טָהוֹר

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:

– 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

– 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:

(verse in Hebrew) – “The words of the LORD are pure words, like silver refined seven times.”

– The one who may ascend God's hill is “he who has clean hands and a pure heart.”

– “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:

– “Pure olive oil” for the lamp

– “Pure gold” used in the tabernacle

– “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:

(verse in Hebrew) – “Create in me a clean heart, O God,” linking purity with inner transformation

– 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 , “Blessed are the pure in heart,” which directly echoes and .

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	; ; Psalm 51:10 (verse in Hebrew)	טָהוֹר
Verb (Qal)	To be clean, become clean	Describes a state of being ritually or physically clean	;	טָהֵר
Verb (Piel)	To cleanse, purify	Active causation of cleanness—used for priests, rituals, or God cleansing	; Psalm 51:2 (verse in Hebrew);	טִהֵר
Verb (Hiphil)	To declare clean	Used when priests pronounce someone clean	;	הִטְהִיר
Noun (feminine)	Purity, cleanness	The state or quality of being clean	;	טָהֳרָה
Noun (feminine, plural)	Purifications, rites of cleansing	Refers to purification ceremonies or objects	טַהֲרוֹת
Noun (masculine)	Cleansing, purification	The process or means of purification	טִהוּר
Noun (feminine)	Place or means of cleansing	Instrument or site of purification	מַטְהֵרָה