2513. katharos
Lexical Summary
katharos: Clean, pure, clear

Original Word: καθαρός
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: katharos
Pronunciation: kah-thah-ROS
Phonetic Spelling: (kath-ar-os')
KJV: clean, clear, pure
NASB: clean, pure, clear, innocent
Word Origin: [of uncertain affinity]

1. clean
{literally or figuratively}

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 Origin
a prim. word
Definition
clean (adjective)
NASB Translation
clean (12), clear (3), innocent (1), pure (10).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 2513: καθαρός

καθαρός, 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; 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.)

Topical Lexicon
Scope of New Testament Usage

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.
2. Teaching should connect doctrinal purity with ethical purity—“the goal of our instruction is love that comes from a pure heart” (1 Timothy 1:5).
3. Corporate worship must emphasize inner cleansing through the gospel, not reliance on external forms.
4. Discipleship includes cultivating mercy and justice (James 1:27) and accountability in lifestyle choices (Romans 14:20).
5. Hope in the “pure gold” of Revelation strengthens believers to pursue holiness now, confident that “we shall see Him as He is” (cf. 1 John 3:2-3), for purity and vision are inseparable.

Thus the New Testament presents purity as God-wrought, Christ-centered, Spirit-empowered, ethically manifested, communally sustained, and ultimately perfected in glory.

Forms and Transliterations
καθαρα καθαρά καθαρὰ καθαρᾷ καθαραί καθαραίς καθαράν καθαρας καθαράς καθαρᾶς καθαροι καθαροί καθαροὶ καθαροις καθαροίς καθαροῖς καθαρον καθαρόν καθαρὸν καθαρος καθαρός καθαρὸς καθαρού καθαρούς καθαρω καθαρώ καθαρῷ καθάρω καθαρών kathara kathará katharà katharā̂i katharas katharâs katharo katharō katharoi katharoí katharoì katharôi katharō̂i katharois katharoîs katharon katharón katharòn katharos katharós katharòs
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Englishman's Concordance
Matthew 5:8 Adj-NMP
GRK: 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
GRK: ἐκτὸς αὐτοῦ καθαρόν
NAS: of it may become clean also.
KJV: of them may be clean also.
INT: outside of them clean

Matthew 27:59 Adj-DFS
GRK: ἐν σινδόνι καθαρᾷ
NAS: and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,
KJV: he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,
INT: in a linen cloth clean

Luke 11:41 Adj-NNP
GRK: ἰδοὺ πάντα καθαρὰ ὑμῖν ἐστίν
NAS: and then all things are clean for you.
KJV: all things are clean unto you.
INT: Behold all things clean to you are

John 13:10 Adj-NMS
GRK: ἀλλ' ἔστιν καθαρὸς ὅλος καὶ
NAS: but is completely clean; and you are clean,
KJV: but is clean every whit: and
INT: but is clean wholly and

John 13:10 Adj-NMP
GRK: καὶ ὑμεῖς καθαροί ἐστε ἀλλ'
NAS: clean; and you are clean, but not all
KJV: ye are clean, but not
INT: and you clean are but

John 13:11 Adj-NMP
GRK: Οὐχὶ πάντες καθαροί ἐστε
NAS: He said, Not all of you are clean.
KJV: not all clean.
INT: Not all clean you are

John 15:3 Adj-NMP
GRK: ἤδη ὑμεῖς καθαροί ἐστε διὰ
NAS: You are already clean because
KJV: ye are clean through the word
INT: Already you clean you are by reason of

Acts 18:6 Adj-NMS
GRK: κεφαλὴν ὑμῶν καθαρὸς ἐγώ ἀπὸ
NAS: [be] on your own heads! I am clean. From now
KJV: I [am] clean: from
INT: head of you pure [from it] I [am] from

Acts 20:26 Adj-NMS
GRK: ἡμέρᾳ ὅτι καθαρός εἰμι ἀπὸ
NAS: that I am innocent of the blood
KJV: that I [am] pure from the blood
INT: day that pure I [am] from

Romans 14:20 Adj-NNP
GRK: πάντα μὲν καθαρά ἀλλὰ κακὸν
NAS: indeed are clean, but they are evil
KJV: indeed [are] pure; but
INT: All things indeed [are] pure but [it is] wrong

1 Timothy 1:5 Adj-GFS
GRK: ἀγάπη ἐκ καθαρᾶς καρδίας καὶ
NAS: is love from a pure heart
KJV: charity out of a pure heart, and
INT: love out of pure a heart and

1 Timothy 3:9 Adj-DFS
GRK: πίστεως ἐν καθαρᾷ συνειδήσει
NAS: of the faith with a clear conscience.
KJV: of the faith in a pure conscience.
INT: faith in pure a conscience

2 Timothy 1:3 Adj-DFS
GRK: προγόνων ἐν καθαρᾷ συνειδήσει ὡς
NAS: I serve with a clear conscience
KJV: with pure conscience,
INT: [my] forefathers with pure conscience how

2 Timothy 2:22 Adj-GFS
GRK: κύριον ἐκ καθαρᾶς καρδίας
NAS: on the Lord from a pure heart.
KJV: the Lord out of a pure heart.
INT: Lord out of pure a heart

Titus 1:15 Adj-NNP
GRK: πάντα καθαρὰ τοῖς καθαροῖς
NAS: To the pure, all things are pure;
KJV: Unto the pure all things [are] pure:
INT: All things [are] pure to the pure

Titus 1:15 Adj-DMP
GRK: καθαρὰ τοῖς καθαροῖς τοῖς δὲ
NAS: all things are pure; but to those
KJV: [is] nothing pure; but
INT: pure to the pure to those who however

Titus 1:15 Adj-NNS
GRK: ἀπίστοις οὐδὲν καθαρόν ἀλλὰ μεμίανται
NAS: nothing is pure, but both
INT: unbelieving nothing [is] pure but are defiled

Hebrews 10:22 Adj-DNS
GRK: σῶμα ὕδατι καθαρῷ
NAS: and our bodies washed with pure water.
KJV: our bodies washed with pure water.
INT: body with water pure

James 1:27 Adj-NFS
GRK: θρησκεία καθαρὰ καὶ ἀμίαντος
NAS: Pure and undefiled religion
KJV: Pure religion and
INT: Religion pure and undefiled

1 Peter 1:22 Adj-GFS
GRK: ἀνυπόκριτον ἐκ καθαρᾶς καρδίας ἀλλήλους
INT: sincere out of [a] pure heart one another

Revelation 15:6 Adj-ANS
GRK: ἐνδεδυμένοι λίνον καθαρὸν λαμπρὸν καὶ
NAS: in linen, clean [and] bright,
KJV: plagues, clothed in pure and white
INT: clothed in linen pure bright and

Revelation 19:8 Adj-ANS
GRK: βύσσινον λαμπρὸν καθαρόν τὸ γὰρ
NAS: bright [and] clean; for the fine linen
KJV: in fine linen, clean and
INT: fine linen bright pure the indeed

Revelation 19:14 Adj-ANS
GRK: βύσσινον λευκὸν καθαρόν
NAS: white [and] clean, were following
KJV: white and clean.
INT: fine linen white pure

Revelation 21:18 Adj-NNS
GRK: πόλις χρυσίον καθαρὸν ὅμοιον ὑάλῳ
NAS: and the city was pure gold,
KJV: and the city [was] pure gold, like
INT: city gold pure like glass

Strong's Greek 2513
27 Occurrences


καθαρᾷ — 7 Occ.
καθαρᾶς — 3 Occ.
καθαρῷ — 2 Occ.
καθαροὶ — 4 Occ.
καθαροῖς — 1 Occ.
καθαρόν — 7 Occ.
καθαρὸς — 3 Occ.

2512
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