Reference: Purification
Easton
the process by which a person unclean, according to the Levitical law, and thereby cut off from the sanctuary and the festivals, was restored to the enjoyment of all these privileges.
The great annual purification of the people was on the Day of Atonement (q.v.).
But in the details of daily life there were special causes of cermonial uncleanness which were severally provided for by ceremonial laws enacted for each separate case. For example, the case of the leper (Le 13; 13:14), and of the house defiled by leprosy (Le 14:49-53; see also Mt 8:2-4). Uncleanness from touching a dead body (Nu 19:11; Ho 9:4; Hag 2:13; Mt 23:27; Lu 11:44). The case of the high priest and of the Nazarite (Le 21:1-4,10-11; Nu 6:6-7; Eze 44:25). Purification was effected by bathing and washing the clothes (Le 14:8-9); by washing the hands (De 21:6; Mt 27:24); washing the hands and feet (Ex 30:18-21; Heb 6:2, "baptisms", R.V. marg., "washings;" Heb 9:10); sprinkling with blood and water (Ex 24:5-8; Heb 9:19), etc. Allusions to this rite are found in Ps 26:6; 51:7; Eze 36:25; Heb 10:22.
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And he sent the youths of the children of Israel, and they offered up burnt-offerings, and sacrificed sacrifices of peace-offering of bullocks to Jehovah. And Moses took half the blood, and put it in basons; and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar. read more. And he took the book of the covenant, and read it in the ears of the people; and they said, All that Jehovah has said will we do, and obey! And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant that Jehovah has made with you concerning all these words.
Thou shalt also make a laver of copper, and its stand of copper, for washing; and thou shalt put it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and shalt put water in it. And Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet out of it. read more. When they go into the tent of meeting, they shall wash with water, that they may not die; or when they come near to the altar to serve, to burn an offering by fire to Jehovah. And they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they may not die; and it shall be an everlasting statute for them, for him and for his seed throughout their generations.
And he that is to be cleansed shall wash his garments, and shave all his hair, and bathe in water, and he shall be clean; and afterwards shall he come into the camp, and shall abide outside his tent seven days. And it shall come to pass on the seventh day, that he shall shave all his hair, his head, and his beard, and his eyebrows, even all his hair shall he shave, and he shall wash his garments, and shall bathe his flesh in water, and he is clean.
And he shall take, to purge the house from the defilement, two birds, and cedar-wood, and scarlet, and hyssop; and he shall kill one bird in an earthen vessel over running water; read more. and he shall take the cedar-wood and the hyssop and the scarlet, and the living bird, and dip them in the blood of the bird that was killed, and in the running water, and sprinkle the house seven times; and he shall purge the house from the defilement with the blood of the bird, and with the running water, and with the living bird, and with the cedar-wood, and with the hyssop, and with the scarlet; and he shall let the living bird loose out of the city into the open field; and he shall make atonement for the house, and it is clean.
And Jehovah said to Moses, Speak unto the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say unto them, There shall none make himself unclean for a dead person among his peoples, except for his immediate relation, who is near unto him for his mother, and for his father, and for his son, and for his daughter, and for his brother; read more. and for his sister, a virgin, that is near unto him, who hath had no husband, for her may he make himself unclean. He shall not make himself unclean who is a chief among his peoples, to profane himself.
And the high priest among his brethren, on whose head the anointing oil was poured, and who is consecrated to put on the garments, shall not uncover his head, nor rend his garments. Neither shall he come near any person dead, nor make himself unclean for his father and for his mother;
All the days that he hath consecrated himself to Jehovah, he shall come near no dead body. He shall not make himself unclean for his father, or for his mother, for his brother, or for his sister when they die; for the consecration of his God is upon his head.
He that toucheth a dead person, any dead body of a man, shall be unclean seven days.
And all the elders of that city, that are nearest unto him that is slain, shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck is broken in the watercourse,
I will wash my hands in innocency, and will encompass thine altar, O Jehovah,
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
And I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your uncleannesses and from all your idols will I cleanse you.
And they shall come at no dead person to become unclean; but for father, or for mother, or for son, or for daughter, for brother, or for sister that hath had no husband, they may become unclean.
They shall pour out no offerings of wine to Jehovah, neither shall their sacrifices be pleasing unto him: they shall be unto them as the bread of mourners; all that eat thereof shall be defiled: for their bread shall be for themselves; it shall not come into the house of Jehovah.
And Haggai said, If one that is unclean by a dead body touch any of these, is it become unclean? And the priests answered and said, It shall be unclean.
And behold, a leper came up to him and did him homage, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou art able to cleanse me. And he stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, I will; be cleansed. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. read more. And Jesus says to him, See thou tell no man, but go, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift which Moses ordained, for a testimony to them.
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye are like whited sepulchres, which appear beautiful outwardly, but within are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness.
And Pilate, seeing that it availed nothing, but that rather a tumult was arising, having taken water, washed his hands before the crowd, saying, I am guiltless of the blood of this righteous one: see ye to it.
Woe unto you, for ye are as the sepulchres which appear not, and the men walking over them do not know it.
of the doctrine of washings, and of imposition of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment;
consisting only of meats and drinks and divers washings, ordinances of flesh, imposed until the time of setting things right.
For every commandment having been spoken according to the law by Moses to all the people; having taken the blood of calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, he sprinkled both the book itself and all the people,
let us approach with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, sprinkled as to our hearts from a wicked conscience, and washed as to our body with pure water.
Fausets
The outward purification with water, symbolizing man's need of inward purity before admission into God's presence. (See LEPER; PRIEST; BIRTH; NAZARITE.) Le 11:25,40; 12:6,8/type/darby'>8,8/type/darby'>8; Lu 2:22-24; Numbers 19; 31. See HEIFER; RED.) Heb 9:13.) The rabbis multiplied unauthorized purifications, e.g. cups, pots, couches. etc. (Mr 7:3; Joh 2:6.)
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And whoever carrieth ought of their carcase shall wash his garments, and be unclean until the even.
And he that eateth of its carcase shall wash his garments, and be unclean until the even: he also that carrieth its carcase shall wash his garments, and be unclean until the even.
And when the days of her cleansing are fulfilled, for a son or for a daughter, she shall bring a yearling lamb for a burnt-offering, and a young pigeon or a turtle-dove for a sin-offering, to the entrance of the tent of meeting, unto the priest.
And if her hand cannot find what is sufficient for a sheep, she shall bring two turtle-doves or two young pigeons; one for a burnt-offering, and the other for a sin-offering; and the priest shall make atonement for her; and she shall be clean.
And if her hand cannot find what is sufficient for a sheep, she shall bring two turtle-doves or two young pigeons; one for a burnt-offering, and the other for a sin-offering; and the priest shall make atonement for her; and she shall be clean.
(for the Pharisees and all the Jews, unless they wash their hands diligently, do not eat, holding what has been delivered by the ancients;
And when the days were fulfilled for their purifying according to the law of Moses, they brought him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord: Every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord), read more. and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord: A pair of turtle doves, or two young pigeons.
Now there were standing there six stone water-vessels, according to the purification of the Jews, holding two or three measures each.
For if the blood of goats and bulls, and a heifer's ashes sprinkling the defiled, sanctifies for the purity of the flesh,
Hastings
Morish
In the law there were many ceremonial defilements, each of which had its appointed purification. To these the scribes and Pharisees added others, such as washing the hands before eating, washing cups and plates
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and seeing some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, unwashed, hands, (for the Pharisees and all the Jews, unless they wash their hands diligently, do not eat, holding what has been delivered by the ancients; read more. and on coming from the market-place, unless they are washed, they do not eat; and there are many other things which they have received to hold, the washing of cups and vessels, and brazen utensils, and couches), then the Pharisees and the scribes ask him, Why do thy disciples not walk according to what has been delivered by the ancients, but eat the bread with defiled hands? But he answering said to them, Well did Esaias prophesy concerning you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honour me with their lips, but their heart is far away from me. But in vain do they worship me, teaching as their teachings commandments of men. For, leaving the commandment of God, ye hold what is delivered by men to keep washings of vessels and cups, and many other such like things ye do.
and put no difference between us and them, having purified their hearts by faith.
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 to worship the living God?
Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, ye double-minded.
Having purified your souls by obedience to the truth to unfeigned brotherly love, love one another out of a pure heart fervently;
Smith
Purification,
in its legal and technical sense, is applied to the ritual observances whereby an Israelite was formally absolved from the taint of uncleanness. The essence of purification, in all eases, consisted in the use of water, whether by way of ablution or aspersion; but in the majora delicta of legal uncleanness, sacrifices of various kinds were added and the ceremonies throughout bore an expiatory character. Ablution of the person and of the clothes was required in the cases mentioned in
In cases of childbirth the sacrifice was increased to a lamb of the first year, with a pigeon or turtle-dove.
The ceremonies of purification required in cases of contact with a corpse or a grave are detailed in
... The purification of the leper was a yet more formal proceeding, and indicated the highest pitch of uncleanness. The rites are described in
The necessity of purification was extended in the post-Babylonian Period to a variety of unauthorized cases. Cups and pots and brazen vessels were washed as a matter of ritual observance.
The washing of the hands before meals was conducted in a formal manner.
What play have been the specific causes of uncleanness in those who came up to purify themselves before the Passover,
Joh 11:55
or in those who had taken upon themselves the Nazarites' vow,
we are not informed. In conclusion it may he observed that the distinctive feature. In the Mosaic rites of purification is their expiatory character. The idea of uncleanness was not peculiar to the Jew; but with all other nations simple ablution sufficed: no sacrifices were demanded. The Jew alone was taught by the use of expiatory offerings to discern to its fullest extent the connection between the outward sign and the inward fount of impurity.
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And if her hand cannot find what is sufficient for a sheep, she shall bring two turtle-doves or two young pigeons; one for a burnt-offering, and the other for a sin-offering; and the priest shall make atonement for her; and she shall be clean.
(for the Pharisees and all the Jews, unless they wash their hands diligently, do not eat, holding what has been delivered by the ancients; and on coming from the market-place, unless they are washed, they do not eat; and there are many other things which they have received to hold, the washing of cups and vessels, and brazen utensils, and couches),
But the passover of the Jews was near, and many went up to Jerusalem out of the country before the passover, that they might purify themselves.
take these and be purified with them, and pay their expenses, that they may have their heads shaved; and all will know that of those things of which they have been informed about thee nothing is true; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, keeping the law.
Then Paul, taking the men, on the next day, having been purified, entered with them into the temple, signifying the time the days of the purification would be fulfilled, until the offering was offered for every one of them.