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Bible Dictionaries
Wash
Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words
or is chiefly used of "washing part of the body," John 13:5,6,8 (twice, figuratively in 2nd clause),12,14 (twice); in 1 Timothy 5:10 , including the figurative sense; in the Middle Voice, to wash oneself, Matthew 6:17; 15:2; Mark 7:3; John 9:7,11,15; 13:10 . For the corresponding noun see BASON.
"to wash off," is used in the Middle Voice, in Matthew 27:24 .
signifies "to bathe, to wash the body," (a) Active Voice, Acts 9:37; 16:33; (b) Passive Voice, John 13:10 , RV, "bathed" (AV, "washed"); Hebrews 10:22 , lit., "having been washed as to the body," metaphorical of the effect of the Word of God upon the activities to the believer; (c) Middle Voice, 2 Peter 2:22 . Some inferior mss. have it instead of luo, "to loose," in Revelation 1:5 (see RV).
"to wash off or away," is used in the Middle Voice, metaphorically, "to wash oneself," in Acts 22:16 , where the command to Saul of Tarsus to "wash away" his sins indicates that by his public confession, he would testify to the removal of his sins, and to the complete change from his past life; this "washing away" was not in itself the actual remission of his sins, which had taken place at his conversion; the Middle Voice implies his own particular interest in the act (as with the preceding verb "baptize," lit., "baptize thyself," i.e., "get thyself baptized"); the aorist tenses mark the decisiveness of the acts; in 1 Corinthians 6:11 , lit., "ye washed yourselves clean;" here the Middle Voice (rendered in the Passive in AV and RV, which do not distinguish between this and the next two Passives; see RV marg.) again indicates that the converts at Corinth, by their obedience to the faith, voluntarily gave testimony to the complete spiritual change Divinely wrought in them. In the Sept., Job 9:30 .
is used of "washing inanimate objects," e.g., "nets," Luke 5:2 (some texts have apopluno); of "garments," figuratively, Revelation 7:14; 22:14 (in the best texts; the AV translates those which have the verb poieo, "to do," followed by tas entolas autou, "His commandments").
"to sprinkle," is used in the Middle Voice in Mark 7:4 , in some ancient texts, of the acts of the Pharisees in their assiduous attention to the cleansing of themselves after coming from the market place (some texts have baptizo here). See SPRINKLE.
"to wet," is translated "to wash" in Luke 7:38,44 , AV; the RV, "to wet" and "hath wetted," gives the correct rendering. See RAIN , B.
is rendered "washed" in Luke 11:38 . See BAPTIZE.
Note: With regard to Nos. 1,3, 5, the Sept. of Leviticus 15:11 contains all three with their distinguishing characteristics, No. 1 being used of the hands, No. 3 of the whole body, No. 5 of the garments.These files are public domain.
Vines, W. E., M. A. Entry for 'Wash'. Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/ved/w/wash.html. 1940.
