H2931 — טָמֵא (ṭâmêʼ)¶

Core Data¶

Strong's: H2931
Original: טָמֵא
Transliteration: ṭâmêʼ
Pronunciation: taw-may
Part of Speech: Adjective
Root: H2930 טָמֵא (ṭâmêʼ) — primitive root: to be foul, to become/make unclean
Occurrences: 78 unique verses (90 tokens) in OT
Books: 15
First Occurrence: Lev 5:2 — "if a soul touch any unclean thing, whether it be a carcase of an unclean beast"
Hapax Legomenon: No

Lexicon Definition¶

From H2930; foul in a religious sense:—defiled, infamous, polluted(-tion), unclean.

Translation Distribution (KJV)¶

Translation	Verses	%
unclean	53	67.9%
the unclean	9	11.5%
defiled	4	5.1%
infamous	1	1.3%
polluted	1	1.3%
Other variants	10	12.8%

Distribution by Book¶

Book	Count	Per 100 Verses
Haggai	2	5.3
Leviticus	38	4.4
Numbers	11	0.9
Deuteronomy	8	0.8
Amos	1	0.7
Lamentations	1	0.6
Hosea	1	0.5
Ecclesiastes	1	0.5
Isaiah	5	0.4
Ezekiel	5	0.4
Joshua	1	0.2
Judges	1	0.2
2 Chronicles	1	0.1
Jeremiah	1	0.1
Job	1	0.1

Concentrated overwhelmingly in Leviticus (49% of occurrences), with significant coverage in Numbers and Deuteronomy — this is priestly/legal vocabulary. Absent entirely from Psalms, Genesis, Exodus, all historical books (Samuel, Kings), and most prophets. The high density in Haggai (post-exilic) and sparse prophetic usage reflect the extension of ritual purity concepts into moral/theological discourse.

Semantic Categories¶

1. Unclean Animals (Dietary Law)¶

Quadrupeds, birds, and sea creatures that violate cud-chewing/split-hoof criteria are declared unclean, prohibiting consumption. - Lev 11:7 — "the swine, though he divide the hoof... yet he cheweth not the cud; he [is] unclean unto you" - Lev 11:29 — "These also [shall be] unclean unto you among the creeping things" - Deut 14:10 — "whatsoever hath not fins and scales ye may not eat; it [is] unclean unto you"

2. Unclean through Disease (Leprosy / Skin Conditions)¶

The priest examines and formally pronounces a person unclean; the declaration carries legal and social consequences. - Lev 13:11 — "It [is] an old leprosy... the priest shall pronounce him unclean" - Lev 13:44–46 — "He is a leprous man, he [is] unclean: the priest shall pronounce him utterly unclean... he shall dwell alone" - Lev 14:57 — "To teach when [it is] unclean, and when [it is] clean: this [is] the law of leprosy"

3. Unclean through Contact with Death¶

Touching a human corpse or the carcase of an unclean animal transmits uncleanness; purification requires specific rites. - Num 9:6–7 — "certain men... defiled by the dead body of a man, that they could not keep the passover" - Num 19:15 — "every open vessel, which hath no covering bound upon it, [is] unclean" - Hag 2:13 — "If [one that is] unclean by a dead body touch any of these, shall it be unclean?"

4. Unclean through Bodily Discharges¶

Seminal emissions and menstrual flows render a person unclean; the state is temporary, resolved by washing and waiting. - Lev 5:2 — "if a soul touch any unclean thing, whether [it be] a carcase of an unclean beast" - Lev 15:25–26 — "if a woman have an issue of her blood many days... every bed whereon she lieth... shall be unto her as the bed of her separation" - Num 5:2 — "put out of the camp every leper, and every one that hath an issue"

5. The Clean/Unclean Binary (Governing Distinction)¶

The most fundamental application: Israel is called to discern and maintain the boundary between these two states. - Lev 10:10 — "that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean" - Lev 11:47 — "To make a difference between the unclean and the clean, and between the beast that may be eaten and the beast that may not be eaten" - Eze 44:23 — "they shall teach my people [the difference] between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean"

6. Moral/Spiritual Uncleanness (Prophetic Extension)¶

Prophetic and wisdom literature extend the ritual term to describe moral corruption, personal guilt, and national apostasy. - Isa 6:5 — "Woe [is] me! for I [am] a man of unclean lips... I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips" - Isa 64:6 — "we are all as an unclean [thing], and all our righteousnesses [are] as filthy rags" - Job 14:4 — "Who can bring a clean [thing] out of an unclean? not one" - Lam 4:15 — "They cried unto them, Depart ye; [it is] unclean; depart, depart, touch not"

7. Unclean Land / Geographic Extension¶

The adjective applies beyond persons and objects to territory: land that is ritually or morally defiled. - Jos 22:19 — "if the land of your possession [be] unclean, [then] pass ye over unto the land of the possession of the LORD" - Hos 9:3 — "They shall not dwell in the LORD'S land; but Ephraim shall return to Egypt, and they shall eat unclean [things]" - Amos 7:17 — Amos told he will die "in a polluted land" (same word טָמֵא)

Common Collocations¶

Word	Strong's	Co-occurrences	Typical Pattern
אָכַל (akal)	H398	17x	"shall not be eaten; it is unclean" — dietary prohibition formula
יְהֹוָה (Yahweh)	H3068	17x	divine authority behind purity declarations
נָגַע (naga)	H5060	14x	"whosoever toucheth... shall be unclean" — contact-transmission rule
טָמֵא (tame verb)	H2930	14x	"it shall be unclean... it is unclean" — verb + adj reinforcing pair
טָהוֹר (tahor)	H2889	13x	"between the unclean and the clean" — governing binary
נֶפֶשׁ (nephesh)	H5315	13x	"the soul that toucheth... shall be unclean" — legal subject
כֹּהֵן (kohen)	H3548	10x	priest as the one who pronounces unclean
בָּשָׂר (basar)	H1320	9x	"the flesh that toucheth any unclean thing shall not be eaten"
נְבֵלָה (nebelah)	H5038	7x	"the carcase of an unclean beast" — dead animals defile
גֵּרָה (gerah)	H1625	7x	"cheweth the cud... is unclean" — dietary law criterion
יוֹם (yom)	H3117	7x	"shall be unclean until the even" — time-bounded impurity

Word Family (טָמֵא root)¶

H2930 טָמֵא (ṭâmêʼ) — verb: to be foul, to become unclean, to defile (the action)
H2931 טָמֵא (ṭâmêʼ) — adjective: unclean, defiled (this word — the state)
H2932 טֻמְאָה (ṭumʼâh) — feminine noun: uncleanness, impurity (the condition or quality)

Synonyms¶

No synonyms returned by search_relationships.py for H2931.

Antonyms¶

H2889 טָהוֹר (ṭâhôwr) — returned by search_relationships.py as the adjectival opposite of ṭâmêʼ.

Easily Confused Words¶

Word	Strong's	Shared Translation	Key Difference
טָמֵא (ṭâmêʼ)	H2930	"unclean", "defiled"	The verb form (to become/make unclean); H2931 is the adjectival state of being unclean
טֻמְאָה (ṭumʼâh)	H2932	"unclean"	The abstract noun (the quality/condition of uncleanness); H2931 describes the person/thing
ἀκάθαρτος (akáthartos)	G169	"unclean"	The NT Greek equivalent; same semantic range but extends especially to unclean/demonic spirits
κοινός (koinós)	G2839	"unclean"	NT term meaning "common/profane"; cultural or Gentile defilement (Acts 10–11) vs. Levitical categories

Semantic Domains¶

UBS / Relationship Domains¶

[002001001062] Unclean — search_relationships.py places ṭâmêʼ in the core impurity field with neighbors such as H1350/H1351 גאל, H2610 חנף, H2930 טמא, H2932 טֻמְאָה, and H2936 טנף.
[002001002007] Evil — the same relationship data also captures the prophetic/moral extension of uncleanness, grouping this adjective with H444 אלח, H605 אנשׁ, A873 בִּאישׁ, H1100 בְּלִיַּעַל, and H1350/H1351 גאל.

LXX Mapping¶

Greek Equivalent	Co-occ	PMI Score	Notes
ἀκάθαρτος (akáthartos) G169	69	31.22	Primary equivalent — dominant and consistent translation
ἀκαθαρσία (akatharsía) G167	8	12.65	Cognate noun form; used where Hebrew describes the condition
λέπρα (lépra) G3014	6	10.74	Contextual — leprous passages where unclean and leprosy co-occur
βέβηλος (bébēlos) G952	3	9.96	For profane/infamous sense (Eze 22:5 "infamous")
καθαρός (katharós) G2513	13	12.69	Contrast word — appears in same "clean and unclean" binary passages