κᾰθαρ-ίζω G2511
To cleanse or purify; making clean physically (healing lepers, declaring foods pure) or spiritually (removing sin and moral defilement).
A verb spanning the full range of purification in the New Testament — from the dramatic healing of lepers ('Be clean!' Matt 8:3) to the deep inner work of God purifying hearts by faith (Acts 15:9). Jesus used it when he declared all foods clean (Mark 7:19), and the epistles apply it to Christ's sacrificial cleansing of his people (Eph 5:26; Titus 2:14; 1 John 1:7). The physical and spiritual senses are deeply interwoven: the same God who healed skin diseases also promises to wash away sin. French uses 'purifier' for both, while Spanish distinguishes 'limpiar' (physical cleaning) from 'purificar' (spiritual purification), illuminating the dual register.
Senses
1. cleanse physically or ritually — To make physically or ritually clean by removing impurity, especially healing lepers and pronouncing foods or vessels clean. Jesus commands lepers 'Be cleansed!' (Matt 8:2-3; Luke 17:14) and the apostles are told to 'cleanse lepers' as a sign of the kingdom (Matt 10:8). Mark 7:19 extends it to the declaration that all foods are clean. Spanish 'limpiar/limpiar' and German 'reinigen' both maintain the concrete, physical register across these 22 occurrences. 22×
AR["أَن-تُطَهِّرَني", "أَنْ-تُطَهِّرَنِي", "اطهَر", "اِطهَرْ", "تَطَهَّروا", "تُطَهِّرَني", "تُنَظِّفونَ", "طَهَّرَ", "طَهُرَ", "طَهِّروا", "فَاطْهُرْ", "نَظِّفْ", "يَطهَرونَ", "يَطهُرونَ"]·ben["তোমরা-পরিষ্কার-করো", "পরিষ্কার-কর", "পরিষ্কার-করো", "শুচি-করতে।", "শুচি-করো", "শুচি-হও।", "শুচি-হল।", "শুদ্ধ-কর", "শুদ্ধ-করতে", "শুদ্ধ-করেছেন", "শুদ্ধ-হও", "শুদ্ধ-হচ্ছে", "শুদ্ধ-হল"]·DE["reinigen", "reinigt"]·EN["Cleanse", "are-cleansed", "be-cleansed", "cleanse", "cleansed", "he-was-cleansed", "they-were-cleansed", "to-cleanse", "was-cleansed", "were-cleansed", "you-clean"]·FR["purifier"]·heb["הִטָּהֵר", "טִהַר", "טַהֲרוּ", "טָהֲרוּ", "טֻהַר", "לְ-טַהֲרֵנִי", "לְטַהֵר", "מְטַהֲרִים", "מְנַקִּים", "מִטַּהֲרִים", "נִטְהַר", "נִטְהָרִים", "נַקֵּה"]·HI["चाहता-हूँ", "शुदध-होते-हैन", "शुद्ध-कर", "शुद्ध-करते-हो", "शुद्ध-करने-को", "शुद्ध-करो", "शुद्ध-किया", "शुद्ध-किया-गया", "शुद्ध-हुए?", "शुद्ध-हो", "शुद्ध-हो-गई", "शुद्ध-हो-गए।", "शुद्ध-होते-हैं", "साफ़-करते-हो"]·ID["Bersihkanlah", "bersihkanlah", "ditahirkan", "ia-ditahirkan.", "jadilah-tahir", "jadilah-tahir.", "kamu-membersihkan", "membersihkan", "mentahirkan", "mentahirkan.", "tahirkan", "tahirkanlah", "tahirlah", "telah-ditahirkan"]·IT["purificare"]·jav["Resika", "dadi-suci.", "dadiya-suci.", "dipun-resiki", "dipun-sucekaken,", "dipun-sucekaken.", "dipun-sucekaken?", "kasucekan", "kasuceknaa", "ngresiki", "nucekaken", "nyucèkaken", "nyucèni.", "resikana", "sami-kasucekaken,", "sampun-resikaken,", "sucekna,"]·KO["깨끗이-하라", "깨끗이-한다", "깨끗쾌하기라", "깨끗하게-되고", "깨끗하게-된다", "깨끗하게-하고", "깨끗하게-하기를", "깨끗하게-하기에", "깨끗하게-하신", "깨끗하게-했다", "깨끗하여라", "깨끗해져라", "깨끗해졌느냐", "깨끗해졌다", "깨끗해진", "깨끗히-하나"]·PT["foi-purificada", "foi-purificado.", "foram-purificados", "limpai", "purificai", "purificar", "purificar.", "são-purificados", "sê-purificado", "sê-purificado."]·RU["очисти", "очистил", "очистилась", "очистились", "очистился", "очистись", "очистись!", "очистите", "очистить", "очистить.", "очищаете", "очищайте", "очищаются", "очищен-не-был,"]·ES["fue-limpiada", "fue-limpiado", "fueron-limpiados", "limpia", "limpiad", "limpiar", "limpiáis", "limpió", "son-limpiados", "sé-limpiado", "sé-limpio"]·SW["-", "alitakaswa", "alitakaswa.", "aliyetakaswa", "ametakasa,", "kunitakasa", "kunitakasa.", "kwanza", "mnasafisha", "safisheni", "takaseni,", "takasika", "takasika.", "walitakaswa", "wanatakaswa", "wanatakaswa,"]·TR["temizle", "temizledi", "temizlemeye", "temizlemeye.", "temizlemeyi", "temizlen", "temizlen.", "temizlendi", "temizlendi.", "temizlendiler", "temizleniyor", "temizleniyorlar;", "temizlenmedi", "temizleyin", "temizliyorsunuz"]·urd["صاف-کر", "صاف-کرتے-ہو", "پاک-کرنا", "پاک-کرو", "پاک-کیا", "پاک-کیا-گیا-", "پاک-ہو-جا", "پاک-ہو-گئی", "پاک-ہو-گئے", "پاک-ہو-گیا", "پاک-ہوئے", "پاک-ہوتے-ہیں"]
2. purify morally or spiritually — To purify from sin, moral defilement, or spiritual impurity, with God, Christ, or his blood as the agent of cleansing. God purified Gentile hearts by faith (Acts 15:9), Christ gave himself to 'purify for himself a people' (Titus 2:14), and his blood 'cleanses us from all sin' (1 John 1:7; cf. Heb 9:14). Spanish shifts to 'purificar' and 'habiendo purificado,' while French maintains 'purifier' — both marking the inward, moral transformation that transcends physical washing. 9×
AR["أَنْ-تُطَهَّرَ", "طَهَّرَ", "لِنُطَهِّرْ", "مُتَطَهِّرِينَ", "مُطَهِّرًا", "يُطَهِّرَ", "يُطَهِّرَنا", "يُطَهِّرُنا"]·ben["আমরা-শুদ্ধ-করি", "শুদ্ধ-করা-হয়েছে", "শুদ্ধ-করে", "শুদ্ধ-করেন", "শুদ্ধ-হওয়া"]·DE["reinigen", "reinigt"]·EN["cleanses", "having-been-cleansed", "having-cleansed", "let-us-cleanse", "may-cleanse", "might-purify", "purifying", "to-be-cleansed"]·FR["purifier"]·heb["אֶת-", "יְטַהֵר", "לְהִטָּהֵר", "מְטַהֵר", "מְטֻהָרִים", "נְטַהֵר", "שֶׁטִהֲרָהּ"]·HI["शुदध-करके", "शुदध-करे", "शुद्ध-करके", "शुद्ध-करता-है", "शुद्ध-करे", "शुद्ध-करें", "शुद्ध-किए-गए?", "शुद्ध-किए-जाने,"]·ID["Dia-menyucikan", "disucikan", "marilah-kita-menyucikan", "membersihkan", "menyucikan"]·IT["purificare"]·jav["Sucèkaken", "kasucekaken", "ngresiki", "nucèkaken", "nucèkaké", "sampun-kasucèkaken"]·KO["깨끗케-하시도록", "깨끗케-한다", "깨끗하게-하면서", "깨끗하게-하시고", "깨끗하게-하시도록", "깨끗하게-하자", "정결케-되기를", "정결케-된"]·PT["nos-purifica", "nos-purificar", "purificando", "purificasse", "purifiquemo-nos", "serem-purificadas", "tendo-purificado", "tendo-sido-purificados"]·RU["очистив", "очистим", "очистить", "очищает", "очищаться", "очищая", "очищенных"]·ES["habiendo-purificado", "habiendo-sido-purificados", "limpia", "limpie", "limpiémonos", "purificando", "purificara", "ser-purificadas"]·SW["Kwa-hivyo-kutakasa", "ajitakase", "akilisafisha", "akizisafisha", "atusafishe", "inatusafisha", "kusafishwa", "tujisafishe", "waliposafishwa"]·TR["arındiralım", "arındırarak", "arındırsın", "arındırılmak", "arındırılmış", "paklandirip", "temizler", "temizlesin"]·urd["پاک-کر-کے", "پاک-کرتا-ہے", "پاک-کرتے-ہوئے", "پاک-کریں", "پاک-کرے", "پاک-کیا-جانا", "پاک-کیے-گئے"]
Related Senses
H3548 1. priest, cultic officiant (750×)G5547 1. Christ, Messiah, Anointed One (540×)H5030 1. Prophet, divine spokesperson (317×)H5930a 1. burnt offering (sacrifice) (286×)H3881 1. Levites (priestly class) (283×)G4396 1. prophet, spokesperson of God (146×)H6944 1. sanctuary, holy place (129×)G0749 1. high priest, chief priest (123×)H6944 2. holiness, sacredness (abstract quality) (123×)G5330 1. Pharisee (99×)G4336 1. pray to God (86×)H6944 3. holy things, sacred offerings (plural) (86×)H3722a 1. make ritual atonement (Piel) (85×)H6912 1. bury (Qal active) (82×)H6419 1. pray (Hitpael) (80×)H6944 4. holiness (with possessive pronoun) (77×)H6942 1. sanctify, consecrate (Piel factitive) (76×)H2930a 1. Qal: be/become unclean (75×)H7819a 1. slaughter an animal (Qal active) (72×)H1486 1. lot (object cast for decisions) (71×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
κᾰθαρ-ίζω, future -ιῶNT:—cleanse, θυσιαστήριον LXX+NT; sift grain, Refs 3rd c.AD+; prune away, περισσὰ βλαστήματα Refs 1st c.AD+; clear ground of weeds, etc., Refs 4th c.AD+; keep a precinct clear, ἀπό τινων Refs 1st c.BC+ —in middle, future -ιοῦμαι, of the menses, Refs 5th c.BC+ __II of persons, purify, ἀπὸ ἁμαρτίας LXX+NT; cleanse from leprosy, NTpassive, -ιζέστω ἀπὸ γυναικός κτλ. Refs