7340 clean and unclean
Dictionary of Bible Themes

Dictionary of Bible Themes  »  7000 God's people  »  7300 Institutions and culture of OT  »  7340 clean and unclean

The distinction between things which were ritually acceptable and unacceptable to God. Animals were classified as either clean or unclean, denoting their suitability or unsuitability for sacrifice and food. The motives and intentions of the heart were also sometimes judged to be clean or unclean, as uncleanness was often linked with sin.

The OT distinction between clean and unclean

The command to distinguish between clean and unclean

Leviticus 15:31 See also Leviticus 10:8-11; Leviticus 20:22-26; Ezekiel 22:26; Ezekiel 44:23

The distinction between clean and unclean animals

Genesis 7:2 See also Genesis 7:8-9; Genesis 8:20; Leviticus 11:1-47 pp Deuteronomy 14:3-20; Leviticus 27:11-13

The NT attitude to clean and unclean animals

Mark 7:14-23 pp Matthew 15:10-20; Acts 10:11-15; Acts 11:5-9

Places and inanimate objects could be clean or unclean

Leviticus 10:14 See also Leviticus 4:12; Leviticus 6:11; Leviticus 11:32-38; Leviticus 14:33-57; 2 Chronicles 13:11

Causes of uncleanness

Physical contact with anything unclean

Leviticus 5:2-3 See also Leviticus 7:19; Hosea 9:3-4; Haggai 2:10-14

Contact with corpses

Numbers 19:11 See also Leviticus 21:1-4,10-12; Numbers 6:5-8

Infectious skin diseases

Leviticus 13:1-46 See also Leviticus 14:1-32; Matthew 8:2-4 pp Mark 1:40-44 pp Luke 5:12-14

Certain bodily functions

Leviticus 12:2 See also Leviticus 12:5; Leviticus 15:1-33

Consequences of uncleanness

Exclusion from worship

Leviticus 22:3-5 See also Leviticus 12:4; Numbers 9:6-12; 1 Samuel 20:24-26; 2 Chronicles 23:19; 2 C 17

Isolation from God's people

Numbers 5:2 See also Leviticus 7:20-21; Deuteronomy 23:10-11

Cleansing from uncleanness

Leviticus 16:29-30 See also Leviticus 12:6-8; Leviticus 16:15-16; Leviticus 22:4-7; Numbers 6:9-12; Numbers 19:1-22; Numbers 31:21-24; Hebrews 9:13

Inner, spiritual cleanness and uncleanness

Job 33:9; Psalm 51:7 See also Genesis 20:5; Psalm 24:3-4; Proverbs 20:9; Isaiah 1:15-16; Isaiah 64:6; Lamentations 1:8; Ezekiel 36:25; Matthew 15:10-20 pp Mark 7:14-23; Matthew 23:25-28; Acts 10:28

See also

4404  food
5008  conscience
5297  disease
6103  abomination
7342  cleanliness
7348  defilement
7416  purification
7424  ritual law
7426  ritual washing
7454  sprinkling
7478  washing
9030  dead bodies



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