Original Word: תֻּמָּה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: tummah
Pronunciation: too-maw'
Phonetic Spelling: (toom-maw')
KJV: integrity
NASB: integrity
Word Origin: [feminine of H8537 (תּוֹם - integrity)]

1. innocence

integrity

Feminine of tom; innocence -- integrity.

see HEBREW tom

Word Origin
from tamam
Definition
integrity
NASB Translation
integrity (5).

[תֻּמָּה] noun feminine integrity (late); — construct תֻּמַּת Proverbs 11:3; suffix תֻּמָּתִי Job 27:5; Job 31:6; תֻּמָּתֶ֑ךָ Job 2:9; תֻּמְּתוֺ Job 2:3.

Definition and Conceptual Scope

The noun denotes moral wholeness expressed in consistent devotion to God and straightforward dealings with people. It carries the idea of being the same “through and through,” free from duplicity or hidden defect. While often rendered “integrity,” its nuance includes innocence, completeness, and unwavering loyalty.

Occurrences and Narrative Context

1. Job 2:3 – In the heavenly council the LORD commends Job, testifying that “He still retains his integrity.” The verse portrays integrity as resilience under unmerited suffering, sustained by reverent fear of God.
2. Job 2:9 – Job’s wife challenges that endurance: “Do you still retain your integrity? Curse God and die!” Integrity is shown to be something visible, even to detractors, and therefore open to temptation.
3. Job 27:5 – Job solemnly vows, “I will maintain my integrity until I die.” Here integrity is a line Job refuses to cross for relief or reputation; it is worth more than vindication before friends.
4. Job 31:6 – “Let God weigh me with accurate scales, and He will know my integrity.” Job invites divine audit, confident that genuine wholeness will stand up under God’s scrutiny.
5. Proverbs 11:3 – “The integrity of the upright guides them, but the perversity of the faithless destroys them.” Wisdom literature sets integrity as a compass for life, contrasting it with the self-destructive path of treachery.

Theological Significance

1. Divine Recognition: In Job 2:3 the LORD Himself is the first to acknowledge human integrity, showing it is not self-defined but measured against God’s righteous standard.
2. Evidence of Fear of God: Integrity is linked with reverence (“fears God and shuns evil”), demonstrating that proper worship necessarily shapes moral character.
3. Covenant Ideal: The term echoes the call to wholeheartedness in Deuteronomy 18:13 (“You must be blameless before the LORD your God”), revealing the continuity between wisdom, covenant law, and prophetic exhortation.
4. Eschatological Foreshadowing: Job’s appeal to divine weighing anticipates final judgment scenes (Ecclesiastes 12:14; Revelation 20:12), where hidden motives are exposed.

Practical Ministry Implications

• Pastoral Counseling: Job’s narrative counsels sufferers that maintaining integrity is possible even when circumstances appear to contradict divine favor.
• Leadership Qualification: Proverbs 11:3 establishes integrity as a guiding principle, making it an indispensable trait for elders, deacons, and anyone entrusted with oversight (compare 1 Timothy 3:2).
• Discipleship Formation: Teaching on integrity should emphasize inner congruity over external compliance, cultivating believers who can withstand both prosperity and adversity without compromise.

Christological and New Testament Resonance

Jesus embodies ultimate integrity, never deviating from the Father’s will (John 8:29). His flawless obedience fulfills what Job prefigures and Proverbs commends. The apostolic witness urges believers to emulate this integrity: “Conduct yourselves with reverence during your stay as foreigners” (1 Peter 1:17), ensuring that behavior aligns with a redeemed identity.

Applications for the Church

• Ethical Decision-Making: Congregations should weigh actions against the standard of integrity, rejecting utilitarian shortcuts.
• Corporate Witness: A church marked by integrity offers a credible gospel testimony, countering skepticism bred by hypocrisy.
• Spiritual Warfare: Like Job, believers resist the accuser by clinging to integrity, trusting that God vindicates in His time.

בְּתֻמָּת֔וֹ בְּתֻמָּתֶ֑ךָ בתמתו בתמתך תֻּמַּ֣ת תֻּמָּתִ֣י תֻּמָּתִֽי׃ תמת תמתי תמתי׃ bə·ṯum·mā·ṯe·ḵā bə·ṯum·mā·ṯōw betummaTecha bəṯummāṯeḵā betummaTo bəṯummāṯōw tum·mā·ṯî tum·maṯ tumMat tummaṯ tummaTi tummāṯîInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts