Tamim (תָּמִים) is a Hebrew word from the root tamam (תָּמַם), meaning complete, whole, perfect, blameless, or without blemish.  It is used across the Hebrew Bible to describe:

• Physical wholeness: Animals offered as sacrifices had to be tamim—without defect or blemish (e.g., Exodus 12:5). 
• Moral and spiritual integrity: Individuals like Noah (Genesis 6:9), Abraham (Genesis 17:1), and Job (Job 1:1) are described as tamim, signifying blameless, upright, and wholehearted devotion to God. 
• Divine perfection: God’s ways, works, and law are called tamim (e.g., Deuteronomy 32:4; Psalm 19:7), indicating moral and spiritual completeness. 
• Wholehearted commitment: In Deuteronomy 18:13, the command to be tamim with God emphasizes wholehearted, sincere devotion—not moral perfectionism, but undivided loyalty and trust. 

While modern Hebrew sometimes uses tamim to mean naïve or innocent, in the biblical context, it conveys spiritual maturity, integrity, and completeness—a life fully devoted to God.

If you notice, every translation except the OJB (Orthodox Jewish Bible), translates “tamim” as a requirement that must be done by Abram.

I want to suggest that the standard translation gets the meaning here very wrong. Rather than God demanding that Abraham walk in perfection, blameless before him, I believe God is telling Abram, that through His covenant, Abram will walk with him, and will be whole, complete, mature, and perfect.

This IS the covenant. This means, that God’s intention for Abraham, and his offspring, is to walk with Him and to be whole. That is His purpose. Why? because Humanity has been broken, and are no longer worthy to draw near to God. The Torah is the instruction for the offspring of Abraham, on how to walk before God – but it is God Himself who will make them whole.

Yeshua was the spotless lamb, the perfect one, who was worthy to break the seals and to open the scrolls. He gave his life so that all those who call on hiss name will receive wholeness. We are a new creation, born again into new life, a life that is no longer our own, because we died to our own will so that His will will be done through us, as we abide in Him through Yeshua.

If this is the desire of God, to have Abraham and his offspring whole, and to be with Him, then we know what the will of God is. This should be what we life for – to become whole, and to help each other to become whole. It’s really that simple. It’s what the whole Torah is teaching: Love God with all your heart, mind soul and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself.

What is the fruit of this? Love, joy, peace, patience, kindess, goodness, gentleness and self-control. If these are the fruit of my life, I am walking before the Lord as a whole person.