40 Bible Verses about Ritual Washing

The LORD told Moses, "Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. They must wash their clothes, and be ready for the third day, for on the third day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.

When Moses went down from the mountain to the people, he consecrated the people, and they washed their clothes.

Then you are to bring Aaron and his sons to the doorway of the Tent of Meeting, and wash them with water. You are to clothe Aaron with the holy garments, you are to anoint him, and consecrate him so he may serve me as priest. You are to bring his sons and clothe them with tunics. read more.
You are to anoint them just as you anointed their father so they may serve me as priests. Their anointing is to qualify them to belong to a perpetual priesthood from generation to generation."

Then the LORD told Moses, "Take the descendants of Levi from the Israelis and purify them. This is what you are to do for them in order to purify them: Sprinkle purifying water over them, have them shave their skin, and then have them wash their garments, and they will be purified.

"Any person who eats a carcass or an animal that was torn by beasts (whether that person is native born or is a resident alien), is to wash his clothes and bathe himself with water, and he will remain unclean until evening, and then he'll become clean.

"On the next seventh day, the priest is to examine him again. If the skin rash didn't become dull and it didn't spread in the skin, then the priest is to pronounce him clean: it's a scab. He is to wash his clothes and be clean.

"If a man has a seminal emission, he is to bathe his entire body with water and remain unclean until evening. Every garment (including leather) on which the semen is found is to be washed with water, and it will remain unclean until evening. When a man has sexual relations with a woman and the man releases semen, both are to bathe with water, and they will remain unclean until evening."

Whoever gathers the ashes of the heifer is to wash his clothes and is to remain unclean until the evening. This ordinance is to remain for the benefit of both the Israelis and the resident aliens who live among them."

Wash your clothes on the seventh day, after which you will be clean. Then you may enter the camp."

Whoever touches its meat will be holy. If some of its blood sprinkles on a garment, wash where it was sprinkled in a sacred place.

and is unclean. Anyone who touches their carcasses becomes unclean until evening. And anyone who carries their carcasses is to wash his clothes, since he will remain unclean until evening." "Any animal that has divided hooves and is cloven-footed but doesn't chew the cud is unclean for you. Anyone who touches them is unclean. read more.
Among the animals, anything that walks on their paws and on four legs is unclean for you. Anyone who touches their carcasses becomes unclean until evening. Whoever carries their carcass is to wash their clothes, because they've become unclean until evening. They're unclean for you.

Then the clothing (whether it is woven or knitted material) or any article made of leather that you've washed, if the contagion has been removed from it and it's washed a second time, then it's clean.

"If the contagion returns and spreads throughout the house after the stones have been removed, after the house has been scraped out, and after it has been re-coated, and the priest comes, undertakes an examination, and determines that the contagion has spread in the house, it's a chronic fungal infection in the house. It's unclean. He is to pull down the house, its stones, its lumber, and all the plaster on the house, and discard them in an unclean place outside the city. read more.
Moreover, whoever enters the house during the time it was isolated is to be considered unclean until the evening. Whoever has slept in the house is to wash his clothes, along with whoever has eaten in the house.

as a continuing reminder to them. Whoever sprinkles the water of impurity is to wash his clothes, and whoever comes in contact with the water of impurity is to remain unclean until evening.

I told him, "Sir, you know."

"How blessed are those who wash their robes so that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city!

The person who is clean is to wash his clothes, shave all his hair, and bathe in water, after which he is to be declared clean. Then he can be brought back to the camp, but he is to remain outside his tent for seven days. On the seventh day, he is to shave the hair on his head, chin, back, and eyebrows. After he has shaved all his hair, washed his clothes, and bathed himself with water, then he will be clean."

Every bed on which he lies down with the discharge is to be considered unclean, and every object on which he sits becomes unclean. Any person who touches his bed is to wash his garments and bathe with water, and he will remain unclean until evening. Whoever sits on any object on which the one with the discharge has sat is to wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will remain unclean until evening.read more.
"Whoever touches the body of someone with a discharge is to wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will remain unclean until evening. Whoever has a discharge and spits on someone who is clean, then he is to wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will remain unclean until evening. "Any saddle that anyone with a discharge rides on will become unclean. Whoever touches anything that was under him will be unclean until evening. Whoever carries these things is to wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will remain unclean until evening. "Anyone whom the one with the discharge touches without rinsing his hands with water is to wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will remain unclean until evening. The earthen vessel that the person with the discharge touches is to be broken in pieces, and every wooden vessel is to be rinsed with water." "When the one with the discharge is cleansed from his discharge, then he is to set aside for himself seven days for his cleansing. He is to wash his clothes and bathe with flowing water. Then he will be clean.

The one who sent away the male goat as a scapegoat is to wash his clothes and bathe his body with water. After doing so, he may enter the camp. "The bull for the sin offering and the male goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought into the sacred place, are to be taken outside the camp. Their skin, meat, and offal are to be incinerated. The one who burns them is to wash his clothes and bathe his body with water. After doing so, he may enter the camp."

The priest is to wash his clothes and bathe himself with water, after which he may enter the camp, but he is to remain unclean until evening. Whoever takes part in the burning is to wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and is to remain unclean until the evening.

"When you are encamped for battle against your enemies, be on guard against every form of impropriety. If someone among you becomes unclean due to nocturnal emissions, he must leave the camp and stay outside. As evening approaches, he must wash himself with water. Then at sunset, he may return to the camp.

So Naaman arrived with his horses and chariots and stood in front of the door to Elisha's house. Elisha sent a messenger out to him, who told him, "Go bathe in the Jordan River seven times. Your flesh will be restored for you. Now stay clean!" But Naaman flew into a rage and left, telling himself, "Look! I thought "He's surely going to come out to me, stand still, call out in the name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the infection, and cure the leprosy!' read more.
Aren't the Abana and Pharpar rivers in Damascus better than all of the water in Israel? Couldn't I just bathe in them and become clean?" So he turned away and left, filled with anger. But then his servants approached him and spoke with him. They said, "My father, had the prophet only asked of you something great, you would have done it, wouldn't you? Yet he told you, "Bathe, and be clean"!'" So he went down and plunged himself into the Jordan River seven times, just as the man of God had said, and his flesh rejuvenated like the flesh of a newborn child. And he was clean.

Purge me with hyssop, and I will be clean. Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

Therefore, my brothers, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through his flesh), and since we have a great high priest over the household of God, read more.
let us continue to come near with sincere hearts in the full assurance that faith provides, because our hearts have been sprinkled clean from a guilty conscience, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.

"Now as for the unclean, they are to take ashes from the burning sin offering, and pour running water on it inside a vessel. A clean person is to take some hyssop, dip it in water, and then sprinkle it on the tent, on every vessel, and on whoever was there (that is, on whoever touched the bones, the killed person, or the dead body, including whoever dug the grave). The clean person is to sprinkle the unclean person on the third day and seventh day and then he is to purify himself on the seventh day, wash his clothes, and bathe with water. He is to be considered clean at evening.

Anyone who comes in contact with a dead person (that is, with the corpse of a human being who has died), but who does not purify himself, defiles the LORD's tent. That person is to be eliminated from Israel, because the water of impurity wasn't sprinkled on him. He remains unclean and his uncleanness will remain with him.

I'm going to remove you from the nations, gather you from all of the territories, and bring you all back to your own land. I'll sprinkle pure water on you all, and you'll be cleansed from your impurity and from all of your idols."

The LORD told Moses, "You are to make a bronze basin with a bronze base for washing. You are to pace it between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, put water in it, and Aaron and his sons are to wash their hands and their feet from it. read more.
When they enter the Tent of Meeting or when they approach the altar to minister to make an offering by fire to the LORD, they are to wash with water so they don't die. They are to wash their hands and their feet so that they don't die, and it is to be for them a perpetual ordinance for Aaron and his seed from generation to generation."

He put the basin between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and put water in it for washing. Moses, Aaron, and his sons washed their hands and feet from it. When they entered the Tent of Meeting and approached the altar, they washed, just as the LORD had commanded him.

All the elders of the city nearest the dead body are to wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley, and they are to make this declaration: "Our hands didn't shed this blood, nor were we witnesses to the crime. Make atonement for your people Israel, whom you have redeemed, LORD, and don't charge the blood of an innocent man against them.' Then the blood that has been shed will be atoned for. read more.
This is how you will remove the guilt of innocent blood from among you, for you must do what is right in the sight of the LORD."

Then he poured some water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to dry them with the towel that was tied around his waist. Then he came to Simon Peter, who asked him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?" Jesus answered him, "You don't realize now what I'm doing, but later on you'll understand."read more.
Peter told him, "You must never wash my feet!" Jesus answered him, "Unless I wash you, you cannot be involved with me." Simon Peter told him, "Lord, not just my feet, but my hands and my head as well!" Jesus told him, "Whoever has bathed is entirely clean. He doesn't need to wash himself further, except for his feet. And you men are clean, though not all of you."

Come close to God, and he will come close to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

"The person who is unclean but who doesn't purify himself is to be eliminated from contact with the assembly, since he has defiled the LORD's sanctuary and the water of impurity wasn't sprinkled on him. He is to be considered unclean

"Any person who eats a carcass or an animal that was torn by beasts (whether that person is native born or is a resident alien), is to wash his clothes and bathe himself with water, and he will remain unclean until evening, and then he'll become clean. But if he doesn't wash or bathe his body, then he is to bear the punishment of his iniquity."

Now standing there were six stone water jars used for the Jewish rites of purification, each one holding from two to three measures.

Then a controversy about ritual purification sprang up between a certain Jew and John's disciples,

Then some Pharisees and scribes came from Jerusalem to Jesus and asked, "Why do your disciples disregard the tradition of the elders? They don't wash their hands when they eat." But he answered them, "Why do you also disregard the commandment of God because of your tradition? read more.
Because God said, "You are to honor your father and your mother,' and, "Whoever curses father or mother must certainly be put to death.' But you say, "Whoever tells his father or his mother, "Whatever support you might have received from me has been given to God," does not have to honor his father.' Because of your tradition, then, you have disregarded the authority of God's word. You hypocrites! How well did Isaiah prophesy of you when he said, "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is empty, because they teach human rules as doctrines.'" Then calling out to the crowd, he addressed them, "Listen and understand! It is not what goes into the mouth that makes a person unclean. It is what comes out of the mouth that makes a person unclean."

The Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus. They noticed that some of his disciples were eating with unclean hands, that is, without washing them. (The Pharisees and indeed all the Jewish people don't eat unless they wash their hands properly, following the tradition of their elders. read more.
They don't eat anything from the marketplace unless they dip it in water. They also observe many other traditions, such as the proper washing of washing cups, jars, brass pots, and dinner tables.) So the Pharisees and the scribes asked Jesus, "Why don't your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders? Instead, they eat with unclean hands." He told them, "Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites. As it is written, "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is worthless, because they teach human rules as doctrines.' You abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition." Then he told them, "You have such a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to keep your own tradition! Because Moses said, "Honor your father and your mother,' and, "Whoever curses his father or mother must certainly be put to death.' But you say, "If anyone tells his father or mother, "Whatever support you might have received from me is Corban,"' (that is, an offering to God) "you no longer let him do anything for his father or mother.' You are destroying the word of God through your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many other things like that." Then he called to the crowd again and told them, "Listen to me, all of you, and understand! Nothing that goes into a person from the outside can make him unclean. It's what comes out of a person that makes a person unclean. If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen!" When he had left the crowd and gone home, his disciples began asking him about the parable. He asked them, "Are you so ignorant? Don't you know that nothing that goes into a person from the outside can make him unclean? Because it doesn't go into his heart but into his stomach, and then into the sewer, thereby expelling all foods." Then he continued, "It's what comes out of a person that makes a person unclean, because it's from within, from the human heart, that evil thoughts come, as well as sexual immorality, stealing, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, cheating, shameless lust, envy, slander, arrogance, and foolishness. All these things come from inside and make a person unclean."

After Jesus had said this, a Pharisee invited him to have a meal with him. So Jesus went and took his place at the table. The Pharisee was surprised to see that he didn't first wash before the meal. But the Lord told him, "Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but on the inside you are full of greed and evil. read more.
You fools! The one who made the outside made the inside, too, didn't he? So give what is inside to the poor, and then everything will be clean for you.

When everything had been arranged like this, the priests always went into the first part of the tent to perform their duties. But only the high priest went into the second part, and then only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins committed by the people in ignorance. The Holy Spirit was indicating by this that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first part of the tent was still standing. read more.
This illustration for today indicates that the gifts and sacrifices being offered could not clear the conscience of a worshiper, since they deal only with food, drink, and various washings, which are required for the body until the time when things would be set right. But when the Messiah came as a high priest of the good things that have come, he went through the greater and more perfect tent that was not made by human hands and that is not a part of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with his own blood he went into the Most Holy Place once for all and secured our eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are unclean purifies them physically, how much more will the blood of the Messiah, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from dead actions so that we may serve the living God!