Original Word: טָמַן
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: taman
Pronunciation: tah-MAHN
Phonetic Spelling: (taw-man')
KJV: hide, lay privily, in secret
NASB: hidden, hid, hide, buries, concealed, discarded, held in reserve
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to hide (by covering over)

hide, lay privily, in secret

A primitive root; to hide (by covering over) -- hide, lay privily, in secret.

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to hide, conceal
NASB Translation
buries (2), concealed (2), discarded (1), held in reserve (1), hid (8), hidden (9), hide (5), hiding (1), laying...secretly (1), secretly laid (1).

טָמַן verb hide, conceal, especially in earth (Late Hebrew id.; whence perhaps Aramaic טְמֵן keep, preserve; compare Arabic bury, hide (loan-word Frä¹³⁷); Aramaic , טְמַר id.); —

Qal Perfect טְמֵן Psalm 35:8 2t. etc; Imperfect וַיִּטְמֹן Genesis 35:4, etc.; Imperative suffix טָמְנֵהוּ Jeremiah 13:4; טָמְנֵם Job 40:13; Infinitive construct לִטְמוֺן Job 31:33; Psalm 64:6; Passive participle טָמוּן Job 3:16 3t.; טְמוּנָה Joshua 7:22; plural טְמֻנִים Joshua 7:21; construct טְמוּנֵיDeuteronomy 33:19; —

1 hide, with accusative Genesis 35:4 (E), Exodus 2:12 (E; dead body in sand), Joshua 2:6 (J E; spies under flax-stalks), Joshua 7:21,22 (J E; Achan's theft), Jeremiah 13:4,5,6,7 (Jeremiah's girdle), Jeremiah 43:9,10 (stones at Tahpanhes); hide, bury hand in dish (צַלָּ֑חַת) Proverbs 19:24; Proverbs 26:15 (of עָצֵל the sluggard); נֵפֶל טָמוּן Job 3:16 hidden abortion, i.e. a lifeless child at once buried; שְׂפֻנֵי טְמוּנֵי חול Deuteronomy 33:19 (poem); of hiding iniquity עון Job 31:33; hiding the wicked in the dust עפר Job 40:13.

2 often of hiding, concealing, secretly laying a snare רֶשֶׁת Psalm 9:16; Psalm 35:8, followed by לִי Psalm 31:5; שַׁחַת רִשְׁתָּם Psalm 35:7; מַּח followed by לִי Psalm 140:6; Psalm 142:4; followed by לרגלי Jeremiah 18:22; חבל Job 18:10; מוֺקשׁים Psalm 64:5.

3 טָמוּן that which is darkened = darkness, Job 40:13 nearly = ׃שְׁאוֺל ׳פניהם חֲבשׁ בט bind their faces in darkness (i.e. the wicked); hide = reserve Job 20:26 all darkness is held in reserve for his treasures, i.e. all calamities are stored up for them.

Niph`al Imperative חִטָּמֵן בֶּעָפָר ׳מִמְּנֵי מַּחַד י Isaiah 2:10 hide thyself in the dust, from before the terror of ׳י.

Hiph`il (or

Qal? Ba^{ZMG 1889, 180}) Imperfect וַיֵּלִכוּ וַיַּטְמִנוּ 2 Kings 7:8 (twice in verse) and they went and hid (it), i.e. plunder from Aramaic camp.

General Scope of the Verb

The verb טָמַן occurs about thirty-one times in the Hebrew Scriptures and always conveys the act of putting something out of sight—whether an object, a corpse, a trap, a weapon, or even one’s own hand. It therefore bridges the concrete and the moral: tangible concealment often becomes a parable of hidden sin or malignant ambush.

Geographical and Literary Spread

Occurrences cluster in the Torah (Exodus, Joshua), Wisdom literature (Job, Psalms, Proverbs), and the Prophets, confirming that the idea of concealment is woven through Israel’s historical narrative, worship, and prophetic admonition. No book presents the verb as neutral; each context shows that what is hidden must eventually be exposed by the righteous Judge.

Literal Acts of Burying or Stowing Away

1. Exodus 2:12 records Moses striking down the Egyptian and “hid him in the sand.” Concealment is born of a conflicted conscience; deliverance attempted in human strength ends in secrecy and flight.
2. Joshua 7:21-22 describes Achan’s theft: “They are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath.” The earth itself becomes a witness against him.
3. Job 40:13, in the divine challenge to Job, hears the LORD command, “Bury them all in the dust together; shroud their faces in darkness.” The action presses Job to acknowledge that only God can finally hide the wicked—in judgment, not escape.
4. Proverbs 19:24; 26:15 caricature the sluggard who “buries his hand in the dish” yet will not bring it back to his mouth; self-concealment here pictures wasted potential.

These narratives underline an ancient Near-Eastern custom: to conceal valuables or evidence in the ground. Clay floors, earthen vessels, and the sandy terrain of Canaan made covering an item simple, but God repeatedly reveals what the soil receives.

Laying Snares and Secret Plots

1. Psalm 35:7: “For without cause they hid their net for me; without reason they dug a pit for my soul.”
2. Psalm 140:5: “The proud have hidden a snare for me and have spread out the cords of their net; they have set traps for me along my path.”
3. Job 18:10 pictures the wicked: “A noose is hidden in the ground; a trap lies in the path.”

The verb moves from burying objects to burying traps, shifting the emphasis from secrecy for protection to secrecy for harm. Scripture treats every hidden snare as ultimately self-destructive; what is laid for another works back upon the plotter (Psalm 35:8).

Concealed Sin Versus Confession

Achan’s clandestine plunder and David’s reflections in the Psalms illustrate the larger theological point: no sin can remain hidden before the omniscient God. Judgment comes when the concealed is uncovered, yet grace comes to the one who brings darkness into the light (compare Proverbs 28:13 with 1 John 1:9). טָמַן therefore becomes a word of warning; what is deliberately buried must either be confessed or unearthed in discipline.

Divine Exposure and the Day of the Lord

Prophetic passages employ טָמַן to heighten eschatological tension. The wicked may hide snares, but the day is coming when every hidden motive will be laid bare (Ecclesiastes 12:14; Romans 2:16). Job 40:13 anticipates this unveiling: the Almighty alone will “shroud their faces in darkness,” not to shield but to judge.

Practical and Pastoral Reflections

• Integrity: Ministries that prize transparency embody the opposite of טָמַן. Hidden agendas erode trust; open lives adorn the gospel.
• Spiritual Warfare: Satan’s schemes are described as “hidden traps.” Vigilance and prayer unmask them, echoing Paul’s call to expose “the deeds of darkness.”
• Stewardship: Like Achan, believers today can bury resources—time, talents, or treasures—through selfish secrecy. True stewardship brings everything into the light of Christ’s lordship.
• Hope: For victims of injustice, the verb offers comfort. Every hidden snare is seen by God, and deliverance is assured in His timing (Psalm 140:6-8).

Summary

טָמַן reminds readers that concealment is never final. Whether hiding a body, a treasure, or a trap, human beings act under the all-seeing eye of God. Scripture transforms the verb into a moral lesson: what is buried will be uncovered—either by repentance unto life or by judgment unto death.

בַּטָּמֽוּן׃ בטמון׃ וְהִטָּמֵ֖ן וְטָמְנֵ֥הוּ וַֽיִּטְמְנֵ֖הוּ וַֽתִּטְמְנֵם֙ וַיִּטְמֹ֤ן וַיַּטְמִ֑נוּ וַיַּטְמִֽנוּ׃ וָאֶטְמְנֵ֖הוּ וּטְמַנְתָּ֤ם ואטמנהו והטמן וטמנהו וטמנתם ויטמן ויטמנהו ויטמנו ויטמנו׃ ותטמנם טְמ֥וּנֵי טְמַנְתִּ֣יו טְמוּנִ֥ים טְמוּנָ֛ה טָ֘מַ֤ן טָ֝מָ֗נוּ טָ֣מְנוּ טָ֭מוּן טָֽמְנֽוּ־ טָֽמְנוּ־ טָמ֣וּן טָמ֪וּן טָמְנ֖וּ טָמְנ֥וּ טָמְנֵ֣ם טָמַ֣ן טָמָ֑נְתִּי טמון טמונה טמוני טמונים טמן טמנו טמנו־ טמנם טמנתי טמנתיו לְטָמְנוֹ־ לִטְמ֖וֹן לִטְמ֣וֹן לטמון לטמנו־ baṭ·ṭā·mūn battaMun baṭṭāmūn lə·ṭā·mə·nōw- letamenov ləṭāmənōw- liṭ·mō·wn litMon liṭmōwn ṭā·mā·nə·tî ṭā·mā·nū ṭā·man ṭā·mə·nêm ṭā·mə·nū ṭā·mə·nū- ṭā·mūn taMan ṭāman taManeti ṭāmānətî taManu ṭāmānū tameNem ṭāmənêm Tamenu ṭāmənū ṭāmənū- Tamun ṭāmūn ṭə·man·tîw ṭə·mū·nāh ṭə·mū·nê ṭə·mū·nîm temanTiv ṭəmantîw temuNah ṭəmūnāh ṭəmūnê teMunei temuNim ṭəmūnîm ū·ṭə·man·tām utemanTam ūṭəmantām vaetmeNehu vaiyatMinu vaiyitmeNehu vaiyitMon vattitmeNem vehittaMen vetameNehu wā’eṭmənêhū wā·’eṭ·mə·nê·hū wat·tiṭ·mə·nêm wattiṭmənêm way·yaṭ·mi·nū way·yiṭ·mə·nê·hū way·yiṭ·mōn wayyaṭminū wayyiṭmənêhū wayyiṭmōn wə·hiṭ·ṭā·mên wə·ṭā·mə·nê·hū wəhiṭṭāmên wəṭāmənêhūInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts