תֻּמָּה

From the study of Proverbs 11:3

Range of meaning

Wholeness, completeness, soundness of character, being undivided. It comes from the root ת-מ-ם, 'to be complete, finished, whole', the same root as tam ('blameless, whole', said of Job and Jacob) and tamim ('whole, without blemish', said of sacrificial animals and of people who walk wholeheartedly with God). The idea is not flawless perfection. It is a single, unsplit loyalty and a life that holds together.

Against the English

'Integrity' (KJV, BSB, WEB, YLT, ESV, NIV, NASB) is a good choice: the Latin integer also means 'whole, untouched'. But everyday modern English mostly uses 'integrity' to mean honesty or sticking to principles. NLT's 'Honesty' narrows it further. The Hebrew is wider: the whole person is undivided, so heart, speech and conduct line up.

How it drifted

English 'integrity' has drifted from 'wholeness' toward 'truthfulness' or 'being ethical'. The Hebrew keeps the older, fuller sense.

Used elsewhere in the period

Tummah is rare. Besides this verse it appears only in Job (2:3, 2:9, 27:5, 31:6): God says Job 'still holds fast his integrity', his wife asks 'Do you still hold fast your integrity?', and Job vows 'till I die I will not put away my integrity from me.' There it means steadfast loyalty that does not split under pressure. The Vulgate here translates it simplicitas, 'singleness, lack of duplicity'.

From the study of Job 27:5

Range of meaning

From tmm, 'to be complete, finished, whole'. Related words: tām ('blameless, whole', Job 1:1, 8; 2:3), tāmîm ('without defect', used of sacrificial animals and of people who walk wholeheartedly), tōm ('innocence, simplicity'). The word means wholeness, soundness and moral completeness: a life that is undivided, with no hidden double-dealing, wholly loyal to God and fair to others. The feminine form tummâ appears only five times, four of them in Job (2:3, 2:9, 27:5, 31:6), plus Proverbs 11:3.

Against the English

'Integrity' is a good match, and its Latin root integer ('whole, untouched') even shares the image of completeness. But modern English 'integrity' has narrowed toward personal honesty or keeping one's principles. Tummâ is wider and more relational: blamelessness before God, a whole and undivided life. It is not a claim of being sinless; Job admits youthful sins in 13:26.

How it drifted

The narrowing of 'integrity' to 'honesty / not compromising' in modern business and ethical usage.

Used elsewhere in the period

Job 2:3 (God: 'he still holds fast his integrity'); 2:9 (his wife: 'Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die'); 31:6 ('let God weigh me in just scales and know my integrity'); Proverbs 11:3 ('the integrity of the upright guides them'). Related tām/tāmîm: Genesis 6:9 (Noah); 17:1 (Abraham told 'walk before me and be blameless'); Psalm 26:1, 11 ('I have walked in my integrity', tōm).

From the study of Job 2:3

Range of meaning

The abstract noun from tmm: integrity, wholeness, the condition of being tām. It is rare: four times in Job (2:3, 9; 27:5; 31:6) and once in Proverbs (11:3, “the integrity of the upright guides them”).

Against the English

“Integrity” is a good rendering, especially in its root sense (Latin integer, “whole, untouched”). Modern English often narrows it to honesty or keeping one's word. The Hebrew is wider: a whole life that is consistently and sincerely oriented toward God and right conduct.

How it drifted

Mild drift only. Modern “integrity” leans toward honesty and professional ethics, while the Hebrew word is about undivided wholeness of character.

Used elsewhere in the period

Job 2:9 (his wife: “Are you still holding fast your tummāh? Curse God and die”); 27:5–6 (“Till I die I will not put away my tummāh from me”); 31:6 (“let God weigh me… and he will know my tummāh”); Prov 11:3. The Septuagint uses akakia, “guilelessness, innocence”, and the Vulgate innocentia.