Lexical Summary katharos: Clean, pure, clear Original Word: καθαρός Strong's Exhaustive Concordance clean, clear, pure. Of uncertain affinity; clean (literally or figuratively) -- clean, clear, pure. HELPS Word-studies 2513 katharós (a primitive word) – properly, "without admixture" (BAGD); what is separated (purged), hence "clean" (pure) because unmixed (without undesirable elements); (figuratively) spiritually clean because purged (purified by God), i.e. free from the contaminating (soiling) influences of sin. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. word Definition clean (adjective) NASB Translation clean (12), clear (3), innocent (1), pure (10). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 2513: καθαρόςκαθαρός, καθαρά, καθαρόν; (akin to Latincastus, incestus, English chaste, chasten; Curtius, § 26; Vanicek, p. 177); from Homer down; the Sept. mostly for טָהור; clean, pure (free from the admixture or adhesion of anything that soils, adulterates, corrupts); a. physically: Matthew 23:26; Matthew 27:59; Hebrews 10:22 (23); Revelation 15:6; Revelation 19:8, 14, and Rec. in Revelation 22:1; χρυσίον, purified by fire, Revelation 21:18, 21; in a similitude, like a vine cleansed by pruning and so fitted to bear fruit, John 15:3; ὁ λελουμένος ... καθαρός ὅλος (where the idea winch Christ expresses figuratively is as follows: 'he whose inmost nature has been renovated does not need radical renewal, but only to be cleansed from every several fault into which he may fall through contact with the unrenewed world'), John 13:10. b. in a levitical sense; clean, i. e. the use of which is not forbidden, imparts no uncleanness: πάντα καθαρά, Romans 14:20; Titus 1:15. c. ethically; free from corrupt desire, from sin and guilt: Titus 1:15; ὑμεῖς καθαροί, John 13:10 (11); οἱ καθαροί τῇ καρδία (as respects heart (Winer's Grammar, § 31, 6 a.)), Matthew 5:8 (καθαρός χεῖρας, Herodotus 1, 35; κατά τό σῶμα καί κατά τήν ψυχήν, Plato, Crat., p. 405 b.); free from every admixture of what is false, sincere, ἐκ καθαρᾶς καρδίας, 1 Timothy 1:5; 2 Timothy 2:22, and R G in 1 Peter 1:22; ἐν καθαρά συνειδήσει, 1 Timothy 3:9; 2 Timothy 1:3; genuine (joined with ἀμίαντος) θρησκεία, James 1:27; blameless, innocent, Acts 18:6. Hebraistically with the addition of ἀπό τίνος, pure from, i. e. unstained with the guilt of, anything (Winers Grammar, § 30, 6 a.; Buttmann, 157f (137f)): ἀπό τοῦ αἵματος, Acts 20:26; Susanna 46 Alex., cf. Genesis 24:8; Tobit 3:14; καθαρᾶς ἔχειν τάς χεῖρας ἀπό τοῦ φόνου, Josephus, Antiquities 4, 8, 16; in classical Greek with a simple genitive, as φόνου, Plato, legg. 9, p. 864 e.; cf. Passow, under the word, p. 1528{a}; (Liddell and Scott, under the word, 3); Kühner, § 421, 4 ii., p. 344. d. in a levitical and ethical sense: πάντα καθαρά ὑμῖν, Luke 11:41, on which see ἔνειμι. (Synonym: see εἰλικρινής; cf. Westcott on 1 John 3:3.) The adjective appears twenty-seven times, spanning the Synoptic Gospels, Johannine writings, Acts, the Pauline and General Epistles, Hebrews and Revelation. It describes both outward cleanliness (objects, garments, burial cloth) and the inner purity God requires of His people (heart, conscience, faith). The contexts reveal a unified biblical testimony: true purity proceeds from God, is effected through Christ, and culminates in eschatological glory, while hypocritical or merely ceremonial “cleanliness” leaves the soul unchanged. Ceremonial and Physical Cleanliness Matthew 27:59 records Joseph of Arimathea wrapping Jesus’ body “in a clean linen cloth,” showing respect for the dead and conformity to burial customs. In Revelation the term modifies gold, pearls, streets, linen and water (Revelation 21:18; 21:21; 15:6; 19:8; 19:14), underscoring the flawless holiness of the New Jerusalem. These material uses ground the abstract concept of purity in tangible symbols recognizable in ancient and modern cultures alike. Purity of Heart in the Teaching of Jesus “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matthew 5:8). Purity is an inner reality that grants fellowship with God, not mere ritual conformity. In Matthew 23:26 Jesus indicts Pharisaic externalism: “First clean the inside of the cup and dish, so that the outside may become clean as well.” The Upper Room discourse (John 13:10–11; 15:3) links purity to Christ’s cleansing word and underscores that proximity to Jesus does not guarantee purity apart from faith. Apostolic Call to a Pure Conscience Paul repeatedly pairs purity with conscience. “They must hold to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience” (1 Timothy 3:9). His own ministry is marked by the same: “I thank God… with a clear conscience” (2 Timothy 1:3). In Acts 18:6 and Acts 20:26 the term is translated “innocent,” expressing Paul’s blamelessness regarding others’ blood because he had faithfully proclaimed the gospel. Purity here functions vocationally, measuring ministerial integrity. Moral Purity and Christian Ethics Romans 14:20 balances Christian liberty with love: “All things are indeed clean, but it is wrong for a man to let his eating cause another to stumble.” Titus 1:15 contrasts the regenerate and the defiled: “To the pure, all things are pure; but to the defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure.” Purity thus entails discernment about activities that may corrupt oneself or others. James 1:27 ties purity to practical mercy and personal holiness—care for the vulnerable and separation from worldly pollution. Community Life and Love “Since you have purified your souls by obedience to the truth… love one another deeply, from a pure heart” (1 Peter 1:22). Purity in the believing community produces sincere brotherly love. 2 Timothy 2:22 exhorts the church to “pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace… out of a pure heart,” indicating corporate pursuit, not solitary asceticism. Approach to God in Worship Hebrews 10:22 presents purity as prerequisite for drawing near to God: “having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” The imagery echoes priestly washings yet is applied to all believers by virtue of Christ’s atonement, fulfilling the prophetic hope of a cleansed people. Eschatological Fulfillment Revelation’s repeated use of the term depicts the consummation of salvation: saints clothed in “fine linen, bright and pure” (Revelation 19:8), heavenly armies in the same attire (19:14), and the city itself fashioned of “pure gold” (21:18). Purity becomes the dominant aesthetic of the eternal state, visually manifesting the holiness that God’s people already possess positionally in Christ. Practical Ministry Implications 1. Gospel workers must guard a pure conscience, lest their witness be compromised. Thus the New Testament presents purity as God-wrought, Christ-centered, Spirit-empowered, ethically manifested, communally sustained, and ultimately perfected in glory. Englishman's Concordance Matthew 5:8 Adj-NMPGRK: μακάριοι οἱ καθαροὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ NAS: Blessed are the pure in heart, KJV: Blessed [are] the pure in heart: for INT: Blessed the pure in heart Matthew 23:26 Adj-NNS Matthew 27:59 Adj-DFS Luke 11:41 Adj-NNP John 13:10 Adj-NMS John 13:10 Adj-NMP John 13:11 Adj-NMP John 15:3 Adj-NMP Acts 18:6 Adj-NMS Acts 20:26 Adj-NMS Romans 14:20 Adj-NNP 1 Timothy 1:5 Adj-GFS 1 Timothy 3:9 Adj-DFS 2 Timothy 1:3 Adj-DFS 2 Timothy 2:22 Adj-GFS Titus 1:15 Adj-NNP Titus 1:15 Adj-DMP Titus 1:15 Adj-NNS Hebrews 10:22 Adj-DNS James 1:27 Adj-NFS 1 Peter 1:22 Adj-GFS Revelation 15:6 Adj-ANS Revelation 19:8 Adj-ANS Revelation 19:14 Adj-ANS Revelation 21:18 Adj-NNS Strong's Greek 2513 |
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