Topical Bible: Purify

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Topical Encyclopedia

Definition and Meaning:
The term "purify" in the biblical context refers to the process of making something clean, free from impurities, or ceremonially acceptable. It often involves a spiritual or moral cleansing, as well as physical purification. The concept of purification is deeply rooted in the Old and New Testaments, symbolizing the removal of sin and the preparation for worship or service to God.

Old Testament Context:
In the Old Testament, purification is frequently associated with ceremonial laws given to the Israelites. These laws were designed to maintain holiness and cleanliness among God's people. For instance, the purification rituals for those who had become ceremonially unclean are detailed in the book of Leviticus. Leviticus 14:8 states, "The one being cleansed must wash his clothes, shave off all his hair, and bathe with water; then he will be clean."

The purification process often involved sacrifices, washing with water, and waiting periods. Numbers 19 describes the use of the ashes of a red heifer mixed with water for purification from sin, emphasizing the importance of ritual cleanliness in maintaining a relationship with God.

New Testament Context:
In the New Testament, the concept of purification takes on a more spiritual dimension, focusing on the cleansing of the heart and soul. Jesus Christ's sacrifice is central to this understanding, as His blood is seen as the ultimate means of purification from sin. Hebrews 9:14 explains, "How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, purify our consciences from works of death, so that we may serve the living God!"

The New Testament also emphasizes the role of the Holy Spirit in the purification process. Believers are called to live holy lives, set apart for God, and to continually seek spiritual cleansing. 1 John 1:9 assures believers, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Purification in Christian Life:
Purification is an ongoing process in the life of a believer. It involves repentance, confession, and the pursuit of holiness. James 4:8 exhorts, "Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded."

The act of purification is not only personal but also communal, as the Church is called to be a pure and spotless bride for Christ. Ephesians 5:25-27 describes Christ's love for the Church, "to sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to Himself as a glorious church, without stain or wrinkle or any such blemish, but holy and blameless."

Conclusion:
The biblical concept of purification encompasses both the physical and spiritual realms, highlighting the necessity of being clean before God. It is a theme that runs throughout Scripture, pointing to the holiness of God and the need for His people to be set apart for His purposes.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary

1. (v. t.) To make pure or clear from material defilement, admixture, or imperfection; to free from extraneous or noxious matter; as, to purify liquors or metals; to purify the blood; to purify the air.

2. (v. t.) Hence, in figurative uses: (a) To free from guilt or moral defilement; as, to purify the heart.

3. (v. t.) To free from ceremonial or legal defilement.

4. (v. t.) To free from improprieties or barbarisms; as, to purify a language.

5. (v. i.) To grow or become pure or clear.

Greek

48. hagnizo -- to purify, cleanse from defilement
... to purify, cleanse from defilement. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: hagnizo
Phonetic Spelling: (hag-nid'-zo) Short Definition: I cleanse, purify Definition ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/48.htm - 6k

2511. katharizo -- to cleanse
... Definition to cleanse NASB Word Usage clean (3), cleanse (5), cleansed (16), cleanses
(1), cleansing (1), declared...clean (1), make...clean (3), purify (1). ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2511.htm - 8k

2508. kathairo -- to cleanse
... to cleanse. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: kathairo Phonetic Spelling:
(kath-ah'-ee-ro) Short Definition: I cleanse, purify, prune Definition: I cleanse ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2508.htm - 6k

37. hagiazo -- to make holy, consecrate, sanctify
... Phonetic Spelling: (hag-ee-ad'-zo) Short Definition: I make holy, sanctify Definition:
I make holy, treat as holy, set apart as holy, sanctify, hallow, purify. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/37.htm - 8k

Strong's Hebrew

2212. zaqaq -- to refine, purify
... zaqaq. 2213 . to refine, purify. Transliteration: zaqaq Phonetic Spelling:
(zaw-kak') Short Definition: refined. ... fine, pour down, purge, purify, refine. ...
/hebrew/2212.htm - 6k

1305. barar -- to purify, select
... 1304b, 1305. barar. 1306 . to purify, select. Transliteration: barar Phonetic
Spelling: (baw-rar') Short Definition: choice. Word Origin a prim. ...
/hebrew/1305.htm - 6k

2398. chata -- to miss, go wrong, sin
... 1), miss (1), offended (1), offered it for sin (1), offers it for sin (1), purged
(1), purified (2), purified themselves from sin (1), purify (6), purify him ...
/hebrew/2398.htm - 6k

2891. taher -- to be clean or pure
... 1), pronounce clean (2), pronounces him clean (1), pronouncing it clean (1), pure
(2), purge (1), purged (2), purified (5), purifier (1), purify (5), purifying ...
/hebrew/2891.htm - 6k

1252. bor -- cleanness, pureness
... cleanness (5). cleanness, pureness. From barar; purify -- cleanness, pureness.
see HEBREW barar. 1251, 1252. bor. 1253 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/1252.htm - 6k

6942. qadash -- to be set apart or consecrated
... ceremonially or morally) -- appoint, bid, consecrate, dedicate, defile, hallow,
(be, keep) holy(-er, place), keep, prepare, proclaim, purify, sanctify(-ied one ...
/hebrew/6942.htm - 6k

Library

St. Ambrose Declares his Desire that Some Angel Would Fly to Him ...
... St. Ambrose's Exposition of the Christian Faith. Book I. Chapter XX. St. Ambrose
declares his desire that some angel would fly to him to purify him? St. ...
/.../ambrose/works and letters of st ambrose/chapter xx st ambrose declares.htm

Cyprian, and the Bishops with Him, First Taught that it was ...
... Book VII. Chapter III."Cyprian, and the Bishops with him, first taught that it
was necessary to purify by Baptism those converted from Heresy. ...
/.../pamphilius/church history/chapter iii cyprian and the bishops.htm

Whether Purification of the Heart is an Effect of Faith
... Hence faith does not purify the heart. 3. Again, if faith were to purify the
heart in any way, it would purify the intellect especially. ...
/.../aquinas/nature and grace/article two whether purification of.htm

Whether Faith Has the Effect of Purifying the Heart?
... heart? Objection 1: It would seem that faith does not purify the heart.
For ... Therefore faith does not purify the heart. Objection 3 ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether faith has the effect.htm

Letter xiii. --The Fear of Reprobation.
... A thousand experiences convince me more thoroughly every day that interior trials
purify a soul, in its very essence, and penetrate to its most hidden recesses ...
/.../abandonment to divine providence/letter xiii the fear of reprobation.htm

Of the Principles Which, According to the Platonists, Regulate the ...
... For what mysteries can purify, if those of the sun and moon, which are
esteemed the chief of the celestial gods, do not purify? ...
/.../augustine/city of god/chapter 23 of the principles which.htm

Addresses on Holiness,
... I showed her how dishonoring this unbelief was, and that, if she would only trust
Him to come in and reign in her heart, He could purify and cleanse the very ...
//christianbookshelf.org/booth/godliness/chapter xii addresses on holiness.htm

Consecration: what is It?
... No one would confound "consecration" with "cleansing," and yet many confound
"sanctification" with "cleansing." To "sanctify" is to purify, to cleanse, to make ...
/.../macneil/the spirit-filled life/chapter xii consecration what is.htm

Civ. Jesus Arrives and is Feasted at Bethany.
... d 55 Now the passover of the Jews was at hand: and many went up to Jerusalem
out of the country before the passover, to purify themselves. ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/civ jesus arrives and is.htm

Letter v. --The Fear of Being Wanting in Submission.
... There is no intelligence nor power in the world capable of wresting from the hand
of God a soul He has seized in the rigour of His mercy to purify it by ...
/.../de caussade/abandonment to divine providence/letter v the fear of being.htm

Thesaurus

Purify (39 Occurrences)
... 1. (vt) To make pure or clear from material defilement, admixture, or imperfection;
to free from extraneous or noxious matter; as, to purify liquors or metals ...
/p/purify.htm - 19k

Refine (9 Occurrences)
... To reduce to a fine, unmixed, or pure state; to free from impurities; to free from
dross or alloy; to separate from extraneous matter; to purify; to defecate ...
/r/refine.htm - 9k

Purge (35 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (vt) To cleanse, clear, or purify by separating and
carrying off whatever is impure, heterogeneous, foreign, or superfluous. ...
/p/purge.htm - 22k

Spotless (10 Occurrences)
... Hebrews 9:14 how much rather shall the blood of the Christ, who by the eternal Spirit
offered himself spotless to God, purify your conscience from dead works ...
/s/spotless.htm - 9k

Therewith (53 Occurrences)
... Numbers 19:12 the same shall purify himself therewith on the third day, and on the
seventh day he shall be clean: but if he purify not himself the third day ...
/t/therewith.htm - 23k

Purifying (17 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Purify. Multi-Version
Concordance Purifying (17 Occurrences). Mark 7:19 because it ...
/p/purifying.htm - 11k

Purified (44 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (imp. & pp) of Purify. Multi-Version Concordance
Purified (44 Occurrences). Luke 7:22 Then He answered ...
/p/purified.htm - 20k

Uncleanness (56 Occurrences)
... Numbers 19:12 the same shall purify himself with water on the third day, and on
the seventh day he shall be clean: but if he doesn't purify himself the third ...
/u/uncleanness.htm - 38k

Impurity (42 Occurrences)
... Numbers 19:13 Whoever touches a dead person, the body of a man who has died, and
doesn't purify himself, defiles the tabernacle of Yahweh; and that soul shall ...
/i/impurity.htm - 21k

Seventh (123 Occurrences)
... Numbers 19:12 the same shall purify himself with water on the third day, and on
the seventh day he shall be clean: but if he doesn't purify himself the third ...
/s/seventh.htm - 41k

Resources

What is Wahhabism? What is Wahhabi Islam? | GotQuestions.org

What does it mean that our sins are washed away? | GotQuestions.org

What is the significance of the refiner's fire and launderer's soap in Malachi 3:2? | GotQuestions.org

Purify: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus

Concordance

Purify (39 Occurrences)

Mark 7:4
They don't eat when they come from the marketplace, unless they bathe themselves, and there are many other things, which they have received to hold to: washings of cups, pitchers, bronze vessels, and couches.)
(See RSV)

John 11:55
Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand. Many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover, to purify themselves.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Acts 21:24
Take them, and purify yourself with them, and pay their expenses for them, that they may shave their heads. Then all will know that there is no truth in the things that they have been informed about you, but that you yourself also walk keeping the law.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV WBS NAS RSV)

2 Corinthians 7:1
Having therefore these promises, beloved friends, let us purify ourselves from all defilement of body and of spirit, and secure perfect holiness through the fear of God.
(WEY DBY NIV)

Titus 2:14
who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify for himself a people for his own possession, zealous for good works.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Hebrews 9:14
how much more certainly shall the blood of Christ, who strengthened by the eternal Spirit offered Himself to God, free from blemish, purify your consciences from lifeless works for you to serve the ever-living God?
(WEY DBY YLT RSV)

James 4:8
Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
(WEB KJV ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
(See NIV)

1 John 3:3
and every one who is having this hope on him, doth purify himself, even as he is pure.
(YLT)

Genesis 35:2
Then Jacob said to his household, and to all who were with him, "Put away the foreign gods that are among you, purify yourselves, change your garments.
(WEB JPS ASV NAS RSV NIV)

Exodus 29:36
And every day shalt thou offer the bullock of sin-offering, beside the other offerings of atonement; and thou shalt do the purification upon the altar when thou makest atonement for it; and thou shalt anoint it, to sanctify it.
(See NAS NIV)

Leviticus 8:15
And when it was slain, Moses took the blood, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about with his finger, and purified the altar, and poured out the remaining blood at the base of the altar, and sanctified it, to make atonement for it.
(See NIV)

Numbers 8:7
And thus shalt thou do unto them, to cleanse them: Sprinkle water of purifying upon them, and let them shave all their flesh, and let them wash their clothes, and so make themselves clean.
(Root in KJV WBS NAS NIV)

Numbers 8:21
And the Levites purified themselves, and they washed their clothes; and Aaron offered them for a sacred gift before the LORD; and Aaron made atonement for them to cleanse them.
(See NIV)

Numbers 19:12
the same shall purify himself with water on the third day, and on the seventh day he shall be clean: but if he doesn't purify himself the third day, then the seventh day he shall not be clean.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS NAS NIV)

Numbers 19:13
Whoever touches a dead person, the body of a man who has died, and doesn't purify himself, defiles the tabernacle of Yahweh; and that soul shall be cut off from Israel: because the water for impurity was not sprinkled on him, he shall be unclean; his uncleanness is yet on him.
(WEB NAS NIV)

Numbers 19:19
and the clean person shall sprinkle on the unclean on the third day, and on the seventh day: and on the seventh day he shall purify him; and he shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and shall be clean at even.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS NAS NIV)

Numbers 19:20
But the man who shall be unclean, and shall not purify himself, that soul shall be cut off from the midst of the assembly, because he has defiled the sanctuary of Yahweh: the water for impurity has not been sprinkled on him; he is unclean.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS NAS NIV)

Numbers 31:19
"Encamp outside of the camp seven days: whoever has killed any person, and whoever has touched any slain, purify yourselves on the third day and on the seventh day, you and your captives.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS NAS RSV NIV)

Numbers 31:20
As to every garment, and all that is made of skin, and all work of goats' hair, and all things made of wood, you shall purify yourselves."
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS NAS RSV NIV)

2 Chronicles 29:15
They gathered their brothers, and sanctified themselves, and went in, according to the commandment of the king by the words of Yahweh, to cleanse the house of Yahweh.
(See NIV)

2 Chronicles 29:16
The priests went in to the inner part of the house of Yahweh, to cleanse it, and brought out all the uncleanness that they found in the temple of Yahweh into the court of the house of Yahweh. The Levites took it, to carry it out abroad to the brook Kidron.
(See NIV)

2 Chronicles 34:8
And in the eighteenth year of his reign, to purify the land and the house he hath sent Shaphan son of Azaliah, and Maaseiah head of the city, and Joah son of Johaz the remembrancer, to strengthen the house of Jehovah his God.
(YLT NIV)

Nehemiah 13:9
Then I commanded, and they cleansed the chambers: and there brought I again the vessels of the house of God, with the meal offerings and the frankincense.
(See NIV)

Nehemiah 13:22
I commanded the Levites that they should purify themselves, and that they should come and keep the gates, to sanctify the Sabbath day. Remember to me, my God, this also, and spare me according to the greatness of your loving kindness.
(WEB JPS ASV DBY NAS RSV NIV)

Job 41:25
When he raiseth up himself, the mighty are afraid: by reason of breakings they purify themselves.
(KJV WBS)

Psalms 19:12
Who understandeth his errors? Purify me from secret faults.
(DBY)

Psalms 51:7
Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean. Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
(WEB ASV NAS)

Psalms 119:9
Beth.' With what doth a young man purify his path? To observe -- according to Thy word.
(YLT)

Isaiah 52:11
Turn aside, turn aside, go out thence, The unclean touch not, go out from her midst, Be ye pure, who are bearing the weapons of Jehovah.
(See NAS RSV)

Isaiah 66:17
"Those who sanctify themselves and purify themselves to go to the gardens, behind one in the midst, eating pig's flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, they shall come to an end together," says Yahweh.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS NAS RSV NIV)

Ezekiel 43:20
And thou shalt take of the blood thereof, and put it on the four horns of it, and on the four corners of the ledge, and upon the border round about: thus shalt thou cleanse it and make atonement for it.
(See JPS NIV)

Ezekiel 43:22
And on the second day thou shalt offer a he-goat without blemish for a sin-offering; and they shall cleanse the altar, as they did cleanse it with the bullock.
(See JPS)

Ezekiel 43:26
Seven days shall they make atonement for the altar and purify it; so shall they consecrate it.
(WEB KJV ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Ezekiel 45:18
Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: In the first month , in the first day of the month, thou shalt take a young bullock without blemish; and thou shalt cleanse the sanctuary.
(See JPS NIV)

Daniel 11:35
Some of those who are wise shall fall, to refine them, and to purify, and to make them white, even to the time of the end; because it is yet for the time appointed.
(WEB JPS ASV YLT)

Daniel 12:10
Many shall purify themselves, and make themselves white, and be refined; but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand; but those who are wise shall understand.
(WEB JPS ASV YLT RSV)

Zephaniah 3:9
For then I will purify the lips of the peoples, that they may all call on the name of Yahweh, to serve him shoulder to shoulder.
(WEB NIV)

Malachi 3:3
and he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi, and refine them as gold and silver; and they shall offer to Yahweh offerings in righteousness.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS NAS RSV NIV)

Subtopics

Purify

Related Terms

Purification (25 Occurrences)

Purify (39 Occurrences)

Thirty (189 Occurrences)

Fulfilled (143 Occurrences)

Nonimmersionist

Non-immersionist

Purim (5 Occurrences)

View (86 Occurrences)

Zephaniah (11 Occurrences)