H2141 H2141
To be bright, clean, pure; describing physical radiance or moral purity, with a causative sense 'to cleanse.'
A verb appearing only in Job and Lamentations, spanning physical brilliance and moral purity. In Lam 4:7, it describes how Jerusalem's nobles were once 'brighter than snow' — a stunning image of health and splendor. In Job's theological arguments, it questions whether even the heavens are 'pure' in God's sight (Job 15:15; 25:5), let alone mortals. The Hiphil in Job 9:30 expresses the futility of self-cleansing: 'though I cleanse my hands with lye.' Spanish 'puros/puras' and the related adjective zakh ('pure') confirm the overlap of brilliance and moral cleanness.
Senses
1. sense 1 — To be bright or radiant — describing physical splendor. In Lam 4:7 the nobles of Jerusalem 'were brighter than snow, whiter than milk,' using zakhakh in parallel with tsakhakh to paint a picture of dazzling health and beauty before the siege destroyed them. The root sense is luminous purity, visible and striking. 4×
AR["تَزكُو", "زَكِيَّةٌ", "صَفَا", "وَنَظَّفْتُ"]·ben["ও-আমি-শুদ্ধ-করি", "শুদ্ধ", "শুদ্ধ-ছিল"]·DE["[והזכותי]", "[זכו]"]·EN["Were-pure", "and-I-cleanse", "are-pure"]·FR["[זכו]", "et-והזכותי", "זכו"]·heb["ו-הזכותי", "זכו"]·HI["और-शुद्ध-करता", "शुद्ध-थे", "शुद्ध-हैं"]·ID["Murni", "dan-aku-membersihkan", "murni"]·IT["[זכו]", "are-pure", "e-e-I-cleanse", "sono-puro"]·jav["Murni", "lan-kawula-ngresiki", "resik"]·KO["그리고-깨끗하게-했어도", "깨끗하지-않으니라", "깨끗했네"]·PT["Eram-puros", "e-purificar", "são-puras", "são-puros"]·RU["Чисты-были", "и-очищу", "чисты"]·ES["Eran-puros", "son-puras", "son-puros", "y-limpiara"]·SW["Walikuwa-safi", "na-nisafishe", "si-safi", "usafi"]·TR["Saf-idiler", "temiz", "ve-temizlesem"]·urd["اور-صاف-کروں", "پاک ہیں", "پاک-تھے", "پاک-ہیں"]
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
† [זָכַךְ] vb. be bright, clean, pure (kindred with foregoing. Only La Jb)— Qal Pf. only 3 mpl. זַכּ֫וּ;— 1. be bright, shining, fig. of splendour of nobles ז׳ נְזִירִים מִשֶּׁלֶג La 4:7 (‖ צַחוּ מֵחָלָב). 2. be clean, pure in God’s sight, of heavens Jb 15:15, of stars 25:5 (‖ יַאֲהִיל of moon; cf. also יִזְכֶּה 15:14; 25:4). Hiph. cleanse, only Pf. 1 s. וַהֲזִכּוֹתִי בְּבֹר כַּפָּֽי ׃ Jb 9:30, fig. of making morally spotless (‖ הִתְרָחַצְתִּי).