H4974 H4974
metom — soundness, wholeness, completeness (physical or moral integrity)
This noun denotes soundness, wholeness, or completeness—the state of being intact and undamaged. The term appears exclusively in negative constructions ('there is no soundness'), describing either physical wounds or comprehensive destruction. In Isaiah and Psalms, it depicts bodies ravaged by illness or injury with no healthy spot remaining. In Judges, it may describe total urban destruction ('from the entire/sound city'). The concept emphasizes totality: either complete health or complete devastation, with no middle ground.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Soundness, wholeness, or completeness, typically in negative contexts. Isaiah 1:6 describes Israel's spiritual condition in physical terms: 'From the sole of the foot to the head, there is no soundness (ein metom)'—only wounds and bruises. Psalm 38:3 and 7 use identical language to describe the psalmist's affliction under divine judgment: 'there is no soundness in my flesh' because of God's wrath. Judges 20:48 is textually uncertain (some manuscripts read metim, 'men'), but likely describes Israel's destruction of Benjamite cities—'from the entire city' or 'from sound/intact cities' to everything they found. The term emphasizes either complete health or its total absence. 4×
AR["التَّامِّ", "صِحَّةٌ", "صِحَّةَ"]·ben["অক্ষততা", "সমগ্রতা", "সুস্থতা"]·DE["[מתם]", "entirety", "soundness"]·EN["entirety", "soundness"]·FR["[מתם]", "de-entier", "entirety"]·heb["מתום"]·HI["पूर्णता", "स्वस्थता"]·ID["kesehatan", "orang-orang"]·IT["[מתם]", "entirety", "la-loro-sanita'"]·jav["ingkang-saras", "tiyang", "wutuh"]·KO["성한-곳이", "온전한-것으로", "온전함-이"]·PT["integridade", "saúde"]·RU["целого"]·ES["sanidad", "íntegra"]·SW["uzima", "watu"]·TR["bütününe", "saglam", "sağlık"]·urd["تندرستی", "صحت", "مکمل"]
Related Senses
H2896a 1. good (quality or moral) (305×)H7563 1. wicked person (259×)H7451c 1. moral evil or wickedness (234×)H5771 1. iniquity, sin, wrongdoing (222×)H6662 1. righteous person (substantive) (195×)G0266 1. sin, failure, transgression (173×)H2403b 1. sin, transgression (170×)H2617a 1. Covenant faithfulness, steadfast love (167×)H2398 1. Qal: to sin, commit sin (165×)H6666 1. righteousness, moral uprightness (145×)G5485 1. grace, divine favor (141×)H7451a 1. morally evil, wicked (129×)H2403b 2. sin-offering, sacrifice for sin (120×)G2570 1. good, right, excellent (98×)H6588 1. transgression, offense against God (88×)G0018 1. good (moral quality) (85×)H2896b 1. good, what is good (85×)H7451b 1. evil, wickedness (moral) (83×)H7451a 2. evil, harm, calamity (80×)G1342 1. righteous, upright (of persons) (70×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† מְתֹם n.[m.] soundness; in phr. אֵין מְתֹם ב׳ Is 1:6 ψ 38:4, 8; מֵעִיר מְ֯תֹם Ju 20:48 from entire city (Codd. De Rossi Bu GFM מְתִם, v. מַת and cf. עיר מת(י)ם Dt 2:34; 3:6 Jb 24:12).