Lexical Summary zakah: To be clean, pure, or innocent Original Word: זָכָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance be make clean, cleanse, be clear, count pure A primitive root (compare zakak); to be translucent; figuratively, to be innocent -- be (make) clean, cleanse, be clear, count pure. see HEBREW zakak NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to be clear, clean or pure NASB Translation blameless (1), clean (1), cleansed (1), justify (1), keep his pure (1), kept my pure (1), make yourselves clean (1), pure (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [זָכָה] verb be clear, clean, pure, always in moral sense (Assyrian zakû ZimBP; Aramaic דְּכָא,  ,  ; compare Arabic  be bright (of a fire), pungent (of an odour); be acute, quick of mind) — Qal Imperfect3masculine singular יִזְכֶּה Job 15:14; Job 25:4; 2masculine singular תִּזְכֶּה Psalm 51:6; 1singular interrogative הַאֶזְכֶּה Micah 6:11; — 1 be clean, pure, of man, in the sight of God, Job 15:14; Job 25:4 (in both "" יצדק; compare also זַכּוּ Job 15:15; Job 25:5). 2 be clear, be justified = be regarded as just, righteous, of God, Psalm 51:6 ("" תצדק), Micah 6:11. Pi`el Perfect1singular זִכִּיתִי Psalm 73:13; Proverbs 20:9; Imperfect יְזַכֶּהֿ Psalm 119:9: — make or keep clean, pure, object לְבָבִי Psalm 73:13 ("" אֶרְחַץ כַּמָּ֑י), object לִבִּי Proverbs 20:9 ("" טָהַרְתִּי); object אֶתאָֿרְחוֺ Psalm 119:9. Hithpa`el Imperative masculine plural הִזַּכּוּ Isaiah 1:16 make yourselves clean ("" רַחֲצוּ); — on form compare Ges§ 54, 2, b, Rem. KöLgb. i, 345, 534 Sta§ 129 d. זְכוֺכִית see below זכך. below Topical Lexicon Essential MeaningThe verb זָכָה expresses the idea of becoming or being pure, clean, innocent, or acquitted. It functions both in the physical sense of cleansing and in the moral–legal sense of being pronounced righteous. Across its eight occurrences the term consistently points to the impossibility of self-generated purity and the necessity of divine action to cleanse and justify. Distribution of Usage Job 15:14; Job 25:4 – human inability to attain purity Psalm 51:4 – God’s own righteousness vindicated Psalm 73:13; Proverbs 20:9 – the perceived futility of self-purity Psalm 119:9 – the Word as the path to purity Isaiah 1:16 – prophetic call to repentant cleansing Micah 6:11 – God’s refusal to acquit fraudulent practices Theological Emphasis 1. Human Impurity Exposed Job declares, “What is man, that he should be pure?” (Job 15:14). The rhetorical question nullifies every claim to innate righteousness. Similarly, Job 25:4 asks, “How then can man be righteous before God? How can one born of woman be pure?” Both verses confront fallen humanity with its incapacity to repair its own moral defilement. 2. Divine Righteousness Vindicated David confesses, “Against You, You only, I have sinned… so that You may be justified when You speak and blameless when You judge.” (Psalm 51:4). Here זָכָה highlights God’s own unassailable purity; His verdicts are incontestably right. 3. The Futility of Self-Effort Asaph laments, “Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure” (Psalm 73:13), and Proverbs echoes, “Who can say, ‘I have kept my heart pure; I am cleansed from my sin’?” (Proverbs 20:9). Both texts expose the emptiness of self-reliant moralism apart from the Lord’s cleansing. 4. Means of Purity Provided Psalm 119:9 answers the dilemma: “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to Your word.” God’s revelation supplies the pathway by which purity may be pursued. 5. Prophetic Call and Judicial Standard Isaiah commands, “Wash and cleanse yourselves. Remove your evil deeds from My sight. Stop doing evil!” (Isaiah 1:16). Micah warns, “Shall I acquit a man with dishonest scales?” (Micah 6:11). Zakah therefore undergirds both exhortation to repentance and God’s refusal to pervert justice. Historical Context In Israel’s sacrificial system ritual washing and blood atonement signified removal of defilement (Leviticus 16). Yet these outward rites anticipated a deeper cleansing that could only be effected by the promised Messiah. The prophets leveraged זָכָה to exhort the nation toward covenant fidelity, reminding them that ritual acts devoid of ethical integrity would not secure divine acquittal. Christological Trajectory The New Testament answers the Old Testament tension: “If we walk in the light… the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). The once-for-all sacrifice of Christ achieves the purity foreshadowed by זָכָה. Justification by faith therefore fulfills the cry of Job and the longing of the psalmists for a righteousness not their own. Ministry Applications • Preaching: Expose the universal need for cleansing, then proclaim the sufficiency of Christ’s atonement. Questions for Reflection 1. How does the repeated admission of human impurity in Job and Proverbs prepare the heart for the gospel? Zakah thus unites the biblical themes of purity, justice, repentance, and grace, converging in the cleansing accomplished by the Lord Himself. Forms and Transliterations הִזַּכּ֔וּ הַאֶזְכֶּ֖ה האזכה הזכו זִכִּ֣יתִי זכיתי יְזַכֶּה־ יִּ֝זְכֶּ֗ה יִזְכֶּ֑ה יזכה יזכה־ תִּזְכֶּ֥ה תזכה ha’ezkeh ha·’ez·keh haezKeh hiz·zak·kū hizzakKu hizzakkū tiz·keh tizkeh yə·zak·keh- yezakkeh yəzakkeh- yiz·keh yizkeh zik·kî·ṯî zikKiti zikkîṯîLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Job 15:14 HEB: אֱנ֥וֹשׁ כִּֽי־ יִזְכֶּ֑ה וְכִֽי־ יִ֝צְדַּ֗ק NAS: is man, that he should be pure, Or he who is born KJV: What [is] man, that he should be clean? and [he which is] born INT: is man for should be pure for should be righteous Job 25:4 Psalm 51:4 Psalm 73:13 Psalm 119:9 Proverbs 20:9 Isaiah 1:16 Micah 6:11 8 Occurrences |
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