Purification in the biblical context often refers to the process of becoming ceremonially or spiritually clean. This concept is deeply rooted in the Old and New Testaments, where various laws and teachings outline the necessity and methods of purification for individuals and communities.

Old Testament

1. Levitical Laws: The Book of Leviticus provides detailed instructions on purification rituals. Leviticus 14:8-9 describes the purification process for a person healed of a skin disease: "The one being cleansed must wash his clothes, shave off all his hair, and bathe with water, and he will be clean. Afterward, he may enter the camp, but he must remain outside his tent for seven days."

2. Purification After Childbirth: Leviticus 12:6-8 outlines the purification process for a woman after childbirth: "When the days of her purification are complete... she is to bring to the priest at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting a year-old lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering."

3. Purification of the Levites: Numbers 8:6-7 describes the purification of the Levites: "Take the Levites from among the Israelites and make them ceremonially clean. This is what you are to do to purify them: Sprinkle them with the water of purification, have them shave their whole bodies and wash their clothes."

4. Water of Purification: Numbers 19:9 speaks of the water of purification: "A man who is clean is to gather up the ashes of the heifer and place them in a ceremonially clean place outside the camp. They are to be kept by the Israelite community for use in the water of purification; it is for purification from sin."

New Testament

1. John the Baptist's Baptism: Mark 1:4 highlights the role of baptism in purification: "John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins."

2. Jesus and Purification: In John 2:6, the purification jars at the wedding in Cana are mentioned: "Now six stone water jars had been set there for the Jewish rites of purification. Each could hold from twenty to thirty gallons."

3. Purification of the Heart: Acts 15:9 emphasizes spiritual purification: "He made no distinction between us and them, for He cleansed their hearts by faith."

4. Purification through Christ: Hebrews 9:13-14 contrasts the old purification rituals with the sacrifice of Christ: "For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that their flesh is clean, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works to serve the living God?"

5. Sanctification and Purification: 1 John 1:7 speaks of ongoing purification: "But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin."

The concept of purification is integral to understanding the relationship between God and His people, emphasizing the need for holiness and the means by which individuals can approach God.Genesis 35:2
Then Jacob said to his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments:
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Exodus 19:10,14
And the LORD said to Moses, Go to the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes,
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Exodus 29:4
And Aaron and his sons you shall bring to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall wash them with water.
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Exodus 30:18-21
You shall also make a laver of brass, and his foot also of brass, to wash with: and you shall put it between the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar, and you shall put water therein.
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Exodus 40:12,30-32
And you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and wash them with water.
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Leviticus 8:6
And Moses brought Aaron and his sons, and washed them with water.
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Leviticus 14:8,9
And he that is to be cleansed shall wash his clothes, and shave off all his hair, and wash himself in water, that he may be clean: and after that he shall come into the camp, and shall tarry abroad out of his tent seven days.
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Leviticus 15:4-13,16-27
Every bed, where on he lies that has the issue, is unclean: and every thing, where on he sits, shall be unclean.
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Leviticus 16:4,24,26,28
He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches on his flesh, and shall be girded with a linen girdle, and with the linen turban shall he be attired: these are holy garments; therefore shall he wash his flesh in water, and so put them on.
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Leviticus 17:15
And every soul that eats that which died of itself, or that which was torn with beasts, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger, he shall both wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even: then shall he be clean.
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Leviticus 22:3
Say to them, Whoever he be of all your seed among your generations, that goes to the holy things, which the children of Israel hallow to the LORD, having his uncleanness on him, that soul shall be cut off from my presence: I am the LORD.
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Numbers 8:6,7,21
Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them.
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Numbers 19:7,8,19
Then the priest shall wash his clothes, and he shall bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp, and the priest shall be unclean until the even.
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2 Chronicles 4:6
He made also ten lavers, and put five on the right hand, and five on the left, to wash in them: such things as they offered for the burnt offering they washed in them; but the sea was for the priests to wash in.
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Matthew 15:2
Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.
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Mark 7:2-9
And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashed, hands, they found fault.
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Hebrews 9:10
Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.
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That the Scriptures are Divinely Inspired.
... according to the manner of purification among the ... this discourse consisted of
injunctions relating to marriage ... to bestow upon us the sacred Scriptures, to show ...
/.../origen/origen de principiis/chapter i that the scriptures are.htm

2 Timothy ii. 20, 21
... avoid"; so that there are other questions, some relating to the Scriptures, some
to other ... An offering is nothing else but a sacrifice, a purification, not a ...
/.../homily vi 2 timothy ii.htm

Sunday after Easter
... every man could read the Scriptures for himself ... Moses came with various laws relating
to washings ... ceremonials contributed nothing to man's purification in God's ...
//christianbookshelf.org/luther/epistle sermons vol ii/sunday after easter.htm

Translated from the Greek.
... are said to lie for the purification of the ... utters wisdom, we must understand the
Scriptures as speaking ... If, therefore, the prophecies relating to Judea, and ...
/.../origen/origen de principiis/translated from the greek.htm

John Chapter ii. 11-Jan
... cannot be found),"nevertheless, the Scriptures, perhaps, on ... said to be "according
to the purification of the ... of time, containing the prophecy relating to all ...
/.../augustine/homilies on the gospel of john/tractate ix john chapter ii.htm

An American Reformer.
... serious consideration, as any other portion of the Scriptures. ... Dan.8:14 represented
the purification of the ... been left unexplained, namely, that relating to time ...
/.../the great controversy between christ and satan /18 an american reformer.htm

An American Reformer
... consideration, as any other portion of the Scriptures. ... in Daniel 8:14 represented
the purification of the ... been left unexplained, namely, that relating to time ...
/.../white/the great controversy/chapter 18 an american reformer.htm

Chapter xvii
... For in the passages relating to covenants according to ... to Him through whom all such
purification is to ... than the earth, and the Scriptures consistently describe ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xvii.htm

High Priest
... the holy place; to offer for the purification of women ... of four elements, the gold
relating to the ... the man who diligently searcheth the Scriptures and sincerely ...
/.../conversion of a high priest into a christian worker/chapter iv high priest.htm

Acts xxi. 18, 19
... Again Paul relates to them the things relating to the ... the accomplishment of the days
of purification, until that an ... Thou hast thy patterns in the Scriptures. ...
/.../chrysostom/homilies on acts and romans/homily xlvi acts xxi 18.htm

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