8580. tinshemeth
Strong's Lexicon
tinshemeth: Mole, chameleon, or owl (depending on context)

Original Word: תַּנְשֶׁמֶת
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: tanshemeth
Pronunciation: tin-sheh'-meth
Phonetic Spelling: (tan-sheh'-meth)
Definition: Mole, chameleon, or owl (depending on context)
Meaning: a hard breather, two unclean creatures, a lizard and a, bird, the tree-toad and the water-hen

Word Origin: Derived from the root נָשַׁם (nasham), meaning "to pant" or "to breathe."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: There is no direct Greek equivalent in the Strong's Concordance, as the concept of clean and unclean animals is primarily an Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) concern. However, the Greek term "κοράξ" (korax) for "raven" or "crow" (Strong's G2873) might be considered in discussions of unclean birds.

Usage: The Hebrew word "tinshemeth" is used in the Old Testament to refer to certain unclean animals. The exact identification of these animals is debated, but it is generally understood to refer to creatures that were considered unclean under the Mosaic Law. The term is used in the context of dietary laws, where certain animals are prohibited for consumption by the Israelites.

Cultural and Historical Background: In ancient Israel, the dietary laws were a significant aspect of religious and cultural identity. These laws, found in Leviticus and Deuteronomy, outlined clean and unclean animals, shaping the daily lives and practices of the Israelites. The identification of "tinshemeth" with specific animals like the mole, chameleon, or owl reflects the broader ancient Near Eastern understanding of purity and impurity, where certain animals were associated with negative or undesirable traits.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from nasham
Definition
(an animal) perhaps owl, chameleon
NASB Translation
chameleon (1), white owl (2).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
תִּנְשֶׁ֫מֶת noun feminine an animal; — ׳ת Leviticus 11:18, תִּנְשָּׁ֑מֶת Leviticus 11:30; Deuteronomy 14:16: —

1 unclean bird, the ibis, water-hen, ᵐ5. πορφυρίων, (accusative TristrNHB 249); or species of owl (Di Bu SS); pelican (Ges): Leviticus 11:18 = Deuteronomy 14:16.

2 unclean שֶׁרֶץ Leviticus 11:30, lizard (Saad TristrNHB 120), or chameleon (BoHieroz. i. 1078 ff.; ed. Rosenm. ii. 503 ff.), so most; (deriving name from alleged living on air, PlinNH viii. 51; but this not applicable to 1; compare LagBN 130 f.).

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
mole, swan

From nasham; properly, a hard breather, i.e. The name of two unclean creatures, a lizard and a bird (both perhaps from changing color through their irascibility), probably the tree-toad and the water-hen -- mole, swan.

see HEBREW nasham

Forms and Transliterations
הַתִּנְשֶׁ֥מֶת התנשמת וְהַתִּנְשָֽׁמֶת׃ והתנשמת׃ hat·tin·še·meṯ hattinšemeṯ hattinShemet vehattinShamet wə·hat·tin·šā·meṯ wəhattinšāmeṯ
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Leviticus 11:18
HEB: וְאֶת־ הַתִּנְשֶׁ֥מֶת וְאֶת־ הַקָּאָ֖ת
NAS: and the white owl and the pelican
KJV: And the swan, and the pelican,
INT: and the white and the pelican and the carrion

Leviticus 11:30
HEB: וְהַלְּטָאָ֑ה וְהַחֹ֖מֶט וְהַתִּנְשָֽׁמֶת׃
NAS: and the sand reptile, and the chameleon.
KJV: and the snail, and the mole.
INT: and the lizard and the sand and the chameleon

Deuteronomy 14:16
HEB: וְאֶת־ הַיַּנְשׁ֖וּף וְהַתִּנְשָֽׁמֶת׃
NAS: the great owl, the white owl,
KJV: and the great owl, and the swan,
INT: the little the great the white

3 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 8580
3 Occurrences


hat·tin·še·meṯ — 1 Occ.
wə·hat·tin·šā·meṯ — 2 Occ.















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