Original Word: תְּמוּרָה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: tmuwrah
Pronunciation: te-moo-RAH
Phonetic Spelling: (tem-oo-raw')
KJV: (ex-)change(-ing), recompense, restitution
NASB: substitute, exchange, exchanged, reward, trading
Word Origin: [from H4171 (מוּר - change)]

1. barter, compensation

exchanging, recompense, restitution

From muwr; barter, compensation -- (ex-)change(-ing), recompense, restitution.

see HEBREW muwr

Word Origin
from mur
Definition
exchange, recompense
NASB Translation
exchange (1), exchanged (1), reward (1), substitute (2), trading (1).

תְּמוּרָה noun feminine exchange, recompense; — ׳ת Ruth 4:7; suffix תְּמוּרָתוֺ Leviticus 27:10 3t.; תְּמוּרָתָהּ Job 28:17; — exchange = thing acquired by exchange Leviticus 27:10,33; Job 28:17; חֵיל תְּמוּרָתוֺ Job 20:18 wealth acquired by exchange (figurative; read possibly הֵילוֺ as his wealth (so) his exchange, Bu); recompense (for worldliness) Job 15:31; abstract exchanging Ruth 4:7 ("" גְּאוּלָּה).

מוֺר, מֹר see מרר.

מוֺרָא, I. מוֺרָה see יָרֵא.

Overview and Semantic Range

The noun תְּמוּרָה appears six times in the Hebrew Scriptures and carries the idea of exchange, substitution, or recompense. Its distribution across Torah, historical narrative, and wisdom literature allows it to address priestly sanctity, civil transactions, and philosophical reflection on gain and loss.

Covenantal and Legal Context in Leviticus

In the instructions on vowed offerings, תְּמוּרָה underscores the permanence of what is devoted: “He shall not exchange it or substitute it, either a good for a bad or a bad for a good; but if he does substitute one animal for another, both the original animal and its substitute shall become holy” (Leviticus 27:10; cf. 27:33). Three principles emerge:

1. Once consecrated, an object belongs to the LORD; attempted substitutions only multiply what is holy.
2. Human efforts to bargain with God expose the seriousness of vows.
3. Acceptable substitution must come from God’s direction, foreshadowing the need for a divinely appointed Substitute.

Economic and Social Customs in Ruth

Ruth 4:7 records an ancient transfer ritual: “Now in former times in Israel, concerning the redemption and exchange of property, to confirm any matter, a man would remove his sandal and give it to the other. This was the method of legal transfer in Israel”. Here תְּמוּרָה identifies a lawful exchange—the handover of redemption rights. Boaz’s action epitomizes covenant faithfulness and previews the redemptive work of the ultimate Kinsman-Redeemer.

Wisdom Literature: Job’s Use

Job’s three occurrences expose both vain and priceless exchanges.

• Job 15:31—Self-sufficient sinners “trust in emptiness,” receiving emptiness as their tְּמוּרָה (reward).
• Job 20:18—The wicked must “return the fruit of his labor… he cannot enjoy the profits of his trading”; illicit gain is surrendered.
• Job 28:17—Wisdom “cannot be exchanged for jewels of fine gold”; no earthly commodity equals it.

Together they teach that unjust exchanges end in futility, whereas divine wisdom is incommensurable.

Theological Themes

1. Sacred Irreversibility—Attempts to switch what is holy intensify obligation (Leviticus).
2. Redemption and Representation—The sandal ceremony shows one acting in another’s stead (Ruth).
3. Vanity versus Value—Illicit trades fail; true value rests in wisdom and righteousness (Job).
4. Foreshadowing the Gospel—Only the Substitute God provides can lawfully stand in our place (Isaiah 53:5; 2 Corinthians 5:21).

Ministry Application

• Integrity in Commitments—Vowed resources and talents remain the Lord’s; renegotiation heightens accountability (Luke 9:62).
• Stewardship and Contentment—Job’s warnings caution against materialistic exchanges (Matthew 16:26).
• Proclaiming Substitutionary Atonement—Leviticus frames Christ’s sacrifice as the sole valid תְּמוּרָה for sin, satisfying divine justice (Hebrews 10:10).

Homiletical Suggestions

• “The Cost of Substitution” (Leviticus 27): a sermon on the folly of manipulating dedicated service.
• “Redeemed with a Sandal” (Ruth 4): a study of covenantal exchanges pointing to Christ.
• “Empty Trades and Priceless Wisdom” (Job 15; 20; 28): a discipleship lesson on true value.

Across its six occurrences, תְּמוּרָה consistently stresses that real gain arises only from God-sanctioned exchange, culminating in the Messiah’s redemptive act where our sin is traded for His righteousness.

הַתְּמוּרָה֙ התמורה וּתְמ֖וּרָתָ֣הּ וּתְמוּרָת֖וֹ וּתְמוּרָת֛וֹ ותמורתה ותמורתו תְּ֝מוּרָת֗וֹ תְמוּרָתֽוֹ׃ תמורתו תמורתו׃ hat·tə·mū·rāh hattemuRah hattəmūrāh tə·mū·rā·ṯōw ṯə·mū·rā·ṯōw temuraTo təmūrāṯōw ṯəmūrāṯōw ū·ṯə·mū·rā·ṯāh ū·ṯə·mū·rā·ṯōw uteMuraTah ūṯəmūrāṯāh utemuraTo ūṯəmūrāṯōwInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts