PURITY (טָהﯴר, H3196, Prov 22:11; ἁγνότες, 2 Cor 6:6; 1 Tim 4:12; 5:2. Only in these four references does “purity” occur in the Bible; however, synonymous terms occur scores of times. זָכוּ, H10229, and בֹּר֒, H1341, both mean purity, but are usually tr. blameless and cleanness respectively. Καθαρίζω, Eng. “catharsis,” is tr. cleanse in its various uses.)

1. Means and meaning of purity. Purification, purging, cleansing, and similar terms, whose objective is purity, occur hundreds of times in the Bible. Purity is a desirable quality or condition of a good person or thing, without alloy, mixture, or pollution. It may be “pure gold” (Exod 25:17), “pure oil” (Lev 24:2), “pure wool” (Dan 7:9), “pure nard” (John 12:3), “pure bride” (2 Cor 11:2), or “a pure heart” (1 Tim 1:5). The primary means of purification, both sanitary and symbolic, are fire and water.

a. Fire. Fire is the normal means for purifying gold, silver, and other metals, which are able to withstand heat while the dross is burnt out. The refining process is frequently used as a symbol of personal cleansing. “I will put this third into the fire, and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested” (Zech 13:9; cf. Mal 3:2). John, in strong metaphor, wrote, “I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire” (Rev 3:18). Humanity is to be purified by the fire of Christ’s ministry and final judgment (Luke 3:16f.; 12:49). And, naturally, “The promises of the Lord are promises that are pure, silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times” (Ps 12:6).

b. Water. Water is the universally prevalent means for material and personal cleansing, and consequently the chief symbol for moral cleansing. Like fire, it was used also in ceremonial cleansing (Num 19:17-21; 31:23). Ablutions were instituted quite early (Exod 19:10). Baptism, like that of John’s, was a symbol of purification (Matt 3:11). The washing of hands was symbolic of innocence (Deut 21:6; Ps 24:4; Matt 27:24).

c. Purity of the “whole” man. Purity of body is essential for good health, and a requisite for acceptance in respectable social circles (see Matt 15:2). Purity of mind and speech are hallmarks of good taste, high ethical principles and Christian grace (1 Sam 16:18; Matt 5:34-37; Col 4:6; 1 Tim 4:12; Titus 2:8). Purity of heart is prerequisite for membership in God’s kingdom (Matt 5:8; Rev 19:8). Purity is the heart of Christian culture and therefore an objective to be continually sought—physically, morally, and religiously. Various areas of purity are treated in the Bible.

2. Racial purity. All races are of divine origin (Gen 10), but God ordained the Jewish race for the salvation of man. To avoid religious contamination through intermarriages with foreigners, racial purity was sought. God revealed to Moses that Israel was His “kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exod 19:6); and, at the return of the exiles Ezra ruthlessly severed family ties in an effort to restore racial purity (Ezra 9:2; 10:10, 44). Complete racial purity was impossible due to earlier intermarriages. Rahab the Canaanite and Ruth the Moabite were in the ancestral lineage of David, and therefore of Jesus. Nevertheless, the Jewish race maintained remarkable purity, and Jesus and Paul were proud to claim they were Jews (John 4:22; Rom 9:3; 2 Cor 11:22; Phil 3:5). Paul was glad that the Christ was of his race (Rom 9:5).

3. Hygienic purity. One of the marks of Mosaic law was meticulous concern for physical cleanliness. It was essential in the camp life of the Israelites during the wilderness wanderings. In the absence of modern medical knowledge of drugs, germs, and anatomy, cleanliness played a dominant role in good health. By it, contamination and spread of disease was checked.

a. Laws and penalties. Moses provided laws and penalties governing cleanliness (Lev 7:20f.). Some things were to be burnt, others purified, by fire, and some washed in water. Soldiers, after battle, were to purify themselves, their captives, garments, and articles, as an insurance against contamination with slain bodies (Num 19:11-16; 31:19-24). Persons and clothing were to be cleansed by water, silver, gold, tin, and all other metals by fire.

b. Feminine purity. Instructions were given for feminine purity: after menstruation (Lev 15:19-33; 2 Sam 11:4); and after childbirth (Lev 12:1-8; Luke 2:22).

c. Leprosy. Leprosy was the most dreaded of all sources of uncleanness. Since there was no known cure for it, victims were expelled from society and required to cry “unclean” if anyone approached. Moses gave elaborate laws and instructions concerning it, including placing the responsibility of diagnosis on the priesthood (Lev 13; 14). Any healing was attributed to divine power, and therefore subject to ritual cleansing. In respect for this law, Jesus ordered a leper whom He healed to show himself to the priest (Luke 5:12-14), and again did the same when He healed the ten lepers (17:11-19). Jesus also acknowledged divine healing when He told the one grateful leper that his faith had healed him. Divine healing of leprosy was known in the OT times. The Syrian captain Naaman, when unable to find healing by Israel’s king, was directed to come to God’s prophet Elisha. The prophet ordered Naaman to “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean,” “and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean” (2 Kings 5:10, 14; cf. Lev 14:6f.).

d. Other regulations. Numerous other things were listed as unclean, along with purification regulations prescribed. The carcasses of reptiles, unclean animals, and any animals that died of themselves, contaminated anyone who touched them. In this case, as in others, water and a ceremonial process were required for purification (11:1-47). Natural bodily discharges caused both bodily and ritual uncleanness that in turn defiled the holy Tabernacle in the midst of the people. And, everybody and every thing that the unclean person touched became defiled, and they along with the person had to be purified. This required washing in water and being “unclean until the evening” (Lev 15:16-30). Shed blood also polluted the land whereby purification was necessary (Num 35:33).

4. Ceremonial purity. All uncleanness, physical and moral, had religious involvement, and therefore required ritual purification. The repetition of time idioms reflects this: “Sprinkle it [blood] seven times upon him who is to be cleansed of leprosy”...“dwell outside his tent seven days”...“and sprinkle some oil with his finger seven times before the Lord”...“and shut up the house seven days”...(Lev 14:7, 8, 16, 38). One order of monotonous repetition is, “and be unclean until the evening” (Lev 15:27). Finally, the role of doctor assumed by the priests confirmed the relationship between physical healing and ritual purification.

a. Moral purification. Moral purification played an important role in Heb. life. The communal life necessary under the administration of Moses and Joshua involved the individual in the social unit. Consequently, the sins of the individual were in essence imputed to his family and even to all Israel, as in the case of Aaron (Exod 32:21-35) and of Achan (Josh 7:11, 18, 20). Due to this racial-wide interaction, an elaborate ritual was prescribed for a special Day of Atonement (Lev 16). First, Aaron and his family (and succeeding priests) were to cleanse themselves (v. 6), and then proceed with the ceremonial cleansing for all Israel. Goats, bulls, sweet incense, blood, fire, water, and the altar, were all employed in the purification. This custom of atonement continued into NT times; it is recorded concerning Zechariah that “according to the custom of the priesthood, it fell to him by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense” (Luke 1:9).

b. Jesus’ criticism of ceremonial purity. Traditional cleansing by the Jews, however, in Jesus’ time had largely lost its spiritual value in empty ritual. Much of the Mosaic law had been replaced by ceremonial trivia. On this matter, “A discussion arose between John’s disciples and a Jew over purifyting” (John 3:25). Subsequently, Jesus denounced the scribes and Pharisees for their perverted tradition. Occasioned by the criticism of scribes when they observed Jesus’ disciples eating without washing their hands, Mark explained:

For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not eat unless they wash their hands, observing the tradition of the elders; and when they come from the market place, they do not eat unless they purify themselves; and there are many other traditions which they observe, the washing of cups and pots and vessels of bronze (Mark 7:3f.).

On another occasion, the Pharisee host was astonished that Jesus did not wash before dinner.

And the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of extortion and wickedness. You fools! Did not he who made the outside make the inside also? But give for alms those things which are within; and behold, everything is clean for you” (Luke 11:39-41).

5. Spiritual purity. Traditionally characteristic of the Judeo-Christian religion is inner purity.

a. OT. Patriarchs, prophets, and poets of the OT all sought moral purity. The seventh commandment, “You shall not commit adultery” (Exod 20:14) is directed at moral purity. David sang, “Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart” (Ps 24:3f.). “Clean hands” was a symbol of innocence (Job 17:9; Ps 18:20; Matt 27:24). The psalmist desired restoration of both health and heart: “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow...Create in me a clean heart, O God” (Ps 51:7, 10). Job said, “My doctrine is pure, and I am clean in God’s eyes” (Job 11:4). In customary ritual, Ezekiel said, “I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean...” (Ezek 36:25). One of the wise men said, “He who loves purity of heart, and whose speech is gracious, will have the king as his friend” (Prov 22:11).

b. NT. The NT placed even more emphasis on purity of heart. Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matt 5:8). And, from first to last Jesus sought to make His disciples wholly clean (John 13:3-11). His success is reflected in His followers. Paul said, “As servants of God we commend ourselves...by purity, knowledge...” (2 Cor 6:4, 6). To Timothy he wrote, “The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart...” (1 Tim 1:5); “Let no one despise your youth, but set the believers an example in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity”; and treat “younger women like sisters, in all purity” (1 Tim 4:12; 5:2). To Titus he wrote, “To the pure all things are pure, but to the corrupt and unbelieving nothing is pure” (Titus 1:15). James spoke of a “Religion that is pure and undefiled”; and demanded, “Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you men of double mind” (James 1:27; 4:8). Peter considered his parishioners as “having purified your souls” (1 Pet 1:22). “If anyone purifies himself from what is ignoble, then he will be a vessel for noble use, consecrated and useful to the master of the house” (2 Tim 2:21).

Bibliography F. F. Bruce, Second Thoughts on the Dead Sea Scrolls (1956), 106; B. W. Anderson, Oxford Annotated Bible, notes (1962), 134-143; E. E. Tilden (ibid.), 1175, 1191, 1248, 1270; W. L. Moore, The Adult Teacher, Southern Baptist Sunday School Series, 68-73.