H2889 H2889
Clean or pure — ritually clean according to Levitical law, pure in material substance (e.g., pure gold), morally or spiritually pure, or purity as an abstract noun.
The adjective tahor (טָהוֹר) is one of the pillars of the Levitical purity system, appearing across contexts that range from animal classification to goldsmithing to the inner life of the soul. Its most frequent use — some sixty occurrences — concerns ritual cleanness: clean animals fit for sacrifice (Gen 7:2; Lev 20:25), clean persons who may eat holy food, clean places where ashes are deposited. A second major cluster describes material purity, especially 'pure gold' (zahav tahor) in the tabernacle instructions of Exodus 25–39, where English 'pure' and Spanish 'puro' converge perfectly. The rarest but theologically richest use appears in Psalm 19:9, where the fear of the LORD is called tahor — morally and spiritually clean, enduring forever.
Senses
1. ritually or physically clean — Ritual or ceremonial cleanness according to the Levitical system. Clean animals are distinguished from unclean for sacrifice and diet (Gen 7:2, 8:20, Lev 20:25, Deut 14:11); persons become clean after purification rites (Lev 13:13, 17; Num 9:13); places and vessels are designated clean for sacred use (Lev 4:12, 10:14). English 'clean,' Spanish 'limpio/limpia,' French 'pur,' and German 'rein' all serve this sense. The distinction between tahor and tame (unclean) structures much of Levitical theology (Lev 10:10, Ezek 22:26, 44:23). 60×
AR["طَاهِرًا", "طَاهِرٌ", "طَاهِرٍ", "طَاهِرَةً", "طَاهِرَتَيْنِ"]·ben["শুচি", "শুদ্ধ"]·DE["rein", "rein-ist"]·EN["clean"]·FR["pur"]·heb["טהור", "טהורה"]·HI["खाज", "बोया जाएगा", "रोग", "वह", "शुदध", "शुद्ध", "शुद्ध-है"]·ID["tahir", "yang-tahir"]·IT["pulire", "puro"]·jav["ingkang-suci", "resik", "suci"]·KO["깨끗하다", "깨끗한", "정결한"]·PT["limpo", "pura", "puras", "puro", "é-limpo"]·RU["чист", "чисто", "чистом", "чистому", "чистую", "чистый", "чистым", "чистых"]·ES["limpia", "limpio", "pura", "puro", "puros"]·SW["safi"]·TR["temiz"]·urd["پاک"]
2. pure in quality or substance — Purity of material substance — unmixed, refined, or of the highest quality. This sense dominates the tabernacle construction narrative: pure gold (zahav tahor) overlaying the ark, the mercy seat, the table, the lampstand (Exod 25:11, 17, 24, 31); pure frankincense on the showbread (Lev 24:7); pure oil for the lamps. Spanish 'puro' and English 'pure' capture the metallurgical and chemical sense of an unalloyed substance. The thirty-one occurrences cluster heavily in Exodus 25–39 and 1 Chronicles 28. 31×
AR["طاهِراً", "طاهِرٍ", "نَقِيٍّ", "نَقِيّاً"]·ben["বিশুদ্ধ"]·DE["rein"]·EN["pure"]·FR["pur"]·heb["טהור"]·HI["शुद्ध"]·ID["murni"]·IT["puro"]·jav["murni", "murni,", "murni.", "murni;"]·KO["순수한"]·PT["puro"]·RU["чистого", "чистое", "чистым"]·ES["puro"]·SW["safi"]·TR["saf"]·urd["خالص", "پاک"]
Exod 25:11, Exod 25:17, Exod 25:24, Exod 25:29, Exod 25:31, Exod 25:36, Exod 25:38, Exod 25:39, Exod 28:14, Exod 28:22, Exod 28:36, Exod 30:3 (+19 more)
3. purity (nominal construct) — An abstract nominal use in the construct state meaning 'purity of' or 'cleanness of,' functioning as a noun rather than an adjective. Both occurrences appear in Proverbs 22:11, where 'purity of heart' (tehor lev) describes inner cleanness as a quality. Spanish marks this with 'pureza de' (purity of), distinguishing it from the adjectival uses. German translations sometimes transliterate the Hebrew, reflecting difficulty mapping this nominal construction directly. 2×
AR["(طاهِرَ)", "[طهر]"]·ben["শুদ্ধ"]·DE["[(טהר)]", "[[טהור]]"]·EN["[pure-of]", "pure-of"]·FR["pur"]·heb["(טהר-)", "[טהור-]"]·HI["(शुद्धता-)", "[शुद्ध-]"]·ID["(kesucian)", "[kesucian]"]·IT["[pure-of]", "puro-di"]·jav["resik"]·KO["(깨끗한-)", "[깨끗한-]"]·PT["[puro-]", "puro-"]·RU["[ктив:чистоту-]", "чистоту-"]·ES["(pureza-de)", "[pureza-de-]"]·SW["usafi-wa"]·TR["(temiz-)", "[temiz-]"]·urd["پاک-"]
4. morally or spiritually pure — Moral or spiritual purity of heart, character, or conduct. Psalm 19:9 declares 'the fear of the LORD is clean (tehorah), enduring forever' — not ritually clean like an animal or materially pure like gold, but ethically and spiritually unblemished. Spanish uses 'limpio' here as it does for ritual cleanness, but the context elevates the meaning to the realm of the sacred and the moral. This sense anticipates the New Testament's emphasis on inner purity over outward ritual (cf. Matt 5:8). 1×
AR["طَاهِرَةٌ"]·ben["পবিত্র"]·DE["rein"]·EN["is-clean"]·FR["pur"]·heb["טהורה"]·HI["पवित्र-है"]·ID["suci"]·IT["puro"]·jav["suci"]·KO["깨끗하도다"]·PT["é-puro"]·RU["чист"]·ES["limpio"]·SW["takatifu"]·TR["temiz"]·urd["پاک"]
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
† טָהור adj. clean, pure;—m. abs. ט׳ Ex 25:11 + 68 times; טָהֹר Lv 11:47 + 4 times; cstr. טְהוֹר Hab 1:13; טְהָו֯ר Pr 22:11; טֳהָר־ Jb 17:9; f. טְהוֹרָה Mal 1:11 + 3 times; טְהֹרָה Gn 7:2 + 8 times; mpl. טְהוֹרִים Ez 36:25 Ezr 6:20; טְהֹרִים Pr 15:26; fpl. טְהֹרוֹת Lv 14:4 ψ 12:7;— 1. ceremonially clean, of animals Gn 7:2(×2), 8(×2); 8:20(×2) (all J), Lv 14:4 (P), 20:25(×2) (H), Dt 14:11, 20;…