Wash; Washing

wosh, wosh ́ing: The two usual Hebrew words for “wash” are רחץ, rāḥac, and כּבס, kābhaṣ, the former being normally used of persons or of sacrificial animals (Genesis 18:4, etc., often translated “bathe”; Leviticus 15:5, etc.), and the latter of things (Genesis 49:11, etc.), the exceptions to this distinction being few (for rāḥac, 1 Kings 22:38 margin; for kābhaṣ, Psalms 51:2, 7; Jeremiah 2:22; 4:14). Much less common are דּוּח, dūaḥ (2 Chronicles 4:6; Isaiah 4:4; Ezekiel 40:38) and שׁטף, shātaph (1 Kings 22:38; Job 14:19; Ezekiel 16:9), translated “rinse” in Leviticus 6:28; 15:11-12. In Nehemiah 4:23 the King James Version has “washing” and the Revised Version “water” for mayim, but the text is hopelessly obscure (compare the Revised Version margin). In the Apocrypha and New Testament the range of terms is wider. Most common is νίπτω, níptō (Matthew 6:17, etc.), with aponíptō in Matthew 27:24. Of the other terms, λούω, loúō (Susanna verses 15, 17; John 13:10, etc.), with apoloúō (Acts 22:16; 1 Corinthians 6:11) and the noun loutrón (Sirach/Ecclesiasticus 34:25b; Ephesians 5:26; Titus 3:5), usually has a sacral significance. On βαπτίζω, baptí́zō (Sirach/Ecclesiasticus 34:25a; Mark 7:4; Luke 11:38), with the noun baptismós (Mark 7:4 (text?); Hebrews 9:10), see BAPTISM. In Luke 5:2; Revelation 7:14; 22:14 the Revised Version occurs πλύνω, plúnō, while Judith 10:3 has περικλύζω, periklúzō. Virtually, as far as meaning is concerned, all these words are interchangeable. Of the figurative uses of washing, the most common and obvious is that of cleansing from sin (Psalms 51:2; Isaiah 1:16, etc.), but, with an entirely different figure, “to wash in” may signify “to enjoy in plenty” (Genesis 49:11; Job 29:6; the meaning in Song of Solomon 5:12 is uncertain). Washing of the hands, in token of innocence, is found in Deuteronomy 21:6; Matthew 27:24.

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Author: International Std. Bible Encyclopedia

Keywords: Wash, Washing, Water, Baptism, Ritual bath, Ritual bathing, Ritual washing

Source: James Orr (editor), The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, 5 volume set.

Page indexed by: inWORD Bible Software.