תמם Word Group

Introduction

The תמם word group has been translated in various ways, and in some instances the word chosen for a particular context has resulted in misunderstanding for those who only or mostly read the Hebrew bible in translation.  Such misunderstandings are not necessarily the result of a flagrant mistranslation but because the semantic range of the תמם word group is different from the words chosen to translate it.  This is an endemic problem for translators: They are obligated to produce a running text that stands alone without commentary.  They generally do not have the opportunity to explain their exegetical decisions or to specify fine shades of meaning intended for a particular word choice in a translated passage.  Nevertheless, a translator's choice of words can either clarify or render more obscure an already difficult passage.

Root and Derived Forms in the Bible

This word group is based on the root תמם, and it has no homonyms preserved in the Hebrew bible.  The root is attested in Arabic as well as essentially all of the North-West Semitic languages of antiquity, and all with nearly the same range of meanings.  The classical Hebrew forms also are preserved in Modern Hebrew, but common usage in Modern Hebrew has changed significantly from those of antiquity.  The Hebrew bible preserves five different words derived from this root – a verb, two nouns, and two different adjectives.  These forms and their meanings as listed in BDB are as follows:

·      µm;T' – Verb form occurs 64 times, and it is attested in the qal (53), hiphil (9), and hitpael (2) inflections. 

o   The qal form is stative with primary meanings be complete, be finished.

o   The hiphil form is transitive with primary meanings finish, complete, perfect.

o   The hitpael form is listed with the meaning deal with integrity.

·      µTo – Masculine noun form is attested 23 times.  It is listed with primary meanings completeness, fullness and secondary meanings innocence, simplicity, integrity.

·      hm;Tu – Feminine noun form is attested 5 times with the meaning integrity.

·      µT; – Adjective form is attested 15 times with primary meanings complete, perfect and secondary meanings sound, wholesome, having integrity.

·       µymT; – Adjective form is attested 91 times with primary meanings complete, whole, entire, sound and secondary meanings sound, wholesome, innocent.  Although this word appears to be the masculine plural form for the previous word, it is not.  The mp form for the previous word is µyMiT' (tam-mim), and the mp form for this word is µymiymiT; (ta-mi-im).

In general this Hebrew word group is translated in the LXX by various forms of the Greek word group associated with tevloı.  This Greek word group has a similar range of meanings as the תמם word group, but certain Greek words in this group have significantly different implications than the תמם word group.  Nevertheless, both the Hebrew and Greek word groups have the root significance of being complete.  The idea of being perfect as this state of being is commonly understood in English today was probably not present in antiquity.

Use of µT; in the Hebrew Bible

As previously mentioned, this adjectival form occurs a total of 15 times.  These occurrences are listed in order of appearance below.

Gen 25:27

ויגדלו הנערים ויהי עשו איש יודע ציד איש שדה ויעקב איש תם ישב אהלים

So the lads grew, and Esau became a man knowing hunting, an outdoorsman, but Jacob became a complete man dwelling in tents.

Ex 26:24

ויהיו תאמים מלמטה ויחדו יהיו תמים על ראשו אל-הטבעת האחת כן יהיה לשניהם לשני המקצת יהיו

They shall be double beneath, and together they will be complete on its top to one ring; thus the two of them will become two corners.

Ex 36:29

והיו תואמם מלמטה ויחדו יהיו תמים אל-ראשו אל-הטבעת האחת כן עשה לשניהם לשני המקצת

They were double beneath, and they were complete to its top to one ring; thus they made of two of them into two corners.

Ps 37:37

שמר תם וראה ישר כי-אחרית לאיש שלום

Guard one complete, and perceive one upright, posterity is for a man of peace.

Ps 64:5

לירת במסתרים תם פתאם ירהו ולא ייראו

… with hiding places to shoot one complete; suddenly they will shoot and not fear.

Prov 29:10

אנשי דמים ישנאו תם וישרים יבקשו נפשו

Bloody men hate a complete one, but upright ones seek for his life.

Job 1:1

איש היה בארץ עוץ איוב שמו והיה האיש ההוא תם וירא אלהים וסר מרא

There was a man in the land of Utz named Job, and this man was complete: he feared God and turned from evil.

Job 1:8

ויאמר יהוה אל השטן השמת לבך על-עבדי איוב כי אין איש כמוהו בארץ איש תם וישר ירא אלהים וסר מרע

Then YHWH said to the accuser, "Have you considered in your heart my servant Job, for there is no man like him in the land?  He is a man complete and upright; he fears God and turns from evil."

Job 2:3

ויאמר יהוה אל השטן השמת לבך על-עבדי איוב כי אין איש כמוהו בארץ איש תם וישר ירא אלהים וסר מרע ועדנו מחזיק בתמתי ותסיתנו בו לבלעו חנם

Then YHWH said to the accuser, "Have you considered my servant Job, for there is no man like him in the land?  He is a man complete and upright; he fears God and turns from evil.  And still he holds fast to his completeness, although you incited me against him to ruin him for no reason."

Job 8:20

הן-אל לא ימאס-תם ולא יחזיק ביד-מרעים

Behold, God will not reject one complete, and he will not hold fast to evil doers.

Job 9:20

אם-אצדק פי ירשיעני תם-אני ויעקשני

If I am righteous, he will condemn me as guilty; If I am complete, he has pronounced me devious.

Job 9:21

תם-אני לא-אדע נפשי אמאס חיי

I am complete.  I do not know my soul; I despise my life.

Job 9:22

אחת היא על-כן אמרתי תם ורשע הוא מכלה

It is the same; therefore I said he destroys a complete one and a wicked one.

Cant 5:2

אני ישנה ולבי עד קול דודי דופק פתחי-לי אחתי רעיתי יונתי תמתי שראשי נמלא-טל קוצותי רסיסי לילה

I sleep, but my heart rouses itself.  A voice.  My beloved is knocking:  ‘Open to me, my sister my companion, my dove, my complete one; because my head has been filled with dew; my locks moistened with drops of night.’

Cant 6:9

אחת היא יונתי תמתי אחת היא לאמה ברה היא  ליולדתה ראוה בנות ויאשרוה מלכות ופילגשים ויהללוה

My dove, my complete one, she is unique.  She is the unique one of her mother.  She is a pure one of the one who bore her.  Daughters see her and they call her blessed.  Queens and concubines praise her.

Discussion

I have rendered every occurrence of µT; in the above passages by the single term complete to make the presence of the term obvious to a reader unfamiliar with Hebrew.  Obviously, this English term does not fit in many of these contexts, but in classical Hebrew usage of the term, the idea of completeness did fit each context perfectly.  This immediate question should arise: In what sense does the concept of complete fit these 15 passages?  Let me suggest that there is a similar idiom commonly used in English.  When we see a new born infant for the first time, a common reaction is to say, "Oh, he/she is just perfect."  What is meant by such a statement?  At very least the following:

·      All the fingers and toes are there.

·      There is no deformity.

·      Everything is the right size and shape for the infant's stage of development.

Not one of the above passages refers to an infant, but this modern idiomatic use gives, I think, a hint to the significance of µT; as it is used in the Hebrew bible.

·      The individual has all physical, mental, and spiritual attributes expected and desired.

·      The overall characteristics of these attributes are appropriate to the level of the individual's stage of development.

·      The assessment of µT; depends on the individual making the evaluation.  An assessment made by a human will necessarily be based on somewhat different standards than one made by God.

·      God will describe a person as µT; when that individual manifests the characteristics and conduct that God intended for his human creatures.  (Note: This is not the same as sinless righteousness, which is based on other criteria.)  Since the assessment is based on the individual's current stage of development, one should expect progression as the individual matures.  Such progression and development is easily seen in the life of Jacob as described in Genesis.