Bible Lexicons

Girdlestone's Synonyms of the Old TestamentGirdlestone's OT Synonyms

Purification

One of the essential attributes of God is his purity. This truth is constantly set forth in Scripture, both in plain declarations and also in symbolical representations. 'God is light, and in him is no darkness at all' (1 John 1:5) in the remarkable vision recorded in Exodus 24:10, we read, 'They saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a (paved) work of a sapphire-stone, and as it were the body [Literally the bone of heaven, i.e. the very heaven itself. The Hebrews often used the word 'bone,' as we use 'marrow,' for the essence of a thing. Our word bone is literally boen or essence.] of heaven in his clearness.' With this description we may compare the vision of the Divine glory which St. John had, 'Before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal' (Revelation 4:6). What is compared in the one place to the brilliancy of the firmament [LXX, ὥσπερ εἰ̂δος στερεώματος του̂ οὐρανου̂ τῃ̂ καθαρότητι.]. is described in the other as an ocean of blazing crystal. That spotless purity which is the basis of the Divine character, and the atmosphere in which God exists, cannot indeed be adequately pictured forth by either of these figures. Even the heavens, though they declare his glory, are not pure in his sight. The ethereal splendour of the noonday is turned to darkness in the presence of Him who is 'the Father of lights.' Saul of Tarsus knew well the dazzling brightness of an Eastern sun at midday, but when the Divine glory of the Sun of Righteousness shone round about him, he found it to be 'above the brightness of the sun' (Acts 26:13).

The ideal condition of man is to be godlike, that is, to be pure and unpolluted in heart, word, and deed. But he fails to live up to this ideal. There is a fearful gulf between the purity of the Divine Being and that defilement which is, in greater or less degree, the sad inheritance of every child of Adam. How is this gulf to be spanned? Who is there that can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? 'If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands never so clean, yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch' (Job 9:30-31). 'Though thou wash thee with nitre, and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked before me, saith the Lord God' (Jeremiah 2:22). But what man cannot do, God Himself has done, according to the Scriptures. He has opened a fountain for sin and for uncleanness.

The process whereby moral impurity was to be done away was typified or shadowed forth by the purifications of the Levitical ritual; and the word which is in general use in the O.T. to express the process is thahér (טהר ), which signifies, in the intensive form, to make clear, bright, or shining, and hence to make or pronounce clean. It is used of clearness in the passage quoted at the beginning of this chapter.

External purification was taken at a very early time as a symbol of internal cleansing. Thus Jacob says to his household, 'Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments: and let us arise, and go up to Bethel' (Genesis 35:2). The cleansing and the change of dress were evidently intended to set forth the resolution to put away those false gods by which their lives had been contaminated. nor were the people of God peculiar in the use of this symbolical rite. It has been found in all ages and in almost all countries, especially where there is a hot climate. The word which is adopted for the purifications appointed by God is also used to express idolatrous purgations in Isaiah 66:17. The purification in the gardens there spoken of was simply misdirected symbolism.

Among the elements used for ceremonial cleansing in the Levitical system, three are especially to be noticed, namely, fire., water., and blood. Precious metals taken from idolatrous nations were to be passed through the fire; this process, together with an application of water, was considered to have purged them of their defilement. Clothing and all things that could not abide the fire were to be made to go through the water; and the persons of those who had come in contact with the heathen were to be reckoned unclean until this process was accomplished (Numbers 31:23-24). Cleansing by blood was needed in various cases of ceremonial defilement; in fact, 'almost all things are by the law purged with blood' (Hebrews 9:22).

No instance of ceremonial cleansing is more fully detailed or more interesting than that of the leper. Here we have to distinguish between three processes, each of which was called by the same name. There was, first, the actual cure of the disease; secondly, the authoritative pronunciation by the priest; and, thirdly, the external washings, offerings, and other rites which signed and sealed the same, and gave the healed man admittance into the congregation. With regard to the cleansing away of the disease, we have no exact account in Scripture. Leprosy appears to have come and gone, no one knew how. It was regarded as incurable by human means, and was considered to be a special visitation from God. Hence it was often designated as the plague or stroke. [ in the opinion of some scholars leprosy is referred to in Isaiah 63:4, where we read, 'yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.' Jerome's translation is 'et nos putavimus eumquasi leprosrsumet percussum a Deo et humiliatum,' 'we regarded him as if he were leprous, smitten of God, and humbled.'] The cure of Naaman is thus described, 'H is flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.' (2 Kings 5:14). It was with reference to this actual cure that the leper said to the Lord Jesus, 'Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.' What the waters of Jordan were appointed to do in the one case, to indicate that salvation was of the Jews, the word and touch of Jesus of Nazareth did in the other, to shew that saving power was vested in Him. Secondly came the inspection by the priest. 'Go, shew thyself to the priest.' If he was satisfied, by the presence of certain symptoms clearly described in the Law, that the man before him was cured, or 'clean' (in the first sense of the term), then he 'pronounced him clean' - literally, 'cleansed him.' The official and authoritative declaration of the fact is thus identified in language with the fact itself. [This word is unique, and marks severance rather than death.] in order, however, that the man thus doubly 'cleansed' might be received into the congregation and restored to those privileges from which he had been debarred, it was needful that he should be 'cleansed' in a third sense through the offering of certain gifts and the performance of sundry remarkable rites, including the being sprinkled with blood and washed with water (see Lev. chaps.13. and 14).

A few other leading instances of the use of the ceremonial word thahér for purification may be noticed. It is used to distinguish the clean from the unclean beasts (Genesis 7:2; Genesis 7:8; Genesis 8:20, Leviticus 20:25); to express the cleansing of the priests and Levites (Ezra 6:20); the cleansing of the people, the gates, and the walls of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 12:30; Nehemiah 13:9; Nehemiah 13:22; Nehemiah 13:30); of the l and (Ezekiel 39:12; Ezekiel 39:14; Ezekiel 39:16). It also represents the pure gold used in the construction of the tabernacle vessels, &c. (Exodus 25:1-40.); the pure perfume (Exodus 30:35); the clean place where the ashes of the offerings were cast (Leviticus 4:12; Leviticus 6:11); and clean persons, who were to perform certain rites (Leviticus 7:19; Leviticus 10:10; Leviticus 11:32, &c.).

When we turn to the Psalms and the Prophets, we find thahér used several times in a moral and spiritual sense. The following are the most important passages: - Psalms 12:6, 'The words of the Lord are pure words, as silver tried in an earthen furnace, purified seven times' Psalms 19:9, 'The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever.' Psalms 51:2, 'Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.' Psalms 51:7, 'Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.' Psalms 51:10, 'Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit with in me.' Proverbs 15:26, 'The words of the pure are pleasant words.' Proverbs 22:11, 'He that loveth pureness (or cleanness) of heart.' Jeremiah 13:27, 'O Jerusalem, wilt thou not be made clean?' Jeremiah 33:8, 'I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, and I will pardon all their iniquities.' Ezekiel 36:25; Ezekiel 36:33, 'Then will I sprinkle clean water up on you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you;' ' in the day that I shall have cleansed you from all your iniquities I will also cause you to dwell in the cities.' Ezekiel 37:23, 'I will save them out of all their dwelling-places, where in they have sinned, and will cleanse them.' Matthew 1:11, ' in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering,' in contrast with the polluted offering of verse 7. Matthew 3:3, 'He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.'

Purification According to the NT

With the exception of a few passages, thahér has been rendered by καθαρίζω in the LXX. The exceptions are as follows: - in 2 Chronicles 29:16; 2 Chronicles 29:18; 2 Chronicles 30:17-18, we find ἁγνίζω; in these passages reference is made to the cleansing or purification of the temple and the worshippers at the Feast of the Passover; ἀφαγνίζω occurs in Numbers 8:6; Numbers 8:21, where the cleansing of the Levites is spoken of; βρέχω, in Ezekiel 22:24, where the prophet speaks of the l and not being cleansed with rain; ἁγνεία, in 2 Chronicles 30:19; ἁγνισμός, in Numbers 8:7; δίκαιος, in Proverbs 30:12; and δοκιμός, in 2 Chronicles 9:17.

Tracing the Greek word καθαρίζω through the N.T., we find that the Levitical purifications marked by this word were fulfilled in Christ. He made a καθαρισμός, or purgation, whereby our sins are done away (Hebrews 1:3). his blood cleanseth from all sin (1 John 1:7). Consequently, 'If we confess our sins, God is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all iniquity' (1 John 1:9). The blood of Christ, who through the Eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purges the conscience from dead works, so that the purged person is in a position to serve (λατρεύειν) the living God (Hebrews 9:14). Christ loved the Church, and gave Himself for it, that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word (Ephesians 5:26). He gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works (Titus 2:14).

In connection with these announcements we have the corresponding exhortations, 'Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God' (2 Corinthians 7:1); 'Let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water' (Hebrews 10:22).

These passages teach that the offering of Christ is not only the pledge of pardon, but also the appointed means of cleansing for all who feel their moral pollution. The defilement of sin was to find its cure in that one great work. nor were its benefits confined to Jews. What God had cleansed was not to be regarded any longer as common or unclean. The middle wall of partition between Jew and Gentile was broken down. God made no difference; He purified the hearts of both through faith (Acts 15:9).

The cleansing thus effected through Christ answers to all the aspects of the ceremonial cleansing of the O.T.: there is the actual moral change in the individual, the clean heart, the renewed spirit, the godly life; there is the changed social position, membership in the body of Christ becoming a reality; and there is the being pronounced and regarded as clean in the sight of God through the mediatorial agency of the High Priest.