H1249 H1249
Pure, clean, sincere — describing moral clarity of heart, ritual cleanness, or physical emptiness
An adjective (בַּר) meaning 'pure' or 'clean,' used across ethical, liturgical, and even mundane contexts. In the Psalms it describes the moral purity required to stand before God — 'clean hands and a pure heart' (Ps 24:4) and those 'pure of heart' toward whom God is good (Ps 73:1). The commands of the LORD are called בָּרָה, 'pure' (Ps 19:9). In Proverbs 14:4, it describes an empty, clean manger — no oxen means a clean crib, but also no harvest. The range from inner moral purity to physical emptiness gives this word a distinctive breadth.
Senses
1. pure, clean — Pure, clean, or sincere, spanning moral, ritual, and physical senses. Ethically, it describes purity of heart required for worship (Ps 24:4, בַר לֵבָב 'pure in heart'; Ps 73:1, בָּרֵי לֵבָב). Applied to God's commands as flawless and pure (Ps 19:9). In Song of Songs 6:9-10, it describes a maiden as 'pure' or 'bright.' Job 11:4 uses it of personal moral claim. In Proverbs 14:4, it means physically 'clean' or 'empty' — a clean manger signals no livestock and thus no productivity. French pur and Spanish pura/limpio capture the ethical and physical dimensions respectively. 7×
AR["بَرَه", "طَاهِرَةٌ", "لِ-أنْقياءِ-", "نَظيفٌ", "وَطاهِرٌ", "وَطَاهِرُ-"]·ben["এবং-নির্মল-", "এবং-পরিষ্কার", "যাদের-শুদ্ধ", "শস্য", "শুদ্ধ"]·DE["[בר]", "[ברה]", "[ובר]", "ist-rein", "und-rein-von-", "zu-der-rein"]·EN["and-clean", "and-pure-of-", "clean", "is-pure", "pure", "to-the-pure-in"]·FR["dans-pur", "et-pur", "pur", "pure", "à-pur"]·heb["בר", "ברה", "ו-בר", "ו-בר-", "ל-ברי"]·HI["और-निर्मल-", "और-पवित्र", "खाली", "शुद्ध", "शुद्ध-हृदय-वालों-के-लिए", "शुद्ध-है"]·ID["bagi-yang-murni", "bersih", "dan-bersih", "murni"]·IT["e-e-pulito", "e-figlio", "pulito", "puro"]·jav["bersih", "kang-murni", "kanggé-tiyang-ingkang-resik", "lan-murni", "murni", "saha-murni-"]·KO["구유-가", "그리고-깨끗하다", "그리고-순수한-", "깨끗한-자들-에게", "밝도다", "밝은", "정결하다"]·PT["e-limpo", "e-puro-de", "limpa", "para-os-puros", "pura", "é-puro"]·RU["для-чистых", "и-непорочный-", "и-чист", "чиста", "чистая", "чисты", "ясная"]·ES["limpio", "para-limpios-de", "pura", "puro", "y-limpio", "y-puro-de"]·SW["kwa-walio-safi", "mteule", "mwangavu", "na-safi", "na-usafi-wa", "ni-tupu", "safi"]·TR["için-pak-olanlar", "saf", "temiz", "ve-saf-", "ve-temiz"]·urd["اور-صاف", "اور-پاک", "خالص", "صاف", "لِ-پاکوں"]
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
† II. בַּר adj. pure, clean, Jb 11:4 ψ 24:4; בָּר Pr 14:4; pl. cstr. בָּרֵי ψ 73:1; f. בָּרָה ψ 19:9 Ct 6:9, 10;— 1. pure, clear: בר לבב pure in heart ψ 24:4; ברי לבב ψ 73:1; a pure damsel Ct 6:9, 10, man Jb 11:4, commands of God ψ 19:9. 2. clean: אֵבוּס בָּר crib is clean Pr 14:4. 3. perhaps adv. נַשְּׁקוּ־בַר kiss purely, of sincere homage ψ 2:12 but cf. i. בַּר" dir="rtl" >בַּר, p. 135.