Lexical Summary bar: pure, clean, innocent Original Word: בַּר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance choice, clean, clear, pure From barar (in its various senses); beloved; also pure, empty -- choice, clean, clear, pure. see HEBREW barar NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom barar Definition pure, clean NASB Translation clean (1), innocent (1), pure (4), who are pure (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs II. בַּר corn, III. בַּר pure, בָּר, I. II. בֹּר see ברר. II. בַּר adjective pure, clean, Job 11:4; Psalm 24:4; בָּר Proverbs 14:4; plural construct בָּרֵי Psalm 73:1; feminine בָּרָה Psalm 19:9; Songs 6:9,10; — 1 pure, clear: בר לבב pure in heart Psalm 24:4; ברי לבב Psalm 73:1; a pure damsel Songs 6:9,10, man Job 11:4, commands of God Psalm 19:9. 2 clean: אֵבוּס בָּר crib is clean Proverbs 14:4. 3 perhaps adverb נַשְּׁקובַֿר kiss purely, of sincere homage Psalm 2:12 but compare I. בַּר, p. 135. Topical Lexicon Summary of Old Testament Appearances The term occurs seven times and consistently conveys moral cleanness, visual brightness, or unadulterated integrity: Job 11:4; Psalm 19:8; Psalm 24:4; Psalm 73:1; Proverbs 14:4; Song of Songs 6:9; Song of Songs 6:10. Purity of Doctrine and Self‐Examination (Job 11:4) Zophar rebukes Job’s claim, “I am pure in Your sight.” God’s standard of purity exposes human presumption and prepares the reader for the gospel’s call to repentance (Romans 3:23). Ministers should guard against self-justification, measuring all teaching against Scripture’s purity. Radiance of Divine Revelation (Psalm 19:8) “The commandment of the LORD is radiant, giving light to the eyes.” Pure revelation dispels darkness in both intellect and conscience. The verse links moral purity with cognitive clarity, urging believers to approach Scripture as the unblemished source of wisdom (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Authentic Worship and Covenant Fidelity (Psalm 24:4; Psalm 73:1) Approach to the holy hill requires “clean hands and a pure heart.” Asaph affirms that God is “good … to the pure in heart.” External acts and inward motives unite; hypocrisy bars fellowship. Jesus echoes the theme: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matthew 5:8). Everyday Ethics and Agricultural Imagery (Proverbs 14:4) “Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean, but an abundant harvest comes through the strength of the ox.” Here purity (“clean”) describes an unused trough. True fruitfulness involves managed messiness; ministry that seeks sterile perfection often forfeits harvest. The proverb balances purity with productivity, warning against legalistic avoidance of risk. Covenant Love and Bridal Perfection (Song of Songs 6:9-10) “My dove, my perfect one (pure one) … clear as the sun.” Purity portrays the bride’s unmatched beauty, anticipating the Church presented to Christ “without spot or wrinkle” (Ephesians 5:27). The imagery affirms that holiness is both attractive and relational, not merely negative separation. Theological Threads • Moral Integrity: Purity is never abstract; it is evaluated before God’s face and rooted in the heart. Christological Significance Jesus fulfills the Old Testament ideal of purity—His life “knew no sin” (2 Corinthians 5:21). He grants imputed righteousness and works imparted purity through the Spirit (Titus 2:14). The recurring motif thus drives readers to the Savior who alone qualifies sinners for God’s presence. Pastoral and Discipleship Applications 1. Doctrine: Teach with transparency; error is impurity. Historical and Cultural Note In ancient Near Eastern thought, purity embraced both ritual cleanness and moral uprightness. Israel’s revelation uniquely fused the two, insisting that authentic worship flows from inner truth (Psalm 51:6). The word’s application to everyday objects (a manger) shows that biblical holiness permeates all of life. Intertextual Echoes • Psalms 12:6—God’s words “are flawless,” reinforcing the purity of revelation. The term, though sparse in frequency, threads a rich tapestry that spans personal integrity, revelatory light, covenant intimacy, and eschatological glory—calling believers to pursue and proclaim the purity that God provides and requires. Forms and Transliterations בָּ֑ר בָּ֝רָ֗ה בָּרָ֥ה בָּרָה֙ בר ברה וּ֝בַ֗ר וּֽבַר־ ובר ובר־ לְבָרֵ֥י לברי bā·rāh Bar bār baRah bārāh lə·ḇā·rê ləḇārê levaRei ū·ḇar ū·ḇar- ūḇar ūḇar- uVarLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Job 11:4 HEB: זַ֣ךְ לִקְחִ֑י וּ֝בַ֗ר הָיִ֥יתִי בְעֵינֶֽיךָ׃ NAS: And I am innocent in your eyes.' KJV: [is] pure, and I am clean in thine eyes. INT: is pure my teaching innocent am eyes Psalm 19:8 Psalm 24:4 Psalm 73:1 Proverbs 14:4 Songs 6:9 Songs 6:10 7 Occurrences |
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