כָּבַס51 H3526
To wash or launder garments by treading or kneading in water; a fuller's professional trade of cleansing cloth
Unlike the more general Hebrew word for washing (רחץ, used for bathing the body), כבס specifically denotes the vigorous laundering of fabric — originally by treading it underfoot in water, the ancient Near Eastern equivalent of a washing machine. The Piel intensive stem dominates its usage across the ritual purity laws of Leviticus and Numbers, where garments contaminated by contact with uncleanness must be 'washed' before the person can re-enter the camp. Strikingly, the same root provides the title of the 'fuller' (כוֹבֵס), the professional cloth-washer whose field near Jerusalem becomes a landmark in Isaiah 7:3 and 2 Kings 18:17. Malachi 3:2 compares the coming messenger to 'fuller's soap,' using the language of this trade to picture divine purification.
Senses
1. wash, launder (Piel active) — The primary active Piel sense: to wash, launder, or cleanse garments and fabrics by treading or kneading them in water. This is overwhelmingly the most common usage, appearing in the ritual legislation of Leviticus and Numbers where contaminated garments must be laundered (Lev 11:25; 13:6; 15:5). In Genesis 49:11, Judah figuratively 'washes his garments in wine' — a striking image of abundance. All four major translation languages agree on the core washing sense: Spanish 'lavar,' French 'laver,' German 'waschen.' 43×
AR["وَ-يَغْسِلُ","يَغْسِلُ"]·ben["এবং-ধুবে","এবং-ধুয়ে-ফেলবে","ধুবে","ধৌত-করবে","সে-ধোবে"]·DE["lass-waschen","soll-waschen","und-er-soll-waschen","und-soll-waschen"]·EN["and-he-shall-wash","and-shall-wash","let-wash","shall-wash"]·FR["devra-laver","et-devra-laver","et-il-lavera","laisse-laver"]·heb["ו-כיבס","כיבס"]·HI["अपने वस्त्र","उनकी लोथ","उसकी लोथ","उसके","और-धोएगा","तक","धोएगा","वह","वह-धोए"]·ID["Dan-mencucilah","dan-mencuci","dan-mencucilah","harus-mencuci","hendaklah-mencuci","mencuci"]·IT["dovra-lavare","e-egli-dovra-lavare","e-lavera","lascia-lavare","lavera"]·jav["Lan-ngumbah","badhé-ngumbah","kedah-ngumbah","lan-ngumbah","ngumbah","ngumbahi"]·KO["그가-븨-것이다","그가-빨-것이다","그리고-븨리라","그리고-빨-것이다","븨으리라","빨-것이다","빨으라"]·PT["E-lavará","e-lavará","lavará"]·RU["выстирает","и-выстирает","и-пусть-вымоет","омоет","пусть-вымоет"]·ES["Y-lavará","lavará","y-lavará"]·SW["Na-ataosha","afue","atafua","ataosha","na-ataosha"]·TR["ve-yıkayacak","yıkayacak"]·urd["اور-دھوئے","دھوئے"]
2. washer, fuller (participle) — The participial/substantival sense denoting a professional washer or fuller of cloth. The 'fuller's field' (שְׂדֵה כוֹבֵס) near Jerusalem appears as a geographic landmark in three parallel passages (2 Kgs 18:17; Isa 7:3; 36:2). Malachi 3:2 uses the plural participle מְכַבְּסִים to describe the refining work of God's messenger — 'like fullers' soap.' Spanish 'lavador' and French 'fouler' both preserve the occupational meaning. 4×
AR["الغَاسِلِينَ","القَصَّارِ","قَصَّارٍ"]·ben["ধোপাদের","ধোপার"]·DE["[כובס]","[מכבסים]","fuller"]·EN["fuller","launderers","of-the-Washer"]·FR["[כובס]","fouler","fuller"]·heb["כובס","מכבסים"]·HI["धोबनेवालों-की","धोबी-के"]·ID["tukang-cuci","tukang-penatu"]·IT["[כובס]","[מכבסים]","fuller"]·jav["kang-ngumbahi","pategalan","tukang-ngumbah","tukang-penatu"]·KO["빨래하는-자들-의","빨래하는-자의"]·PT["lavadeiro","lavadores","lavandeiro"]·RU["белильщика","моющих"]·ES["del-lavador","lavador","lavandero","lavanderos"]·SW["la-mfuaji","wafuaji"]·TR["Cubukcu'nun","camashircinin","yıkayanların","çamaşırcının"]·urd["دھوبی","دھوبی-کے","صابن-دھوبیوں-کی"]
3. be washed (Hitpael reflexive) — The Hitpael reflexive/reciprocal sense: to be washed or to undergo washing. Appearing only in Leviticus 13:55-56 in the context of inspecting garments for persistent skin disease marks after laundering. The reflexive stem suggests the garment itself as undergoing the process, viewed from the perspective of the fabric being subjected to cleansing rather than the agent performing it. 2×
AR["الْغَسْلِ"]·ben["ধোয়া"]·DE["seiend-wusch"]·EN["being-washed"]·FR["étant-lava"]·heb["כיבס"]·HI["चमड़ा","धोया जाने के"]·ID["dicuci"]·IT["essendo-lavo"]·jav["dikumbah"]·KO["빨아진"]·PT["ser-lavado"]·RU["вымывания"]·ES["lavarse"]·SW["kuoshwa"]·TR["yıkanmasından"]·urd["دھلنے-کے"]
4. be washed (Pual passive) — The Pual passive sense: to be washed, indicating that the garment is the recipient of the laundering action without specifying the agent. Found in Leviticus 13:58 (a garment whose mark disappears after washing) and 15:17 (fabric on which there is a bodily emission that must be washed). Spanish 'será lavado' (shall be washed) captures the passive construction precisely. 2×
AR["وَ-يُغْسَلُ"]·ben["এবং-ধোয়া-হবে"]·DE["und-es-soll-sein-wusch","und-soll-sein-wusch"]·EN["and-it-shall-be-washed","and-shall-be-washed"]·FR["et-cela-devra-être-lava","et-devra-être-lava"]·heb["ו-כיבס"]·HI["और-धोया जाएगा"]·ID["dan-dicuci"]·IT["e-dovra-essere-lavo","e-esso-dovra-essere-lavo"]·jav["lan-dikumbah","lan-dipunkumbah"]·KO["그리고-빨아야-한다"]·PT["e-será-lavado"]·RU["и-выстирается","и-пусть-будет-вымыто"]·ES["y-será-lavado"]·SW["itafuwa","na-itaoshwa"]·TR["ve-yıkanacak"]·urd["اور-دھویا-جائے","تو-دھویا-جائے"]
Related Senses
G0846 1. third-person pronoun reference (5552×)H???? 1. (4670×)H6213a 1. do, perform, act (2383×)G4160 1. do, act, perform (473×)H5221 1. Hifil: to strike in battle, smite enemies (362×)H0899b 1. garment, article of clothing (216×)H6213a 2. make, construct, fabricate (148×)H3772 1. cut a covenant / make a pact (97×)H5060 1. touch physically (Qal) (96×)H3615 1. complete a task (Piel) (85×)H3772 2. cut off / destroy (Hifil causative) (81×)H3920 1. capture, seize (Qal) (76×)H???? 12. (76×)H3772 3. be cut off / be eliminated (Niphal) (74×)H6213a 3. be done, be made (Niphal) (73×)G4160 2. make, construct, create (62×)H3847 1. Qal: put on, wear (60×)H8210 1. pour out (liquid/libation) (59×)G2440 1. garment or clothing (general) (54×)H4191 4. kill / put to death (Hifil causative) (50×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
[כָּבַס51] vb. (tread), wash (NH id.; Ph. כבס as pt.; Assyrian kabâsu, tread, (down), subjugate, kilšu, step, path, DlHWB)— Qal Pt. only מְסִלַּת שְׂדֵה כוֹבֵס highway of fuller’s (= treader’s, washer’s) field Is 7:3; 36:2 = 2 K 18:17. Pi. Pf. וְכִּבֶּס consec. Lv 13:6 + 11 times; כִּבֵּס Gn 49:11 2 S 19:25, etc.; Impf. יְכַבֵּס Lv 11:25 + 16 times; 2 ms. sf. תְּכַבְּסֵנִי ψ 51:9, etc.; Imv. sf.…