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 young men of the children of Israel, who offered burnt-offerings, and sacrificed peace-offerings of oxen to the LORD. And Moses took half of the blood, and put it in basins; and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar. read more. And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient. And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold, the blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words.
Thou shalt also make a laver of brass, and its foot also of brass, to wash in: and thou shalt put it between the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar, and thou shalt put water therein. For Aaron and their sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereat: read more. When they go into the tabernacle of the congregation, they shall wash with water, that they die not: or when they come near to the altar to minister, to burn offering made by fire to the LORD. So they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they die not: and it shall be a statute for ever to them, even to him and to his seed throughout their generations.
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. But it shall be on the seventh day, that he shall shave all his hair off his head, and his beard, and his eye-brows, even all his hair he shall shave off; and he shall wash his clothes, also he shall wash his flesh in water, and he shall be clean.
And he shall take to cleanse the house two birds, and cedar-wood, and scarlet, and hyssop: And he shall kill one of the birds 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 slain bird, and in the running water, and sprinkle the house seven times: And he shall cleanse the house 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: But he shall let go the living bird out of the city into the open fields, and make an atonement for the house: and it shall be clean.
And the LORD said to Moses, Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them, There shall none be defiled for the dead among his people: But for his kin, that is near to him, that is, 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 nigh to him, who hath had no husband: for her he may be defiled. But he shall not defile himself, being a chief man among his people, to profane himself.
And he that is the high priest among his brethren, upon whose head the anointing oil was poured, and that is consecrated to put on the garments, shall not uncover his head, nor rend his clothes; Neither shall he go in to any dead body, nor defile himself for his father, or for his mother;
All the days that he separateth himself to the LORD, he shall come at 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: because the consecration of his God is upon his head.
He that toucheth the dead body of any man shall be unclean seven days.
And all the elders of that city that are next to the slain man, shall wash their hands over the heifer that is beheaded in the valley:
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.
And they shall come at no dead person to defile themselves: but for father, or for mother, or for son, or for daughter, for brother, or for sister that hath had no husband, they may defile themselves.
They shall not offer wine-offerings to the LORD, neither shall they be pleasing to him: their sacrifices shall be to them as the bread of mourners; all that eat of it shall be polluted: for their bread for their soul shall not come into the house of the LORD.
Then said Haggai, If one that is unclean by a dead body shall touch any of these, shall it be unclean? And the priests answered and said, It shall be unclean.
And behold, there came a leper and worshiped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. read more. And Jesus saith to him, See thou tell no man; but go, show thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony to them.
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like whitened sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.
Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of the resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.
For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book and all the people,
Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled 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/wbs'>8,8/type/wbs'>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 whoever beareth aught of the carcass of them shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the evening.
And he that eateth of its carcass shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the evening; he also that beareth its carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening.
And when the days of her purifying are fulfilled, for a son, or for a daughter, she shall bring a lamb of the first year for a burnt-offering, and a young pigeon, or a turtle-dove, for a sin-offering, to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, to the priest;
And if she shall not be able to bring a lamb, then she shall bring two turtles, or two young pigeons; the one for the burnt-offering, and the other for a sin-offering: and the priest shall make an atonement for her, and she shall be clean.
And if she shall not be able to bring a lamb, then she shall bring two turtles, or two young pigeons; the one for the burnt-offering, and the other for a sin-offering: and the priest shall make an atonement for her, and she shall be clean.
For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands often eat not, holding the tradition of the elders.
And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord; (As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that is the first born of his mother shall be called holy to the Lord) read more. And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtle-doves, or two young pigeons.
And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.
For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctify to the purifying 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 when they saw some of his disciples eating bread with defiled (that is to say with unwashed) hands, they found fault. For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands often eat not, holding the tradition of the elders. read more. And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there are, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, and of brazen vessels, and tables. Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands? He answered and said to them, Well hath Isaiah prophesied concerning you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoreth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. But, in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.
And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners, and purify your hearts, ye double-minded.
Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit to unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with 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 she shall not be able to bring a lamb, then she shall bring two turtles, or two young pigeons; the one for the burnt-offering, and the other for a sin-offering: and the priest shall make an atonement for her, and she shall be clean.
For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands often eat not, holding the tradition of the elders. And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there are, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, and of brazen vessels, and tables.
And the Jews' passover was nigh at hand: and many went out of the country to Jerusalem before the passover, to purify themselves.
Take them, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave their heads: and all may know that those things of which they were informed concerning thee, are nothing; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law.
Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them, entered into the temple, to signify the accomplishment of the days of purification, until an offering should be offered for every one of them.