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.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And he sent young men from the {Israelites}, and they offered burnt offerings, and they sacrificed sacrifices [as] fellowship offerings to Yahweh [using] bulls. And Moses took half of the blood, and he put [it] in bowls, and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar. read more. And he took the scroll of the covenant and read [it] in the hearing of the people, and they said, "All that Yahweh has spoken we will do, and we will listen." And Moses took the blood and sprinkled [it] on the people, and he said, "Look, the blood of the covenant that Yahweh has made with you in accordance with all these words."
"And you will make a basin of bronze and its bronze stand for washing, and you will put it between the tent of assembly and the altar, and you will put water there. And Aaron and his sons will wash their hands and their feet with it. read more. When they come to the tent of assembly, they will wash with water so that they do not die, or when they approach the altar to serve by turning to smoke an offering made by fire to Yahweh. And they will wash their hands and their feet so that they do not die, and it will be a lasting rule for them--to him and to his offspring throughout their generations.
Then the one who presents himself for cleansing shall wash his garments, and he shall shave off all his hair, and he shall wash himself in the water; thus he shall be clean, and afterward he shall enter the camp, but he shall stay {outside his tent} [for] seven days. {And then} on the seventh day he must shave off all his hair--he must shave his head and his beard and {his eyebrows} and all [the rest] of his hair--and he shall wash his garments, and he shall wash his body in the water; thus he shall be clean.
And he shall take two birds and {cedar wood} and a {crimson thread} and hyssop to cleanse the house; and he shall slaughter the first bird over fresh water on a clay vessel. read more. Then he shall take the {cedar wood} and the hyssop and {the crimson thread} and the living bird, and he shall dip them in the slaughtered bird's blood and in the fresh water, and he shall spatter [them] on the house seven times. Thus he shall purify the house with the bird's blood and with the fresh water and with the living bird and with the {cedar wood} and with the hyssop and with {the crimson thread}. And he shall send the living bird {outside the city} {into the open field}; and so he shall make atonement for the house, and it shall be clean.
Then Yahweh said to Moses, "Speak to the priests, Aaron's sons, and say to them, 'One must not make himself unclean for a dead person among his [own] people, except for his direct relative closest to him: his mother and his father, and his son and his daughter, and his brother, read more. and for his sister, a virgin, [who is] closest to him, {who has not had a husband}--for her he may defile himself. He must not make himself unclean [as] {a kinsman by marriage}, defiling himself.
" 'As for the priest [who is] higher than his brothers, on whose head the oil of anointment is poured and {he was ordained} to wear the garments, he shall not dishevel his head, and he shall not tear his garments. And he shall not go near any dead person, nor shall he make himself unclean for his father or for his mother.
" 'All the days of keeping himself separated for Yahweh he will not go to a person who is dead; for even his father, mother, brother, or sister he will not make himself unclean {by their death}, because the separation to his God [is] on his head.
" 'The one who touches a corpse of {any person} will be unclean for seven days.
And all of the elders of that city nearest to the slain person shall wash their hands over the heifer [with] the broken neck in the wadi.
I will wash my hands in innocence, and I will walk about your altar, O Yahweh,
Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean. Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
And I will sprinkle on you pure water, and you will be clean from all of your uncleanness, and I will cleanse you from all of your idols.
And {near a dead person} he shall not come to be defiled, {but only} for a father and for a mother and for a son and for a daughter, for a brother and for a sister {who was not married} may they defile themselves.
They will not pour [drink offerings of] wine to Yahweh, and their sacrifices will not please him. [They are] like mourners' bread for them; all those who eat it will be defiled. For their bread will be {for their hunger}; it will not come [to] the house of Yahweh.
Then Haggai said, "If one who is unclean from contact with a corpse touches any of these, will it become unclean?" The priests answered, "Yes, it will be become unclean."
And behold, a leper approached [and] worshiped him, saying, "Lord, if you are willing, you are able to make me clean." And extending his hand he touched him, saying, "I am willing, be clean." And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. read more. And Jesus said to him, "See that you tell no one, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony to them."
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees--hypocrites!--because you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and of everything unclean!
So Pilate, [when he] saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but instead an uproar was developing, took water [and] washed his hands before the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of the blood of this man. You see to [it]!"
Woe to you, because you are like unmarked graves, and the people who walk over [them] do not know [it]!
teaching about baptisms and laying on of hands, and resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment.
concerning [instead] only food and drink and different washings, regulations of outward things imposed until the time of setting [things] right.
For [when] every commandment had been spoken by Moses to all the people according to the law, [he] took the blood of calves with water and scarlet wool and hyssop [and] sprinkled both the scroll itself and all the people,
let us approach with a true heart in the full assurance of faith, our hearts sprinkled [clean] from an evil conscience and our bodies washed 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/leb'>8,8/type/leb'>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.)
See Verses Found in Dictionary
and anyone who carries their dead body must wash his garments, and he shall be unclean until the evening.
And the one who eats {some of} its dead body must wash his garments, and he shall be unclean until the evening; and the one who carries its dead body must wash his garments, and he shall be unclean until the evening.
And at the fulfilling of the days of her cleansing, [whether] for a son or for a daughter, she must bring to the priest at the tent of assembly's entrance a {yearling} male lamb as a burnt offering and {young dove} or a turtledove as a sin offering.
And if {she cannot afford} a sheep, then she shall take two turtledoves or two {young doves}--one as a burnt offering and one as a sin offering--and the priest shall make atonement for her, so that she shall be clean.'"
And if {she cannot afford} a sheep, then she shall take two turtledoves or two {young doves}--one as a burnt offering and one as a sin offering--and the priest shall make atonement for her, so that she shall be clean.'"
(For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands {ritually}, [thus] holding fast to the traditions of the elders.
And when the days of their purification were completed according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present [him] to the Lord (just as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every male that opens the womb will be called holy to the Lord") read more. and to offer a sacrifice according to what was stated in the law of the Lord, "a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons."
Now six stone water jars were set there, in accordance with the ceremonial cleansing of the Jews, each holding two or three measures.
For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow sprinkled on those who are defiled sanctify [them] for the ritual 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 they saw that some of his disciples were eating their bread with unclean--that is, unwashed--hands. (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands {ritually}, [thus] holding fast to the traditions of the elders. read more. And [when they come] from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other [traditions] which they have received [and] hold fast to--[for example,] the washing of cups and pitchers and bronze kettles and dining couches.) And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, "Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with unclean hands?" So he said to them, "Isaiah prophesied correctly about you hypocrites, as it is written, 'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far, far away from me. And they worship me in vain, teaching [as] doctrines the commandments of men.' Abandoning the commandment of God, you hold fast to the tradition of men."
And he made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.
how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works to serve [the] living God?
Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse [your] hands, [you] sinners, and purify [your] hearts, [you] double-minded!
Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for sincere brotherly love, love one another fervently from the heart,
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.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And if {she cannot afford} a sheep, then she shall take two turtledoves or two {young doves}--one as a burnt offering and one as a sin offering--and the priest shall make atonement for her, so that she shall be clean.'"
(For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands {ritually}, [thus] holding fast to the traditions of the elders. And [when they come] from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other [traditions] which they have received [and] hold fast to--[for example,] the washing of cups and pitchers and bronze kettles and dining couches.)
Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went up to Jerusalem from the [surrounding] country before the Passover, so that they could purify themselves.
Take these [men] [and] purify yourself along with them and {pay their expenses} so that they can shave [their] heads, and everyone will know that [the things] which they had been informed about you are nothing, but you yourself also agree with observing the law.
Then Paul took along the men on the next day, [and] [after he] had purified himself together with them, he entered into the temple [courts], announcing the completion of the days of purification until {the time} the offering would be presented on behalf of each one of them.