Tame טָמֵא

Tame (Hebrew טָמֵא, Strong's H2931) is a Hebrew adjective meaning “unclean”. It occurs 88 times in 78 verses of the Old Testament.

Definition

From the STEPBible Brief Lexicon of Hebrew (based on the abridged Brown-Driver-Briggs), STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0.

Translated as

Topics

• Food and dietary laws

Verses

Every verse with Tame, with the English words that translate it highlighted (KJV or BSB; other translations show the KJV here).

Leviticus

• Leviticus 5:2
  Or if a soul touch any unclean thing, whether it be a carcase of an unclean beast, or a carcase of unclean cattle, or the carcase of unclean creeping things, and if it be hidden from him; he also shall be unclean, and guilty.Or if a person touches anything unclean—whether the carcass of any unclean wild animal or livestock or crawling creature—even if he is unaware of it, he is unclean and guilty.
• Leviticus 7:19
  And the flesh that toucheth any unclean thing shall not be eaten; it shall be burnt with fire: and as for the flesh, all that be clean shall eat thereof.Meat that touches anything unclean must not be eaten; it is to be burned up. As for any other meat, anyone who is ceremonially clean may eat it.
• Leviticus 7:21
  Moreover the soul that shall touch any unclean thing, as the uncleanness of man, or any unclean beast, or any abominable unclean thing, and eat of the flesh of the sacrifice of peace offerings, which pertain unto the Lord, even that soul shall be cut off from his people.If one touches anything unclean, whether human uncleanness, an unclean animal, or any unclean, detestable thing, and then eats any of the meat of the peace offering that belongs to the LORD, that person must be cut off from his people.”
• Leviticus 10:10
  And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean;You must distinguish between the holy and the common, between the clean and the unclean,
• Leviticus 11:4
  Nevertheless these shall ye not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the hoof: as the camel, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.But of those that only chew the cud or only have a divided hoof, you are not to eat the following: The camel, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean for you.
• Leviticus 11:5
  And the coney, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.The rock badger, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean for you.
• Leviticus 11:6
  And the hare, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.The rabbit, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean for you.
• Leviticus 11:7
  And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be clovenfooted, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you.And the pig, though it has a split hoof completely divided, does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you.
• Leviticus 11:8
  Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcase shall ye not touch; they are unclean to you.You must not eat their meat or touch their carcasses; they are unclean for you.
• Leviticus 11:26
  The carcases of every beast which divideth the hoof, and is not clovenfooted, nor cheweth the cud, are unclean unto you: every one that toucheth them shall be unclean.Every animal with hooves not completely divided or that does not chew the cud is unclean for you. Whoever touches any of them will be unclean.
• Leviticus 11:27
  And whatsoever goeth upon his paws, among all manner of beasts that go on all four, those are unclean unto you: whoso toucheth their carcase shall be unclean until the even.All the four-footed animals that walk on their paws are unclean for you; whoever touches their carcasses will be unclean until evening,
• Leviticus 11:28
  And he that beareth the carcase of them shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: they are unclean unto you.and anyone who picks up a carcass must wash his clothes, and he will be unclean until evening. They are unclean for you.
• Leviticus 11:29
  These also shall be unclean unto you among the creeping things that creep upon the earth; the weasel, and the mouse, and the tortoise after his kind,The following creatures that move along the ground are unclean for you: the mole, the mouse, any kind of great lizard,
• Leviticus 11:31
  These are unclean to you among all that creep: whosoever doth touch them, when they be dead, shall be unclean until the even.These animals are unclean for you among all the crawling creatures. Whoever touches them when they are dead shall be unclean until evening.
• Leviticus 11:35
  And every thing whereupon any part of their carcase falleth shall be unclean; whether it be oven, or ranges for pots, they shall be broken down: for they are unclean, and shall be unclean unto you.Anything upon which one of their carcasses falls will be unclean. If it is an oven or cooking pot, it must be smashed; it is unclean and will remain unclean for you.
• Leviticus 11:38
  But if any water be put upon the seed, and any part of their carcase fall thereon, it shall be unclean unto you.but if water has been put on the seed and a carcass falls on it, it is unclean for you.
• Leviticus 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.You must distinguish between the unclean and the clean, between animals that may be eaten and those that may not.’”
• Leviticus 13:11
  It is an old leprosy in the skin of his flesh, and the priest shall pronounce him unclean, and shall not shut him up: for he is unclean.it is a chronic skin disease and the priest must pronounce him unclean. He need not isolate him, for he is unclean.
• Leviticus 13:15
  And the priest shall see the raw flesh, and pronounce him to be unclean: for the raw flesh is unclean: it is a leprosy.When the priest sees the raw flesh, he must pronounce him unclean. The raw flesh is unclean; it is a skin disease.
• Leviticus 13:36
  Then the priest shall look on him: and, behold, if the scall be spread in the skin, the priest shall not seek for yellow hair; he is unclean.the priest is to examine him, and if the scaly outbreak has spread on the skin, the priest need not look for yellow hair; the person is unclean.
• Leviticus 13:44
  He is a leprous man, he is unclean: the priest shall pronounce him utterly unclean; his plague is in his head.the man is diseased; he is unclean. The priest must pronounce him unclean because of the infection on his head.
• Leviticus 13:45
  And the leper in whom the plague is, his clothes shall be rent, and his head bare, and he shall put a covering upon his upper lip, and shall cry, Unclean, unclean.A diseased person must wear torn clothes and let his hair hang loose, and he must cover his mouth and cry out, ‘Unclean, unclean!’
• Leviticus 13:46
  All the days wherein the plague shall be in him he shall be defiled; he is unclean: he shall dwell alone; without the camp shall his habitation be.As long as he has the infection, he remains unclean. He must live alone in a place outside the camp.
• Leviticus 13:51
  And he shall look on the plague on the seventh day: if the plague be spread in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in a skin, or in any work that is made of skin; the plague is a fretting leprosy; it is unclean.On the seventh day the priest shall reexamine it, and if the mildew has spread in the fabric, weave, knit, or leather, then regardless of how it is used, it is a harmful mildew; the article is unclean.
• Leviticus 13:55
  And the priest shall look on the plague, after that it is washed: and, behold, if the plague have not changed his colour, and the plague be not spread; it is unclean; thou shalt burn it in the fire; it is fret inward, whether it be bare within or without.After it has been washed, the priest is to reexamine it, and if the mildewed article has not changed in appearance, it is unclean. Even though the mildew has not spread, you must burn it, whether the rot is on the front or back.
• Leviticus 14:40
  Then the priest shall command that they take away the stones in which the plague is, and they shall cast them into an unclean place without the city:he must order that the contaminated stones be pulled out and thrown into an unclean place outside the city.
• Leviticus 14:41
  And he shall cause the house to be scraped within round about, and they shall pour out the dust that they scrape off without the city into an unclean place:And he shall have the inside of the house scraped completely and the plaster that is scraped off dumped into an unclean place outside the city.
• Leviticus 14:44
  Then the priest shall come and look, and, behold, if the plague be spread in the house, it is a fretting leprosy in the house: it is unclean.the priest must come and inspect it. If the mildew has spread in the house, it is a destructive mildew; the house is unclean.
• Leviticus 14:45
  And he shall break down the house, the stones of it, and the timber thereof, and all the morter of the house; and he shall carry them forth out of the city into an unclean place.It must be torn down with its stones, its timbers, and all its plaster, and taken outside the city to an unclean place.
• Leviticus 14:57
  To teach when it is unclean, and when it is clean: this is the law of leprosy.to determine when something is clean or unclean. This is the law regarding skin diseases and mildew.”
• Leviticus 15:2
  Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When any man hath a running issue out of his flesh, because of his issue he is unclean.“Say to the Israelites, ‘When any man has a bodily discharge, the discharge is unclean.
• Leviticus 15:25
  And if a woman have an issue of her blood many days out of the time of her separation, or if it run beyond the time of her separation; all the days of the issue of her uncleanness shall be as the days of her separation: she shall be unclean.When a woman has a discharge of her blood for many days at a time other than her menstrual period, or if it continues beyond her period, she will be unclean all the days of her unclean discharge, just as she is during the days of her menstruation.
• Leviticus 15:26
  Every bed whereon she lieth all the days of her issue shall be unto her as the bed of her separation: and whatsoever she sitteth upon shall be unclean, as the uncleanness of her separation.Any bed on which she lies or any furniture on which she sits during the days of her discharge will be unclean, like her bed during her menstrual period.
• Leviticus 15:33
  And of her that is sick of her flowers, and of him that hath an issue, of the man, and of the woman, and of him that lieth with her that is unclean.of a woman in her menstrual period, of any male or female who has a discharge, and of a man who lies with an unclean woman.’”
• Leviticus 20:25
  Ye shall therefore put difference between clean beasts and unclean, and between unclean fowls and clean: and ye shall not make your souls abominable by beast, or by fowl, or by any manner of living thing that creepeth on the ground, which I have separated from you as unclean.You are therefore to distinguish between clean and unclean animals and birds. Do not become contaminated by any animal or bird, or by anything that crawls on the ground; I have set these apart as unclean for you.
• Leviticus 22:4
  What man soever of the seed of Aaron is a leper, or hath a running issue; he shall not eat of the holy things, until he be clean. And whoso toucheth any thing that is unclean by the dead, or a man whose seed goeth from him;If a descendant of Aaron has a skin disease or a discharge, he may not eat the sacred offerings until he is clean. Whoever touches anything defiled by a corpse or by a man who has an emission of semen,
• Leviticus 27:11
  And if it be any unclean beast, of which they do not offer a sacrifice unto the Lord, then he shall present the beast before the priest:But if the vow involves any of the unclean animals that may not be brought as an offering to the LORD, the animal must be presented before the priest.
• Leviticus 27:27
  And if it be of an unclean beast, then he shall redeem it according to thine estimation, and shall add a fifth part of it thereto: or if it be not redeemed, then it shall be sold according to thy estimation.But if it is among the unclean animals, then he may redeem it according to your valuation and add a fifth of its value. If it is not redeemed, then it shall be sold according to your valuation.

Numbers

• Numbers 5:2
  Command the children of Israel, that they put out of the camp every leper, and every one that hath an issue, and whosoever is defiled by the dead:“Command the Israelites to send away from the camp anyone with a skin disease, anyone who has a bodily discharge, and anyone who is defiled by a dead body.
• Numbers 9:6
  And there were certain men, who were defiled by the dead body of a man, that they could not keep the passover on that day: and they came before Moses and before Aaron on that day:But there were some men who were unclean due to a dead body, so they could not observe the Passover on that day. And they came before Moses and Aaron that same day
• Numbers 9:7
  And those men said unto him, We are defiled by the dead body of a man: wherefore are we kept back, that we may not offer an offering of the Lord in his appointed season among the children of Israel?and said to Moses, “We are unclean because of a dead body, but why should we be excluded from presenting the LORD’s offering with the other Israelites at the appointed time?”
• Numbers 9:10
  Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If any man of you or of your posterity shall be unclean by reason of a dead body, or be in a journey afar off, yet he shall keep the passover unto the Lord.“Tell the Israelites: ‘When any one of you or your descendants is unclean because of a dead body, or is away on a journey, he may still observe the Passover to the LORD.
• Numbers 18:15
  Every thing that openeth the matrix in all flesh, which they bring unto the Lord, whether it be of men or beasts, shall be thine: nevertheless the firstborn of man shalt thou surely redeem, and the firstling of unclean beasts shalt thou redeem.The firstborn of every womb, whether man or beast, that is offered to the LORD belongs to you. But you must surely redeem every firstborn son and every firstborn male of unclean animals.
• Numbers 19:13
  Whosoever toucheth the dead body of any man that is dead, and purifieth not himself, defileth the tabernacle of the Lord; and that soul shall be cut off from Israel: because the water of separation was not sprinkled upon him, he shall be unclean; his uncleanness is yet upon him.Anyone who touches a human corpse and fails to purify himself defiles the tabernacle of the LORD. That person must be cut off from Israel. He remains unclean, because the water of purification has not been sprinkled on him, and his uncleanness is still on him.
• Numbers 19:15
  And every open vessel, which hath no covering bound upon it, is unclean.and any open container without a lid fastened on it is unclean.
• Numbers 19:17
  And for an unclean person they shall take of the ashes of the burnt heifer of purification for sin, and running water shall be put thereto in a vessel:For the purification of the unclean person, take some of the ashes of the burnt sin offering, put them in a jar, and pour fresh water over them.
• Numbers 19:19
  And the clean person shall sprinkle upon the unclean on the third day, and on the seventh day: and on the seventh day he shall purify himself, and wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and shall be clean at even.The man who is ceremonially clean is to sprinkle the unclean person on the third day and on the seventh day. After he purifies the unclean person on the seventh day, the one being cleansed must wash his clothes and bathe in water, and that evening he will be clean.
• Numbers 19:20
  But the man that shall be unclean, and shall not purify himself, that soul shall be cut off from among the congregation, because he hath defiled the sanctuary of the Lord: the water of separation hath not been sprinkled upon him; he is unclean.But if a person who is unclean does not purify himself, he will be cut off from the assembly, because he has defiled the sanctuary of the LORD. The water of purification has not been sprinkled on him; he is unclean.
• Numbers 19:22
  And whatsoever the unclean person toucheth shall be unclean; and the soul that toucheth it shall be unclean until even.Anything the unclean person touches will become unclean, and anyone who touches it will be unclean until evening.”

Deuteronomy

• Deuteronomy 12:15
  Notwithstanding thou mayest kill and eat flesh in all thy gates, whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, according to the blessing of the Lord thy God which he hath given thee: the unclean and the clean may eat thereof, as of the roebuck, and as of the hart.But whenever you want, you may slaughter and eat meat within any of your gates, according to the blessing the LORD your God has given you. Both the ceremonially clean and unclean may eat it as they would a gazelle or deer,
• Deuteronomy 12:22
  Even as the roebuck and the hart is eaten, so thou shalt eat them: the unclean and the clean shall eat of them alike.Indeed, you may eat it as you would eat a gazelle or deer; both the ceremonially unclean and the clean may eat it.
• Deuteronomy 14:7
  Nevertheless these ye shall not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the cloven hoof; as the camel, and the hare, and the coney: for they chew the cud, but divide not the hoof; therefore they are unclean unto you.But of those that chew the cud or have a completely divided hoof, you are not to eat the following: the camel, the rabbit, or the rock badger.
• Deuteronomy 14:8
  And the swine, because it divideth the hoof, yet cheweth not the cud, it is unclean unto you: ye shall not eat of their flesh, nor touch their dead carcase.Although they chew the cud, they do not have a divided hoof. They are unclean for you, as well as the pig; though it has a divided hoof, it does not chew the cud. It is unclean for you. You must not eat its meat or touch its carcass.
• Deuteronomy 14:10
  And whatsoever hath not fins and scales ye may not eat; it is unclean unto you.but you may not eat anything that does not have fins and scales; it is unclean for you.
• Deuteronomy 14:19
  And every creeping thing that flieth is unclean unto you: they shall not be eaten.All flying insects are unclean for you; they may not be eaten.
• Deuteronomy 15:22
  Thou shalt eat it within thy gates: the unclean and the clean person shall eat it alike, as the roebuck, and as the hart.Eat it within your gates; both the ceremonially unclean and clean may eat it as they would a gazelle or a deer.
• Deuteronomy 26:14
  I have not eaten thereof in my mourning, neither have I taken away ought thereof for any unclean use, nor given ought thereof for the dead: but I have hearkened to the voice of the Lord my God, and have done according to all that thou hast commanded me.I have not eaten any of the sacred portion while in mourning, or removed any of it while unclean, or offered any of it for the dead. I have obeyed the LORD my God; I have done everything You commanded me.

Joshua

• Joshua 22:19
  Notwithstanding, if the land of your possession be unclean, then pass ye over unto the land of the possession of the Lord, wherein the Lord’s tabernacle dwelleth, and take possession among us: but rebel not against the Lord, nor rebel against us, in building you an altar beside the altar of the Lord our God.If indeed the land of your inheritance is unclean, then cross over to the land of the LORD’s possession, where the LORD’s tabernacle stands, and take possession of it among us. But do not rebel against the LORD or against us by building for yourselves an altar other than the altar of the LORD our God.

Judges

• Judges 13:4
  Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing:Now please be careful not to drink wine or strong drink, and not to eat anything unclean.

2 Chronicles

• 2 Chronicles 23:19
  And he set the porters at the gates of the house of the Lord, that none which was unclean in any thing should enter in.He stationed gatekeepers at the gates of the house of the LORD, so that nothing unclean could enter for any reason.

Job

• Job 14:4
  Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one.Who can bring out clean from unclean? No one!

Ecclesiastes

• Ecclesiastes 9:2
  All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.It is the same for all: There is a common fate for the righteous and the wicked, for the good and the bad, for the clean and the unclean, for the one who sacrifices and the one who does not. As it is for the good, so it is for the sinner; as it is for the one who makes a vow, so it is for the one who refuses to take a vow.

Isaiah

• Isaiah 6:5
  Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.Then I said: “Woe is me, for I am ruined, because I am a man of unclean lips dwelling among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of Hosts.”
• Isaiah 35:8
  And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.And there will be a highway called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not travel it— only those who walk in the Way— and fools will not stray onto it.
• Isaiah 52:1
  Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.Awake, awake, clothe yourself with strength, O Zion! Put on your garments of splendor, O Jerusalem, holy city! For the uncircumcised and unclean will no longer enter you.
• Isaiah 52:11
  Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord.Depart, depart, go out from there! Touch no unclean thing; come out from it, purify yourselves, you who carry the vessels of the LORD.
• Isaiah 64:6
  But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.Each of us has become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all wither like a leaf, and our iniquities carry us away like the wind.

Jeremiah

• Jeremiah 19:13
  And the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses of the kings of Judah, shall be defiled as the place of Tophet, because of all the houses upon whose roofs they have burned incense unto all the host of heaven, and have poured out drink offerings unto other gods.The houses of Jerusalem and the houses of the kings of Judah will be defiled like that place, Topheth—all the houses on whose rooftops they burned incense to all the host of heaven and poured out drink offerings to other gods.”

Lamentations

• Lamentations 4:15
  They cried unto them, Depart ye; it is unclean; depart, depart, touch not: when they fled away and wandered, they said among the heathen, They shall no more sojourn there.“Go away! Unclean!” men shouted at them. “Away, away! Do not touch us!” So they fled and wandered. Among the nations it was said, “They can stay here no longer.”

Ezekiel

• Ezekiel 4:13
  And the Lord said, Even thus shall the children of Israel eat their defiled bread among the Gentiles, whither I will drive them.Then the LORD said, “This is how the Israelites will eat their defiled bread among the nations to which I will banish them.”
• Ezekiel 22:5
  Those that be near, and those that be far from thee, shall mock thee, which art infamous and much vexed.Those near and far will mock you, O infamous city, full of turmoil.
• Ezekiel 22:10
  In thee have they discovered their fathers’ nakedness: in thee have they humbled her that was set apart for pollution.In you they have uncovered the nakedness of their fathers; in you they violate women during their menstrual impurity.
• Ezekiel 22:26
  Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.Her priests do violence to My law and profane My holy things. They make no distinction between the holy and the common, and they fail to distinguish between the clean and the unclean. They disregard My Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them.
• Ezekiel 44:23
  And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean.They are to teach My people the difference between the holy and the common, and show them how to discern between the clean and the unclean.

Hosea

• Hosea 9:3
  They shall not dwell in the Lord’s land; but Ephraim shall return to Egypt, and they shall eat unclean things in Assyria.They will not remain in the land of the LORD; Ephraim will return to Egypt and eat unclean food in Assyria.

Amos

• Amos 7:17
  Therefore thus saith the Lord; Thy wife shall be an harlot in the city, and thy sons and thy daughters shall fall by the sword, and thy land shall be divided by line; and thou shalt die in a polluted land: and Israel shall surely go into captivity forth of his land.Therefore this is what the LORD says: ‘Your wife will become a prostitute in the city, and your sons and daughters will fall by the sword. Your land will be divided by a measuring line, and you yourself will die on pagan soil. And Israel will surely go into exile, away from their homeland.’”

Haggai

• Haggai 2:13
  Then said Haggai, If one that is unclean by a dead body touch any of these, shall it be unclean? And the priests answered and said, It shall be unclean.So Haggai asked, “If one who is defiled by contact with a corpse touches any of these, does it become defiled?” “Yes, it becomes defiled,” the priests answered.
• Haggai 2:14
  Then answered Haggai, and said, So is this people, and so is this nation before me, saith the Lord; and so is every work of their hands; and that which they offer there is unclean.Then Haggai replied, “So it is with this people and this nation before Me, declares the LORD, and so it is with every work of their hands; whatever they offer there is defiled.

Notes

1. Definition and verse list from STEPBible's tagged Hebrew Old Testament (TAHOT) and Greek New Testament (TAGNT) and Brief Lexicons, STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0.
2. English renderings from the public-domain KJV with Strong's numbers (eBible.org) and the Berean Standard Bible interlinear (public domain).