Word study
Pure
11 Hebrew and 3 Greek words behind this English word
The original-language words that the Berean Standard Bible translates with “pure”. English often uses one word where Hebrew or Greek has several, each with its own shade of meaning. Under each word are verses where it is translated this way; choose the word itself for its full study: every verse, how else it is translated, the forms it takes and what the dictionaries say.
At a glance
How often each original word is translated “pure” or one of its forms.
Compare the Hebrew words side by side Compare the Greek words side by side
Hebrew and Aramaic words (Old Testament)
- טָהוֹר ṭâhôrclean, puretranslated this way 39 times of its 89 uses · Strong’s H2889Adjective · Translated: pure 37, clean 31, ceremonially clean 11, unclean 3Full study and all 84 verses →
Exodus 25:11 Overlay it with pure gold both inside and out, and make a gold molding around it.
Leviticus 24:4 He shall tend the lamps on the pure gold lampstand before the LORD continually.
- זַךְ zakpure, cleantranslated this way 9 times of its 11 uses · Strong’s H2134Adjective · Translated: pure 9, sound 1, innocent 1Full study and all 11 verses →
Exodus 27:20 And you are to command the Israelites to bring you pure oil of pressed olives for the light, to keep the lamps burning continually.
Leviticus 24:2 “Command the Israelites to bring you pure oil of pressed olives for the light, to keep the lamps burning continually.
- סָגַר sâgarshut, closetranslated this way 8 times of its 90 uses · Strong’s H5462Verb · Translated: shut 23, closed 9, isolate 8, delivered 8Full study and all 87 verses →
1 Kings 6:20 The inner sanctuary was twenty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and twenty cubits high. He overlaid the inside with pure gold, and he also overlaid the altar of cedar.
2 Chronicles 4:20 the lampstands of pure gold and their lamps, to burn in front of the inner sanctuary as prescribed;
- פָּז pâzrefined, pure goldtranslated this way 6 times of its 9 uses · Strong’s H6337Noun · Translated: pure gold 6, fine gold 1, even the purest gold 1, purest 1Full study and all 9 verses →
Psalm 19:10 They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb.
Proverbs 8:19 My fruit is better than gold, pure gold, and my harvest surpasses choice silver.
- בָּרַר bârarpurify, selecttranslated this way 5 times of its 18 uses · Strong’s H1305Verb · Translated: pure 3, show yourself pure 2, choice 2, chosen 2Full study and all 16 verses →
2 Samuel 22:27 to the pure You show Yourself pure, but to the crooked You show Yourself shrewd.
Psalm 18:26 to the pure You show Yourself pure, but to the crooked You show Yourself shrewd.
- זָכָה zâkâhbe clear, clean, puretranslated this way 5 times of its 8 uses · Strong’s H2135Verb · Translated: pure 4, blameless 1, kept my heart pure 1, cleanse 1Full study and all 8 verses →
Job 15:14 What is man, that he should be pure, or one born of woman, that he should be righteous?
Psalm 73:13 Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure; in innocence I have washed my hands.
- בַּר barcorntranslated this way 3 times of its 7 uses · Strong’s H1249Adjective · Translated: pure 3, radiant 1, empty 1, favorite 1Full study and all 7 verses →
Job 11:4 You have said, ‘My doctrine is sound, and I am pure in Your sight.’
Psalm 24:4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear deceitfully.
- טוֹב ṭôbpleasant, agreeable, goodtranslated this way 2 times of its 538 uses · Strong’s H2896Adjective · Translated: good 249, better 72, prosperity 19, good things 12Full study and all 499 verses →
Genesis 2:12 And the gold of that land is pure, and bdellium and onyx are found there.
- זָהָב zâhâbgoldtranslated this way 2 times of its 377 uses · Strong’s H2091Noun · Translated: gold 352, golden 8, pure gold 2, like gold 2Full study and all 335 verses →
2 Kings 25:15 The captain of the guard also took away the censers and sprinkling bowls— anything made of pure gold or fine silver.
- טָהֵר ṭâhêrbe clean, puretranslated this way 2 times of its 94 uses · Strong’s H2891Verb · Translated: clean 25, cleansed 22, cleanse 16, purified 6Full study and all 79 verses →
Job 4:17 ‘Can a mortal be more righteous than God, or a man more pure than his Maker?
Ezekiel 24:13 Because of the indecency of your uncleanness I tried to cleanse you, but you would not be purified from your filthiness. You will not be pure again until My wrath against you has subsided.
- זָכַךְ zâkakbe bright, clean, puretranslated this way 2 times of its 4 uses · Strong’s H2141Verb · Translated: pure 2, cleanse 1, brighter 1Full study and all 4 verses →
Job 15:15 If God puts no trust in His holy ones, if even the heavens are not pure in His eyes,
Job 25:5 If even the moon does not shine, and the stars are not pure in His sight,
Greek words (New Testament)
- καθαρός katharósclean, pure, unstainedtranslated this way 14 times of its 27 uses · Strong’s G2513Adjective · Translated: pure 14, clean 9, innocent 2, clear 2Full study and all 23 verses →
Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
1 Timothy 1:5 The goal of our instruction is the love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and a sincere faith.
- ἁγνός hagnóspure, chastetranslated this way 7 times of its 8 uses · Strong’s G53Adjective · Translated: pure 7, innocent 1Full study and all 8 verses →
2 Corinthians 11:2 I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. For I promised you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.
Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think on these things.
- πιστικός pistikósgenuine, puretranslated this way 2 times of its 2 uses · Strong’s G4101Adjective · Translated: made of pure 2Full study and all 2 verses →
Mark 14:3 While Jesus was in Bethany reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke open the jar and poured it on Jesus’ head.
John 12:3 Then Mary took about a pint of expensive perfume, made of pure nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet and wiped them with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
How to study a word well
- Start from the verse, not the dictionary. Find which Hebrew or Greek word stands in the verse you are studying. One English word often translates several different original words.
- Read every place the word is used. A word means what its writers used it to mean. The list of verses and the count by book show its range, and who uses it most.
- Look at how it is translated. A word rendered five different ways has a wider meaning than any one English word can carry.
- Notice the form. A command is not a statement, and a passive verb is something done to the subject. The form in your verse is part of the meaning.
- See what it keeps company with. The words that appear beside it again and again show how the Bible itself connects ideas.
- Then read the dictionaries. They give the considered view of scholars, with their evidence.
- Come back to the verse. Context decides. A word does not carry every one of its meanings into every verse, and where a word came from does not settle what it means in a sentence written centuries later.
Scripture text and translation counts: Berean Standard Bible. Full entry: Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906, public domain), in the digital edition Brown-Driver-Briggs Enhanced by unfoldingWord (Joel Ruark, J. de Joode), based on data by Eliran Wong and Stephen Ku; its additions are used under CC BY 4.0. Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary: Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible Project, CC BY 4.0. Hebrew-to-English verse numbering: original work of the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible available at https://github.com/openscriptures/morphhb, CC BY 4.0. We reformatted the data, linked the references to this site’s Bible text and left out words in other scripts that the source holds only as images. These are historical reference works; an entry gives its authors’ view, and a word’s meaning in any verse depends on how it is used there.