Consumed, All Uses Of
On this page all verses using the Hebrew word “tamam” (H8552) are listed to help understand the meaning of “consumed.” The major meanings according to Strong’s are something like finished, completed, used up or to be physically destroyed, killed or consumed. I have classified them going by the context in each case as either of those possible meanings. Additionally, the word in some verses could be understood to have either meaning. A final category was where a verse in context indicated someone was killed by God.
The color-coding used in the verses:
The words translated from “tamam” are color coded according to the classification list above for each verse below.
“And when money failed in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came unto Joseph, and said, Give us bread: for why should we die in thy presence? for the money faileth.” (Gen 47:15)
“When that year was ended, they came unto him the second year, and said unto him, We will not hide it from my lord, how that our money is spent; my lord also hath our herds of cattle; there is not ought left in the sight of my lord, but our bodies, and our lands:” (Gen 47:18)
“And if a man sell a dwelling house in a walled city, then he may redeem it within a whole year after it is sold; within a full year may he redeem it.” (Lev 25:29)
“And your strength shall be spent in vain: for your land shall not yield her increase, neither shall the trees of the land yield their fruits.” (Lev 26:20)
“And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcases be wasted in the wilderness.” (Num 14:33)
“I the LORD have said, I will surely do it unto all this evil congregation, that are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.” (Num 14:35)
Note: the cause of death is not stated.
“Whosoever cometh any thing near unto the tabernacle of the LORD shall die: shall we be consumed with dying?” (Num 17:13)
Note: this was the people talking, not a pronouncement from God.
“And the LORD’S anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation, that had done evil in the sight of the LORD, was consumed.” (Num 32:13)
Note: God’s anger or wrath involves Him allowing the sinner to experience the natural results of his own actions as opposed to imposing something upon him.
“And the space in which we came from Kadeshbarnea, until we were come over the brook Zered, was thirty and eight years; until all the generation of the men of war were wasted out from among the host, as the LORD sware unto them.” (Deut 2:14)
“For indeed the hand of the LORD was against them, to destroy them from among the host, until they were consumed.” (Deut 2:15)
Note: this critical text is examined at https://characterofgod.org/deuteronomy-2-15/
“So it came to pass, when all the men of war were consumed and dead from among the people,” (Deut 2:16)
“And it came to pass, when Moses had made an end of writing the words of this law in a book, until they were finished,” (Deut 31:24)
“And Moses spake in the ears of all the congregation of Israel the words of this song, until they were ended.” (Deut 31:30)
“And the children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days: so the days of weeping and mourning for Moses were ended.” (Deut 34:8)
“That the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho.” (Josh 3:16)
“And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan.” (Josh 3:17)
“And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over Jordan, that the LORD spake unto Joshua, saying,” (Josh 4:1)
“For the priests which bare the ark stood in the midst of Jordan, until every thing was finished that the LORD commanded Joshua to speak unto the people, according to all that Moses commanded Joshua: and the people hasted and passed over.” (Josh 4:10)
“And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over, that the ark of the LORD passed over, and the priests, in the presence of the people.” (Josh 4:11)
“For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the people that were men of war, which came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they obeyed not the voice of the LORD: unto whom the LORD sware that he would not shew them the land, which the LORD sware unto their fathers that he would give us, a land that floweth with milk and honey.” (Josh 5:6)
“And it came to pass, when they had done circumcising all the people, that they abode in their places in the camp, till they were whole.” (Josh 5:8)
“And it came to pass, when Israel had made an end of slaying all the inhabitants of Ai in the field, in the wilderness wherein they chased them, and when they were all fallen on the edge of the sword, until they were consumed, that all the Israelites returned unto Ai, and smote it with the edge of the sword.” (Josh 8:24)
“And it came to pass, when Joshua and the children of Israel had made an end of slaying them with a very great slaughter, till they were consumed, that the rest which remained of them entered into fenced cities.” (Josh 10:20)
“And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither.” (1 Sam 16:11)
“And lo Zadok also, and all the Levites were with him, bearing the ark of the covenant of God: and they set down the ark of God; and Abiathar went up, until all the people had done passing out of the city.” (2 Sam 15:24)
“Then she spake, saying, They were wont to speak in old time, saying, They shall surely ask counsel at Abel: and so they ended the matter.” (2 Sam 20:18)
“With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful, and with the upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright.” (2 Sam 22:26)
“And the whole house he overlaid with gold, until he had finished all the house: also the whole altar that was by the oracle he overlaid with gold.” (1 Kings 6:22)
“And upon the top of the pillars was lily work: so was the work of the pillars finished.” (1 Kings 7:22)
“Therefore, behold, I will bring evil upon the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel, and will take away the remnant of the house of Jeroboam, as a man taketh away dung, till it be all gone.” (1 Kings 14:10)
“And one of his servants answered and said, Let some take, I pray thee, five of the horses that remain, which are left in the city, (behold, they are as all the multitude of Israel that are left in it: behold, I say, they are even as all the multitude of the Israelites that are consumed🙂 and let us send and see.” (2 Kings 7:13)
“Go up to Hilkiah the high priest, that he may sum the silver which is brought into the house of the LORD, which the keepers of the door have gathered of the people:” (2 Kings 22:4)
“Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? or is it gain to him, that thou makest thy ways perfect?” (Job 22:3)
“Let thistles grow instead of wheat, and cockle instead of barley. The words of Job are ended.” (Job 31:40)
“O thou enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end: and thou hast destroyed cities; their memorial is perished with them.” (Psa 9:6)
“With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright;” (Psa 18:25)
“Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.” (Psa 19:13)
“They search out iniquities; they accomplish a diligent search: both the inward thought of every one of them, and the heart, is deep.” (Psa 64:6)
“How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors.” (Psa 73:19)
“But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.” (Psa 102:27)
“Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the LORD, O my soul. Praise ye the LORD.” (Psa 104:35)
“Let mine outcasts dwell with thee, Moab; be thou a covert to them from the face of the spoiler: for the extortioner is at an end, the spoiler ceaseth, the oppressors are consumed out of the land.” (Isa 16:4)
“For afore the harvest, when the bud is perfect, and the sour grape is ripening in the flower, he shall both cut off the sprigs with pruning hooks, and take away and cut down the branches.” (Isa 18:5)
“Woe to thee that spoilest, and thou wast not spoiled; and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee! when thou shalt cease to spoil, thou shalt be spoiled; and when thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee.” (Isa 33:1)
“It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month.” (Jer 1:3)
“The bellows are burned, the lead is consumed of the fire; the founder melteth in vain: for the wicked are not plucked away.” (Jer 6:29)
“Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the prophets that prophesy in my name, and I sent them not, yet they say, Sword and famine shall not be in this land; By sword and famine shall those prophets be consumed.” (Jer 14:15)
“And I will send the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, among them, till they be consumed from off the land that I gave unto them and to their fathers.” (Jer 24:10)
“And it shall come to pass, that the nation and kingdom which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and that will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation will I punish, saith the LORD, with the sword, and with the famine, and with the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand.” (Jer 27:8)
Note: the consuming was by the hand of King Nebuchadnezzar. God merely allowed it to happen as the rebellious Jews would not turn to Him and His protection. The same would be true for the previous two verses. It is clear that the sword and famine were from the Babylonian’s siege and warfare. It is important to know what punishment from God means.
“And it came to pass, that when Jehudi had read three or four leaves, he cut it with the penknife, and cast it into the fire that was on the hearth, until all the roll was consumed in the fire that was on the hearth.” (Jer 36:23)
“Then Zedekiah the king commanded that they should commit Jeremiah into the court of the prison, and that they should give him daily a piece of bread out of the bakers’ street, until all the bread in the city were spent. Thus Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.” (Jer 37:21)
“And I will take the remnant of Judah, that have set their faces to go into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, and they shall all be consumed, and fall in the land of Egypt; they shall even be consumed by the sword and by the famine: they shall die, from the least even unto the greatest, by the sword and by the famine: and they shall be an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach.” (Jer 44:12)
“But since we left off to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, we have wanted all things, and have been consumed by the sword and by the famine.” (Jer 44:18)
Note: in this verse, the people are connecting their problems to the time they were not burning incense to the queen of heaven. Popular belief in ancient cultures was that not appeasing a god would result in that god’s displeasure and punishment. Therefore, they were crediting their misfortunes to punishment from the queen of heaven.
“Behold, I will watch over them for evil, and not for good: and all the men of Judah that are in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by the famine, until there be an end of them.” (Jer 44:27)
“It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.” (Lam 3:22)
Note: “not consumed” so actually not a case of physical destruction. God, in His mercy, limits destruction, He does not cause it.
“The punishment of thine iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion; he will no more carry thee away into captivity: he will visit thine iniquity, O daughter of Edom; he will discover thy sins.” (Lam 4:22)
“And I will scatter thee among the heathen, and disperse thee in the countries, and will consume thy filthiness out of thee.” (Eze 22:15)
“Heap on wood, kindle the fire, consume the flesh, and spice it well, and let the bones be burned.” (Eze 24:10)
“Then set it empty upon the coals thereof, that the brass of it may be hot, and may burn, and that the filthiness of it may be molten in it, that the scum of it may be consumed.” (Eze 24:11)
“And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine.” (Eze 47:12)
“And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up.” (Dan 8:23)
“Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.” (Dan 9:24)
Summary
There are no cases (in 64 occurrences) where anyone is clearly being killed by God. Of the six cases where the word could mean destroyed or killed, one is in the negative (which would actually reduce the number to five). The verse most likely, according to common understanding, to indicate a killing by God would be Deuteronomy 2:15 which has been carefully examined on this website and shown not to mean that.
The classification is obviously subject to some interpretation. You can check that for yourself in each verse.
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