто", "нечистого", "нечистой", "нечистому", "нечисты"]·ES["impura", "impuro", "impuros"]·SW["kichafu", "mchafu", "wachafu"]·TR["kirli"]·urd["ناپاک"]
2. morally defiled, spiritually unclean — Split from sense 100335. Criteria: Metaphorical or moral defilement; spiritual pollution not tied to ritual purification systems; Isaiah's 'unclean lips' (Isa 6:5), prophetic condemnations of moral corruption 10×
AR["كَ-النَّجِسِ", "مِنْ-نَجِسٍ", "نَجِسًا", "نَجِسٌ", "نَجِسَةَ", "نَجِسُ-", "نَجِسِ", "وَ-لَ-طَّمِيء", "وَ-نَجِسٌ"]·ben["-এবং-অশুচি", "অশুচি", "অশুচি-", "অশুচিকে", "অশুচির-মতো", "অশুদ্ধ-থেকে", "এবং-অশুদ্ধের-জন্য"]·DE["[טמאת]", "und-unrein", "unrein", "wie-unrein"]·EN["and-to-the-unclean", "and-unclean", "defiled-of", "from-unclean", "like-the-unclean", "the-unclean", "unclean", "unclean-", "unclean-of"]·FR["comme-impur", "de-מטמא", "et-impur", "et-ולטמא", "impur"]·heb["ו-טמא", "ו-ל-טמא", "טמא", "טמא-", "טמאת", "כ-טמא", "מ-טמא"]·HI["अशुद्ध", "अशुद्ध-", "अशुद्ध-की-तरह", "अशुद्ध-से", "अशुद्धको", "और-अशुद्ध-के-लिए"]·ID["dan-bagi-yang-najis", "dan-najis", "dari-yang-najis", "najis", "najis-", "orang-najis", "seperti-yang-najis", "wahai-yang-najis", "yang-najis"]·IT["da-da-impuro", "e-al-e-a-il-impuro", "e-impuro", "impuro"]·jav["ingkang-najis", "kados-ingkang-najis", "kangge-piyambakipun-sadaya", "lan-kanggé-tiyang-najis", "lan-tiyang-najis", "najis", "najis-", "saking-ingkang-reged"]·KO["그리고-부정한-자-에게", "그리고-부정한-자가", "더러운-것에서", "더러운-자여", "부정한", "부정한-", "부정한-것을", "부정한-자가", "부정한-자를", "부정한-자처럼"]·PT["como-impuro", "contaminada-de", "de-impuro", "e-impuro", "e-para-o-impuro", "impura-de", "impuro", "impuro-de"]·RU["и-нечистому,", "и-нечистый", "из-нечистого", "как-нечистый", "нечистого", "нечистую", "нечистый", "нечистых-", "осквернённая"]·ES["como-inmundo", "de-inmundo", "e-impuro", "el-inmundo", "impura-de", "impuros", "inmundo", "y-al-impuro"]·SW["kama-mchafu", "kutoka-najisi", "mchafu", "mchafu-wa", "na-kwa-mchafu", "na-mchafu", "uchafu", "uchafu-wa", "wachafu-wa"]·TR["kirli", "kirli-", "kirliden", "murdar", "murdar-gibi", "murdar-olana", "ve-murdar", "ve-pise"]·urd["اور-ناپاک", "اور-کو-ناپاک", "ناپاک", "ناپاک-", "ناپاک-سے", "ناپاک-کو", "ناپاک-کی-طرح"]
Related Senses
H3548 1. priest, cultic officiant (750×)G5547 1. Christ, Messiah, Anointed One (540×)H5030 1. Prophet, divine spokesperson (317×)H5930a 1. burnt offering (sacrifice) (286×)H3881 1. Levites (priestly class) (283×)G4396 1. prophet, spokesperson of God (146×)H6944 1. sanctuary, holy place (129×)G0749 1. high priest, chief priest (123×)H6944 2. holiness, sacredness (abstract quality) (123×)G5330 1. Pharisee (99×)G4336 1. pray to God (86×)H6944 3. holy things, sacred offerings (plural) (86×)H3722a 1. make ritual atonement (Piel) (85×)H6912 1. bury (Qal active) (82×)H6419 1. pray (Hitpael) (80×)H6944 4. holiness (with possessive pronoun) (77×)H6942 1. sanctify, consecrate (Piel factitive) (76×)H2930a 1. Qal: be/become unclean (75×)H7819a 1. slaughter an animal (Qal active) (72×)H1486 1. lot (object cast for decisions) (71×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† II. טָמֵא adj. unclean;—ט׳ Lv 5:2 + 58 times; cstr. טְמֵא 22:4 + 3 times; f. טְמֵאָה 5:2 + 11 times; cstr. טְמֵאַת Ez 22:5, 10; pl. טְמֵאִים Lv 11:8 + 10 times;—unclean, 1. ethically and religiously ט׳ שׂפתים Is 6:5(×2) unclean of lips; ט׳ השׁם Ez 22:5 defiled of name, infamous; טהור מִטּ׳ Jb 14:4. 2. ritually: a. of persons, ‖ טהור Dt 12:15, 22; 15:22 Ec 9:2; ט׳ נפשׁ Lv 22:4 (H); (אדם) ט׳…