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======  טָהוֹר ======
{{tag>hebrew}}
~~NOTOC~~
Meaning
  * Clean
  * Pure

Adjective.

The word טָהוֹר (from the root טהר) can be used to describe physical, ceremonial or moral purity, depending on the context. It is contrasted with the word טָמֵא which means unclean or impure.

===== Ceremonial and Ritual Purity =====

In Leviticus and Numbers, טָהוֹר primarily refers to ritual cleanness - the state required to approach God or participate in worship. Examples include:
  * <autott>leviticus_10:10|Leviticus 10:10</autott> – Priests are to distinguish between the holy and the profane, the clean and the unclean
  * [[:Leviticus 11]] – Animals fit for consumption are called "clean"; others are "unclean"
  * Leviticus 13–15 – A person healed from leprosy or bodily discharge is declared clean after ritual purification
  * <autott>numbers_19:19|Numbers 19:19</autott> – The ashes of the red heifer are used to cleanse a person who has become unclean through contact with a corpse

In ritual law, "clean" denotes a state of acceptability before God, achieved through obedience and purification rites.

===== Moral and Ethical Purity =====

Beyond ritual contexts, "clean" also refers to moral integrity and inner purity — especially in the Psalms and Proverbs. For example:
  * <autott>psalm_12:6|Psalm 12:6</autott> (verse <autott>psalm_12:7:hebrew|7</autott> in Hebrew) – "The words of the LORD are pure words, like silver refined seven times."
  * <autott>psalm_24:4|Psalm 24:4</autott> – The one who may ascend God's hill is "he who has clean hands and a pure heart."
  * <autott>proverbs_15:6|Proverbs 15:26</autott> – "The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD, but gracious words are clean."

Here, "clean" reflects a moral and spiritual quality — sincerity, truthfulness, and holiness that aligns with God's nature.

===== Physical Purity or Cleanness =====

Sometimes "clean" has a straightforward physical sense, describing clear or unpolluted substances:
  * <autott>exodus_27:20|Exodus 27:20</autott> – "Pure olive oil" for the lamp
  * <autott>leviticus_24:4|Leviticus 24:4</autott> – "Pure gold" used in the tabernacle
  * <autott>ezekiel_22:24|Ezekiel 22:24</autott> – "Rain that is clean (or unmixed)"

In these cases, the emphasis is absence of contamination - the literal sense underlying its ritual and moral uses.

===== Spiritual or Symbolic Purity =====

Prophets and poets often use "clean" symbolically for spiritual renewal:
  * <autott>psalm_51:10|Psalm 51:10</autott> (verse <autott>psalm_51:12:hebrew|12</autott> in Hebrew) – "Create in me a clean heart, O God," linking purity with inner transformation
  * <autott>ezekiel_36:25|Ezekiel 36:25</autott> – God promises, "I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean," a metaphor for forgiveness and spiritual renewal

This later prophetic use anticipates New Covenant imagery, where external purification points to inner cleansing by God's Spirit.

===== New Testament Connection =====

The Greek καθαρός, used in the Septuagint to translate טָהוֹר, carries these same meanings. Take for example, Jesus' teaching in <autott>matthew_5:8|Matthew 5:8</autott>, "Blessed are the pure in heart," which directly echoes <autott>psalm_24:4|Psalm 24:4</autott> and <autott>psalm_51:10|Psalm 51:10</autott>.

Thus, טָהוֹר develops from ritual cleanness to moral integrity, and ultimately to inner holiness through God's transformatative action, a concept central to both Old and New Testament theology.

===== Lexical Table =====

| **Form** | **Part of Speech** | **Meaning / Sense** | **Typical Contexts** | **Hebrew** |
| Adjective | Describes a state of cleanness or purity | Ceremonial, moral, or physical cleanness | <autott>leviticus_11:47|Leviticus 11:47</autott>; <autott>psalm_12:6|Psalms 12:6</autott>; [[:psalm_51:10|Psalm 51:10]] (verse <autott>psalm_51:12:hebrew|12</autott> in Hebrew) | **טָהוֹר** |
| Verb (Qal) | To be clean, become clean | Describes a state of being ritually or physically clean                   | <autott>leviticus_13:37|Leviticus 13:37</autott>; <autott>numbers_8:7|Numbers 8:7</autott> | **טָהֵר** |
| Verb (Piel) | To cleanse, purify | Active causation of cleanness—used for priests, rituals, or God cleansing | <autott>leviticus_14:7|Leviticus 14:7</autott>; [[:psalm_51:2|Psalm 51:2]] (verse <autott>psalm_51:4:hebrew|4</autott> in Hebrew); <autott>ezekiel_36:25|Ezekiel 36:25</autott> | **טִהֵר** |
| Verb (Hiphil) | To declare clean | Used when priests pronounce someone clean | <autott>leviticus_13:6|Leviticus 13:6</autott>; <autott>leviticus_13:17|Leviticus 13:17</autott> | **הִטְהִיר**  |
| Noun (feminine) | Purity, cleanness | The state or quality of being clean | <autott>numbers_19:9|Numbers 19:9</autott>; <autott>2_chronicles_30:19|2 Chronicles 30:19</autott> | **טָהֳרָה**   |
| Noun (feminine, plural) | Purifications, rites of cleansing | Refers to purification ceremonies or objects | <autott>1_chronicles_23:28|1 Chronicles 23:28</autott> | **טַהֲרוֹת** |
| Noun (masculine) | Cleansing, purification | The process or means of purification | <autott>ezekiel_24:13|Ezekiel 24:13</autott> | **טִהוּר** |
| Noun (feminine) | Place or means of cleansing | Instrument or site of purification | <autott>isaiah_4:4|Isaiah 4:4</autott> | **מַטְהֵרָה** |