Lexical Summary
mum: Blemish, defect, imperfection
Original Word: מאוּם
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: m'uwm
Pronunciation: moom
Phonetic Spelling: (moom)
KJV: blemish, blot, spot
NASB: defect, spot
Word Origin: [as if passive participle from an unused root probably meaning to stain]
1. (physically or morally) a blemish
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
blemish, blot, spot
Usually muwm {moom}; as if passive participle from an unused root probably meaning to stain; a blemish (physically or morally) -- blemish, blot, spot.
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom an unused word
Definitionblemish, defect
NASB Translationdefect (1), spot (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
Job 31:7 (for , which, although found only late, is (si vera lectio) apparently original form, .Kö
ii. 146); — absolute:
Daniel 1:4.
Job 31:7 of moral stain; usually
Leviticus 21:17 (= foregoing; quiescent omitted) (Late Hebrew id.; Aramaic , 👁 Image
); — absolute Leviticus 21:17 16t.; suffix Proverbs 9:7; Deuteronomy 32:5; — blemish, defect (chiefly H):
,
, Leviticus 21:17,18,21 (twice in verse); Leviticus 21:23; disfiguring man 2 Samuel 14:25, woman Songs 4:7; (in all ); as caused by man upon man Leviticus 24:19,20.
(reference to sacrifice) Leviticus 22:20,21,25; Numbers 19:2; Deuteronomy 15:21 (twice in verse); Deuteronomy 17:1 (in all ).
Deuteronomy 32:5 (but text very dubious, compare Dr); Job 11:15; of shame of repulse Proverbs 9:7 "" .
Topical Lexicon
Scope of the TermStrong’s Hebrew 3971 (מאוּם) designates a flaw, defect, spot, or injury, whether literal or figurative. While its lexical range can include “damage” or “disgrace,” every occurrence shares the common idea of something that mars wholeness.
Levitical Use: Priestly and Sacrificial Standards
1. Priests
• Leviticus 21:17-23 repeatedly prohibits a descendant of Aaron “who has a defect” from approaching the altar. The word underscores that ministry before the Holy One demands unimpaired service.
• The restriction does not expel such priests from covenant community (21:22) but bars them from cultic functions, preserving the symbolism of perfect mediation.
2. Offerings
• “You are not to present anything with a defect, for it will not be accepted on your behalf” (Leviticus 22:20).
• The prohibition is reiterated for freewill offerings (22:21), foreign-purchased animals (22:25), the red heifer (Numbers 19:2), and firstborn livestock (Deuteronomy 15:21).
• Deuteronomy 17:1 presses the same point: even secret substitution of a blemished animal is abhorrent.
These statutes engrave upon Israel’s consciousness that fellowship with God is based on perfection He alone defines.
Civil Law and Restitution
Leviticus 24:19-20 extends מאוּם from sacrificial to social ethics: “If anyone inflicts an injury… whatever defect he inflicted on another must be inflicted on him”. The lex talionis principle guarded the value of the human body created in God’s image and prevented disproportionate vengeance.
National Covenant Accountability
Deuteronomy 32:5 laments Israel’s corruption: “A generation crooked and perverse, their defect is not His children.” The nation’s moral deviation is labeled with the same word used for physical flaws in worship, revealing that unfaithfulness pollutes corporate identity just as bodily defects disqualified priests.
Narrative Illustrations
• 2 Samuel 14:25 highlights Absalom: “There was not a defect in him from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.” Outward perfection masks inward rebellion, warning that appearance alone does not ensure righteousness.
• Daniel 1:4 records Babylon’s search for youths “without physical defect,” showing the term’s broader Near-Eastern usage for court service.
Wisdom Literature and Personal Integrity
• Job 11:15 envisions vindication: “Then you will lift up your face without blemish.”
• Job 31:7 measures moral character: “If any spot has clung to my hands.”
• Proverbs 9:7 cautions that one who rebukes the wicked “incurs dishonor [מאוּם],” because reproof can boomerang upon the righteous.
These texts apply the concept to reputation and conduct, moving from the altar to the heart.
Poetic Ideal
Song of Solomon 4:7 celebrates marital delight: “You are altogether beautiful, my darling; in you there is no flaw.” The covenant love between bride and groom is pictured as unmarred, mirroring the unblemished ideal of sacrificial worship.
Theological Trajectory
מאוּם establishes a pattern of accepted worship, communal justice, and personal holiness that anticipates the need for a flawless mediator and sacrifice. The New Testament draws directly on this heritage: “but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or spot” (1 Peter 1:19). All earlier regulations were shadows pointing to the One in whom there is truly “no defect.”
Practical Ministry Application
• Worship: God still calls for wholehearted, undivided offerings (Romans 12:1).
• Leadership: While physical perfection is no longer a prerequisite, moral and doctrinal integrity remain essential (1 Timothy 3:2).
• Discipline and Restoration: Injuries—whether relational or physical—must be addressed justly, reflecting Leviticus 24 principles moderated by gospel mercy (Matthew 5:38-42).
• Discipleship: Believers pursue holiness, “spotless and blameless” until the day of Christ (2 Peter 3:14), empowered by the perfect sacrifice that has once for all removed every מאוּם from their standing before God.
Forms and Transliterations
וּמ֖וּם ומום מ֔וּם מ֖וּם מ֗וּם מ֣וּם מִמּ֑וּם מֻאֽוּם׃ מֽוּם׃ מאום מוּם֙ מוּם֩ מוּמָ֑ם מוּמֽוֹ׃ מום מום׃ מומו׃ מומם ממום mim·mūm mimmūm miMum mu’ūm mu·’ūm mū·mām mū·mōw Mum mūm muMam mūmām muMo mūmōw muUm ū·mūm uMum ūmūm
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