טָמֵא ṭâmêʼ — to be foul, especially in a ceremial or moral sense (contaminated)
Translated in the KJV as defile, pollute, be (make, make self, pronounce) unclean, × utterly.
a primitive root; to be foul, especially in a ceremial or moral sense (contaminated).
ṭâmêʼ in each stem
Qal (Pa'al)
Imperfect (yiqtol) 37Sequential perfect (weqatal) 26Infinitive construct 7Wayyiqtol 4Perfect (qatal) 3
Or if he touch the uncleanness of man, whatsoever uncleanness it be that a man shall be defiled withal, and it be hid from him; when he knoweth of it, then he shall be guilty.
And for these ye shall be unclean: whosoever toucheth the carcase of them shall be unclean until the even.
And whosoever beareth ought of the carcase of them shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even.
Pi'el
Perfect (qatal) 17Sequential perfect (weqatal) 11Infinitive construct 7Wayyiqtol 7Imperfect (yiqtol) 5Jussive 1Infinitive absolute 1Imperative 1
And Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter: now his sons were with his cattle in the field: and Jacob held his peace until they were come.
And the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father deceitfully, and said, because he had defiled Dinah their sister:
The sons of Jacob came upon the slain, and spoiled the city, because they had defiled their sister.
Niph'al
Perfect (qatal) 14Sequential perfect (weqatal) 2Participle (passive) 2
Ye shall not make yourselves abominable with any creeping thing that creepeth, neither shall ye make yourselves unclean with them, that ye should be defiled thereby.
Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you:
And a man lie with her carnally, and it be hid from the eyes of her husband, and be kept close, and she be defiled, and there be no witness against her, neither she be taken with the manner;
Hitpa'el
Imperfect (yiqtol) 12Jussive 3
And for these ye shall be unclean: whosoever toucheth the carcase of them shall be unclean until the even.
Ye shall not make yourselves abominable with any creeping thing that creepeth, neither shall ye make yourselves unclean with them, that ye should be defiled thereby.
Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you:
Hotpa'al
Perfect (qatal) 1
Her former husband, which sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after that she is defiled; for that is abomination before the Lord: and thou shalt not cause the land to sin, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.
Pu'al
Participle (passive) 1
Then said I, Ah Lord God! behold, my soul hath not been polluted: for from my youth up even till now have I not eaten of that which dieth of itself, or is torn in pieces; neither came there abominable flesh into my mouth.
What the stems mean
A Hebrew verb is its root letters set into a pattern. The pattern — the binyan — is the grammar's way of saying three things at once: whether the action is simple, intensive or causative, and whether its subject is active, passive or reflexive. That is why one Hebrew word can need six English ones. All seven binyanim, explained ›