Integrity – shalom, yashar, tam

by Brad Scott

This word comes from the Latin integritas which means wholeness, soundness health and uprightness. It comes from the word integer in mathematics, as in a whole number as opposed to a fraction. This word springs forth from primarily three Hebrew words. One with integrity is one with shelemut. That should look familiar. It is shalom, which of course actually means wholeness or completeness. One who is well rounded and balanced. Not necessarily great at one thing and then terribly lacking in others. The other word in Hebrew is yashar. This means to be straight or upright, as in the straight and narrow road, if you will. Its base is yesh which is the hand (yad) that repeats (shin), i.e. consistent, trustworthy. Add the resh to it and now you have a man who is trustworthy and reliable. Yesh is also the root of Yeshua’s name. Some believe that our English word 'yes' may come from this, as in let your yes be yes and your no be no. The last word is tam from which we get the word tammiym. It also means that which is complete and whole although translated many times in the English as perfect. Everything you do comes from (mem) His covenant (tav).

Bere’shiyt (Genesis) 6:9These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect [tam] in his generations, and Noah walked with God.

Mizemor (Psalm) 37:37Mark the perfect [tam, complete] man, and behold the upright [yashar]: for the end of that man is peace [shalom].

Mishlei (Proverbs) 3:17Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.

Yochanan (John) 14:27Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Shemot (Exodus) 15:26And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of YHVH thy God, and wilt do that which is right [yashar] in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am YHVH that healeth thee.

2 Corinthians 11:3But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity [yashar, tam] that is in Messiah.

Notice that Paul is concerned about the people being drawn away from what was in the garden in the beginning.

Shalom Alecheim! ◊