Cleanness
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Definition and Concept
Cleanness in the biblical context often refers to both physical purity and spiritual or moral purity. It is a state of being free from sin, impurity, or defilement. The concept of cleanness is deeply rooted in the laws and teachings of the Old and New Testaments, where it is associated with holiness and the proper worship of God.

Old Testament Context
In the Old Testament, cleanness is frequently discussed in the context of the Levitical laws. These laws provided detailed instructions on how the Israelites were to maintain physical and ceremonial cleanness. For example, Leviticus 11 outlines dietary laws that distinguish between clean and unclean animals. Leviticus 11:47 states, "You must distinguish between the clean and the unclean, between animals that may be eaten and those that may not."

Ceremonial cleanness was essential for participation in religious activities and worship. Various rituals, such as washing and sacrifices, were prescribed to restore cleanness after defilement. Leviticus 15:31 emphasizes the importance of maintaining cleanness: "You must keep the Israelites separate from things that make them unclean, so they will not die in their uncleanness for defiling My dwelling place, which is among them."

Moral and Spiritual Cleanness
Beyond physical and ceremonial aspects, cleanness also encompasses moral and spiritual purity. The Psalms and Proverbs frequently highlight the importance of a clean heart and righteous living. Psalm 51:10 is a plea for spiritual renewal: "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me."

The prophets also called for cleanness in the lives of the Israelites, urging them to turn away from sin and idolatry. Isaiah 1:16 exhorts, "Wash and cleanse yourselves. Remove your evil deeds from My sight. Stop doing evil."

New Testament Perspective
In the New Testament, Jesus Christ redefines the concept of cleanness, emphasizing the importance of inner purity over external rituals. In Mark 7:15 , Jesus teaches, "Nothing that enters a man from the outside can defile him, but what comes out of a man, that is what defiles him." This shift highlights the significance of the heart's condition and the moral choices of individuals.

The Apostle Paul also addresses cleanness in his epistles, urging believers to live holy lives. In 2 Corinthians 7:1 , he writes, "Therefore, beloved, since we have these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that defiles body and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."

Symbolism and Application
Cleanness is symbolically associated with the washing away of sin and the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. Baptism, for instance, is a New Testament ordinance symbolizing the cleansing of sin and the believer's new life in Christ. Ephesians 5:26 speaks of Christ's sanctifying work: "to sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word."

Believers are called to pursue cleanness in their daily lives, striving for holiness and purity in thought, word, and deed. This pursuit is not merely an external observance but a reflection of a transformed heart and a commitment to living according to God's standards.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (n.) The state or quality of being clean.

2. (n.) Purity of life or language; freedom from licentious courses.

Greek
2514. katharotes -- cleanness
... cleanness. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: katharotes Phonetic Spelling:
(kath-ar-ot'-ace) Short Definition: cleanness, purity Definition ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2514.htm - 7k

54. hagnotes -- purity, chastity
... purity, blamelessness. From hagnos; cleanness (the state), ie (figuratively)
blamelessness -- pureness. see GREEK hagnos. (agnoteti) -- 1 Occurrence. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/54.htm - 6k

Strong's Hebrew
1252. bor -- cleanness, pureness
... 1251, 1252. bor. 1253 . cleanness, pureness. Transliteration: bor Phonetic
Spelling: (bore) Short Definition: cleanness. Word Origin ...
/hebrew/1252.htm - 6k

5356. niqqayon -- innocency
... innocence. Word Origin from naqah Definition innocency NASB Word Usage cleanness
(1), innocence (4). cleanness, innocence. Or niqqayon ...
/hebrew/5356.htm - 6k

Library

Of Cleanness of Mind
... AS TRANSLATED BY RICHARD MISYN IN 1434 FROM DE EMENDATIONE VITAE' BY RICHARD ROLLE
OF HAMPOLE: AND NOW DONE INTO MODERN ENGLISH CHAPTER X OF CLEANNESS OF MIND. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/rolle/the fire of love/chapter x of cleanness of.htm

How Perfect Love is Gotten by Cleanness and Love: and of Imperfect ...
... BOOK I CHAPTER XVII HOW PERFECT LOVE IS GOTTEN BY CLEANNESS AND LOVE: AND OF IMPERFECT
LOVE AND FAIRNESS, AND OF THREE MIGHTS OF GOD'S LOVE: AND OF THE RICH ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/rolle/the fire of love/chapter xvii how perfect love.htm

Whether the Sixth Beatitude, "Blessed are the Clean of Heart," Etc ...
... understanding. Because cleanness of heart seems to belong chiefly to the appetite. ...
viz. cleanness of heart; the other by way of reward, viz. ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether the sixth beatitude blessed.htm

Wherefore, that Thou May'st be Rightly Disposed Both for Thy Soul ...
... The third: what holds him in cleanness. ... For the third thing, thou shalt wit that
cleanness behoves to be kept in heart, in mouth and in work. ...
/.../chapter vi wherefore that thou.htm

Of the Setting of Man's Life
... Third: which things keep cleanness of heart? ... Also three things keep cleanness of
working: moderation in meat; fleeing ill company; and oft to mind of death. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/rolle/the fire of love/chapter iv of the setting.htm

Whether the Moral virtues Pertain to the Contemplative Life?
... xiv in Ezech.) that "the mind tramples on all cares and longs to gaze on the face
of its Creator." Now no one can accomplish this without cleanness of heart ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether the moral virtues pertain.htm

Of Divers Gifts of God's Chosen: and How Saints Come to Love in ...
... turned from love of temporal things; and so as it wee with sweetness, feeling nothing
of earthly mirth or heaviness, I shall be led to the everlasting cleanness ...
//christianbookshelf.org/rolle/the fire of love/chapter vi of divers gifts.htm

A Word from the Beloved's Own Mouth. "And Ye are Clean. " --John ...
... of heaven. The want of cleanness in heart and hands condemns sinners to
banishment from God, and defiles all their offerings. To ...
//christianbookshelf.org/spurgeon/till he come/a word from the beloveds.htm

David's Song of victory
... in me. The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness: According to
the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me. For I ...
/.../select masterpieces of biblical literature/vi davids song of victory.htm

Of Perfect Love: and what must be had for Ghostly Joy: and of Love ...
... The mind truly disposed to cleanness, receives from God the thought of eternal
love; and soothly clean thought rises up to ghostly song. ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/rolle/the fire of love/chapter xxv of perfect love .htm

Thesaurus
Cleanness (9 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Cleanness (9 Occurrences). ... He rewarded me according to
the cleanness of my hands. (WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV). ...
/c/cleanness.htm - 9k

Rewarded (37 Occurrences)
... He rewarded me according to the cleanness of my hands. (WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS
NAS RSV NIV). ... According to the cleanness of my hands has he recompensed me. ...
/r/rewarded.htm - 16k

Recompensed (20 Occurrences)
... (KJV DBY WBS). 2 Samuel 22:21 The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness:
according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me. ...
/r/recompensed.htm - 12k

Uncleanness (56 Occurrences)
... naturalistic grounds, but Yahweh is training a people to be holy, and so He starts
on the lower plane of ceremonial uncleanness and cleanness (see Leviticus 11 ...
/u/uncleanness.htm - 38k

Eyesight (7 Occurrences)
... 2 Samuel 22:25 Therefore Yahweh has rewarded me according to my righteousness,
According to my cleanness in his eyesight. (WEB ASV). ...
/e/eyesight.htm - 8k

Purity (16 Occurrences)
... 3. (n.) Cleanness; freedom from foulness or dirt. 4. (n.) Freedom from guilt or
the defilement of sin; innocence; chastity; as, purity of heart or of life. ...
/p/purity.htm - 30k

Cleaning (8 Occurrences)

/c/cleaning.htm - 9k

Goats (134 Occurrences)
... Hebrews 9:13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling
those who have been defiled, sanctify to the cleanness of the flesh ...
/g/goats.htm - 37k

Whiteness (1 Occurrence)
... 2. (n.) Want of a sanguineous tinge; paleness; as from terror, grief, etc. 3. (n.)
Freedom from stain or blemish; purity; cleanness. 4. (n.) Nakedness. ...
/w/whiteness.htm - 7k

Tooth (7 Occurrences)
... "Gnashing of teeth" =rage, despair (Matthew 8:12; Acts 7:54); "cleanness of teeth"
=famine (Amos 4:6); "children's teeth set on edge" =children suffering for ...
/t/tooth.htm - 10k

Resources
Is cleanliness next to godliness? | GotQuestions.org

Why were a husband and wife considered unclean after they had sexual relations? | GotQuestions.org

What is the Order of DeMolay? | GotQuestions.org

Cleanness: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible ConcordanceBible DictionaryBible EncyclopediaTopical BibleBible Thesuarus
Concordance
Cleanness (9 Occurrences)

Hebrews 9:13
For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled, sanctify to the cleanness of the flesh:
(WEB ASV)

2 Samuel 22:21
Yahweh rewarded me according to my righteousness. He rewarded me according to the cleanness of my hands.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

2 Samuel 22:25
Therefore Yahweh has rewarded me according to my righteousness, According to my cleanness in his eyesight.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

2 Chronicles 30:19
every one that setteth his heart to seek God, the LORD, the God of his fathers, though he be not cleansed according to the purification that pertaineth to holy things.'
(See RSV)

Job 22:30
He will even deliver him who is not innocent. Yes, he shall be delivered through the cleanness of your hands."
(WEB JPS ASV YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Psalms 18:20
Yahweh has rewarded me according to my righteousness. According to the cleanness of my hands has he recompensed me.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Psalms 18:24
Therefore Yahweh has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Proverbs 22:11
Whoso is loving cleanness of heart, Grace 'are' his lips, a king 'is' his friend.
(YLT)

Amos 4:6
"I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and lack of bread in every town; yet you haven't returned to me," says Yahweh.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Subtopics

Cleanness

Cleanness of Teeth

Hygiene

Hygiene: General Scriptures Concerning

Related Terms

Rewarded (37 Occurrences)

Recompensed (20 Occurrences)

Uncleanness (56 Occurrences)

Eyesight (7 Occurrences)

Purity (16 Occurrences)

Cleaning (8 Occurrences)

Goats (134 Occurrences)

Whiteness (1 Occurrence)

Tooth (7 Occurrences)

Returneth (27 Occurrences)

Recompenseth (2 Occurrences)

Eye-sight (1 Occurrence)

Defiled (119 Occurrences)

Delivers (38 Occurrences)

Delivereth (49 Occurrences)

Pure (160 Occurrences)

Purely (4 Occurrences)

Bulls (68 Occurrences)

Cleans (1 Occurrence)

Ashes (44 Occurrences)

Amos (12 Occurrences)

Sanctify (91 Occurrences)

Stomachs (3 Occurrences)

Snow (25 Occurrences)

Clean (298 Occurrences)

Reward (213 Occurrences)

Sprinkling (48 Occurrences)

Recompense (79 Occurrences)

Aaron (343 Occurrences)

Teeth (50 Occurrences)

Innocent (97 Occurrences)

Persons (156 Occurrences)

Haven't (87 Occurrences)

Lack (86 Occurrences)

Heifer (22 Occurrences)

Joel (22 Occurrences)

Law (670 Occurrences)

Blood (435 Occurrences)

Eye (145 Occurrences)

Nehelamite (4 Occurrences)

Tabeel (2 Occurrences)

Cleanliness: Regulation Relating To, in Camp
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