תָּמִים91 H8549
Complete, sound, without blemish — of sacrificial animals, morally upright persons, God's perfect way, and whole time-periods.
An adjective of wholeness and integrity that stretches from the inspection of sacrificial lambs to the character of God himself. Its most frequent use (roughly 50 times) is the cultic requirement that offerings be 'without blemish' — physically complete, with no defect (Lev 1:3, Exod 12:5). But the word rises far beyond the altar: Noah was 'blameless in his generation' (Gen 6:9), Abraham is commanded to 'walk before me and be blameless' (Gen 17:1), and the law of the LORD is declared 'perfect' (Ps 19:7). Spanish perfecto, French parfait, and German vollkommen all attempt to span this remarkable range from bodily soundness to moral and divine perfection.
Senses
1. without blemish (sacrificial) — Without blemish, physically unblemished — the technical cultic term for sacrificial animals free from bodily defect, required throughout the Priestly legislation (Exod 12:5, Lev 1:3, Num 28-29, Ezek 43:22-25). Spanish sin defecto and French sans défaut render the idea precisely. This is the quantitatively dominant sense, reflecting how central spotless offerings were to Israelite worship. 50×
AR["تامِّينِ", "تَامًّا", "تَامٌّ", "تَامَّةً", "صَحِيحَةً", "صَحِيحَيْنِ"]·ben["নিখুঁত", "নির্দোষ"]·DE["ohne-blemish", "unblemished"]·EN["unblemished", "without-blemish"]·FR["sans-défaut", "unblemished"]·heb["תמים", "תמימה", "תמימים"]·HI["और-तीन", "निर्दोष"]·ID["sempurna", "tanpa-cacat", "yang-sempurna", "yang-tidak-bercela"]·IT["senza-blemish", "senza-difetto", "unblemished"]·jav["ingkang-sampurna", "ingkang-tanpa-cacad", "sampurna", "sempurna", "tanpa-cacad"]·KO["흘-없는", "흠-없는", "흠없는"]·PT["perfeita", "perfeito", "perfeitos", "sem-defeito", "íntegro"]·RU["без-порока"]·ES["perfecta", "perfecto", "sin-defecto"]·SW["asiye-na-dosari", "asiye-na-kasoro", "lisilo-na-dosari", "mkamilifu", "wasio-na-dosari", "wasio-na-kasoro"]·TR["kusursuz"]·urd["بے-عیب"]
2. blameless, upright (moral) — Blameless, upright, having moral integrity — used of persons who walk with God in wholeness of heart. Noah was 'righteous, blameless in his generation' (Gen 6:9); God tells Abraham 'walk before me and be blameless' (Gen 17:1). The substantival plural 'the blameless ones' appears in Proverbs (11:5, 20) and Psalms (119:1). Spanish perfecto and French intègre both render this, though the Hebrew holds physical and moral wholeness together in a way translations must split apart. 31×
AR["الكامِلُ", "الْكَامِلِ", "كامِل", "كامِلًا", "كامِلُ", "كَامِلًا", "كَامِلٌ", "وَ-الْكَامِلِينَ", "وَ-بِـ-الـ-كَمَال", "وَ-كَامِلِينَ"]·ben["এবং-সততায়", "ও-সম্পূর্ণ", "নিখুঁত", "নিখুঁতের", "নির্দোষ", "সম্পূর্ণ", "সাম্পূর্ণ", "সিদ্ধ", "সৎ"]·DE["blameless", "und-Untadelige", "und-in-integrity", "untadelig", "vollkommen"]·EN["and-in-integrity", "and-the-blameless", "and-whole", "blameless", "blamelessly", "complete", "the-perfect-one"]·FR["et-dans-integrity", "et-intègre", "intègre", "irréprochable", "parfait"]·heb["ו-ב-תמים", "ו-תמימים", "תמים"]·HI["और-खरे-लोग", "और-खरेपनसे", "और-सम्पूर्ण", "खरा", "खराई-के", "खरे", "निखर", "निरदोश", "सिद्ध", "सिद्ध-में"]·ID["dan-dengan-ketulusan", "dan-orang-orang-yang-tidak-bercela", "dan-utuh", "sempurna", "tanpa-cela", "tidak-bercacat", "tidak-bercela", "yang-tidak-bercacat"]·IT["blameless", "e-in-integrity", "e-perfetto", "integro", "perfetto"]·jav["ingkang-sampurna", "lan-ing-kasampurnan", "lan-tiyang-sampurna", "lan-wutuh", "sampurna", "tanpa-cacat"]·KO["그리고-온전한-자-들-을", "그리고-완전함으로", "그리고-흡없는-자-들-이", "온전하게", "온전한", "완전하게", "완전하다", "완전하도록", "완전한", "완전한-자가", "흑없는", "흑없이", "흠이-없는"]·PT["e-em-integridade", "e-íntegros", "o-perfeito", "perfeito", "íntegro"]·RU["Совершенного", "и-в-непорочности", "и-непорочные", "и-целых", "непорочен", "непорочно", "непорочном", "непорочный", "непорочным", "совершенный"]·ES["perfecto", "perfecto-en", "y-en-integridad", "y-enteros", "y-los-íntegros", "íntegro", "íntegro-de-", "íntegro."]·SW["kamili", "kamilifu", "kwa-ukamilifu", "mkamilifu", "na-uaminifu", "na-wakamilifu", "njia-yake-ni-kamili", "ya-mkamilifu"]·TR["kusursuz", "mükemmel", "mükemmel-olanın", "ve-bütün", "ve-doğrulukla", "ve-kusursuzlar"]·urd["اور-راستی-میں", "اور-کامل", "بے-عیب", "کامل", "کامل-ہے"]
Gen 6:9, Gen 17:1, Deut 18:13, Josh 24:14, Judg 9:16, Judg 9:19, 2 Sam 22:24, 2 Sam 22:26, 2 Sam 22:31, 2 Sam 22:33, Job 12:4, Job 36:4 (+19 more)
3. perfect, flawless (divine) — Perfect, flawless — predicated of God's way (2 Sam 22:31, Ps 18:30), God's work (Deut 32:4), and God's law (Ps 19:7). Here the word reaches its theological summit: divine activity and revelation are complete, lacking nothing, admitting no fault. German vollkommen captures this absolute perfection. The same word that inspects a lamb for blemishes now declares God's entire way to be without defect. 5×
AR["تَامَّةً", "كَامِلًا", "كَامِلٌ", "كَامِلَةٌ"]·ben["নিখুঁত", "সাম্পূর্ণ", "সিদ্ধ"]·DE["ist-perfect", "perfect", "vollkommen"]·EN["is-perfect", "perfect"]·FR["parfait"]·heb["תמים", "תמימה"]·HI["निर्दोष", "सिद्ध", "सिद्ध-है"]·ID["Sempurna", "sempurna"]·IT["integro", "perfect", "perfetto"]·jav["Sampurna", "sampurna", "tanpa-cacad"]·KO["완전하도다", "완전하시도다", "완전한", "흠없는", "흡없었다"]·PT["Perfeito", "perfeita", "perfeito", "é-perfeita"]·RU["без-порока", "совершенен", "совершенно", "совершенным"]·ES["Perfecto", "perfecta", "perfecto"]·SW["Mkamilifu", "kamili", "kamilifu", "mkamilifu"]·TR["kusursuz"]·urd["بے-عیب", "کامل", "کامل-ہے"]
4. complete, whole, full — Complete, whole, entire — applied to time-periods and objects rather than persons or God. A 'complete year' (Lev 25:30), 'complete weeks/sabbaths' (Lev 23:15), a 'whole day' (Josh 10:13), and the 'complete Thummim' (1 Sam 14:41, where the lot must be whole/intact). Spanish completo and entero reflect this quantitative fullness — nothing missing, nothing broken, the full measure given. 5×
AR["تامِّ", "تَامًّا", "كَامِلَاتٍ", "كَامِلَةً", "كَامِلَةٍ"]·ben["পূর্ণ", "সত্য", "সম্পূর্ণ", "সম্পূর্ণ,"]·DE["perfect-lot", "vollenden"]·EN["complete", "perfect-lot"]·FR["achever", "complet", "perfect-lot"]·heb["תמים", "תמימה"]·HI["पूरा", "पूरी", "पूर्ण", "सच्चाई"]·ID["Tumim", "penuh", "seluruhnya", "sempurna"]·IT["completare", "completo", "perfect-sorte"]·jav["jangkep", "sampurna", "sempurna", "wutuh"]·KO["온전한", "완전함을"]·PT["completas", "completo", "inteira", "perfeito"]·RU["полного", "полных", "совершенное", "целый"]·ES["completo", "completos", "entera", "perfecto"]·SW["kamili", "ukamilifu"]·TR["bütün", "tam"]·urd["تمیم", "مکمل", "پوری", "پوریاں", "پورے"]
Related Senses
G0846 1. third-person pronoun reference (5552×)H???? 1. (4670×)H6213a 1. do, perform, act (2383×)G4160 1. do, act, perform (473×)H5221 1. Hifil: to strike in battle, smite enemies (362×)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×)H0899b 1. garment, article of clothing (216×)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×)H6213a 2. make, construct, fabricate (148×)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×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
תָּמִים91 adj. complete, sound;—ת׳ Gn 6:9 +; f. תְּמִימָה Lv 3:9 +; cstr. תְּמִים Jb 36:4; 37:16; pl. תְּמִימִים Ez 43:25 +; תְּמִימֹת Lv 23:15; cstr. תְּמִימֵי ψ 119:1 Pr 11:20;— †1. complete, whole, entire, Jb 36:4 תְּמִים דֵעוֹת, 37:16. 2. whole, sound, healthful, of men Pr 1:12 (‖ חַיִּים); vine Ez 15:5; usually of sacrif. animals, P; Ex 12:5 + 40 times, so Ez 43:22 + 10 times †3. complete,…