Original Word: זַךְ
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: zak
Pronunciation: zak
Phonetic Spelling: (zak)
KJV: clean, pure
NASB: pure, clear, clean
Word Origin: [from H2141 (זָכַך - pure)]

1. clear

clean, pure

From zakak; clear -- clean, pure.

see HEBREW zakak

Word Origin
from zakak
Definition
pure, clean
NASB Translation
clean (1), clear (2), pure (8).

זַךְ adjective pure, clean; absolute זַךְ Job 8:6 5t.; זָךְ֛ Exodus 27:20; Leviticus 24:2; feminine זַכָּה Exodus 30:34 2t.; —

1 literally, pure, i.e. unmixed, free from foreign substances, of olive oil Exodus 27:20; Leviticus 24:2, of frankincense Exodus 30:34; Leviticus 24:7 (all P and H).

2 figurative, pure, clean, righteous (only Job, Proverbs): — of man Job 8:6 ("" יָשָׁר), Job 33:9 (+ בְּלִי פָ֑שַׁע; "" חַף); as substantive = the pure, righteous וְזַךְ יָשָׁר מָּעֳלוֺ Proverbs 21:8 (opposed to וָזָר֑ q. v.); of mode of life כָּלדַּֿרְכֵיאִֿישׁ זַךְ בְּעֵינָיו Proverbs 16:2; of mode of action (מָּעֳלוֺ) Proverbs 20:11 ("" יָשָׁר); of doctrine (לִקְחִי) Job 11:4 ("" בַּר הייתי); of prayer Job 16:17 ("" לֹא חָמָס בְּכַמָּ֑י).

Overview

זַךְ appears eleven times in the Old Testament, describing both ceremonial materials and ethical character. Whether applied to oil, frankincense, or human conduct, the term consistently communicates a state free from defilement, unalloyed and untainted, fitting for the presence of the Holy One.

Semantic Range and Theological Themes

1. Physical clarity or refinement (oil, incense, bread additives).
2. Moral innocence, integrity, blamelessness.
3. Connotations of brightness and transparency, underscoring openness before God.

Cultic Purity in Worship (Exodus and Leviticus)

The tabernacle instructions employ זַךְ to qualify the elements that sustain and symbolize divine fellowship:
• Exodus 27:20; Leviticus 24:2 — “pure oil of pressed olives” keeps the lamp burning “continually.” The clarity of the oil signifies the undimmed light that proceeds from God and that His people must maintain.
• Exodus 30:34; Leviticus 24:7 — “pure frankincense” crowns both the incense recipe and the Bread of the Presence. The fragrant cloud and the memorial portion rise undefiled, teaching that worship must be uncompromised by foreign admixtures.

In each context, זַךְ guards the sanctity of objects that mediate divine presence, reinforcing that acceptable worship demands purity in substance and intent.

Liturgical Significance of Light and Bread

The perpetually burning lampstand illuminated the Holy Place, while the Bread of the Presence testified to covenant fellowship. By specifying זַךְ oil and frankincense, the text links purity with perpetual access. Priests could not allow smoke, soot, or foreign resin to cloud the sanctuary; similarly, the people could not approach with mixed loyalties. Thus, the term shapes Israel’s understanding of holiness as both visible and fragrant.

Moral Purity and Integrity (Job and Proverbs)

The Wisdom writings transpose the word from sanctuary to soul:
• Job 8:6 — “if you are pure and upright…” connects purity to restored favor.
• Job 16:17 — Job avers, “my prayer is pure.”
• Proverbs 16:2 — “All a man’s ways are pure in his own eyes, but his motives are weighed out by the LORD.”

Here זַךְ exposes the gap between self-assessment and divine judgment. What appears untarnished to human perception still lies open to the searching gaze of God who “weighs the spirit.” Ethical זַךְ, therefore, demands more than external compliance; it calls for undiluted motives.

Development of a Righteous Ideal

Throughout Job’s dialogues (Job 11:4; 33:9) the claim to be זַךְ is scrutinized and ultimately found wanting apart from revelation and repentance. Proverbs advances the discussion, warning that even youth (Proverbs 20:11) are measured by deeds that must be זַךְ, while contrasting “innocent” (זַךְ) conduct with the “crooked” path (Proverbs 21:8). The term thereby furnishes a benchmark for covenant faithfulness across every stage of life.

Interplay of Cultic and Ethical Purity

The same adjective that qualifies oil and incense qualifies heart and hands. Scripture thus intertwines worship and morality: impurity in one sphere contaminates the other. The prophets later build on this pattern, decrying sacrifices offered by impure hearts (e.g., Isaiah 1:11-15), presupposing the standard set by זַךְ.

Christological Foreshadowing

The flawless materials of the sanctuary typify the perfect offering of the Messiah—“a lamb without blemish or spot” (1 Peter 1:19). The unceasing, זַךְ-fueled lamp finds fulfillment in Jesus, “the true light that gives light to every man” (John 1:9). His sinless life embodies the ethical זַךְ that Job longed for and Proverbs required, providing both atonement and example.

Implications for Ministry Today

1. Worship leaders and congregants alike must guard against mixture in doctrine and devotion, offering God the spiritual equivalent of זַךְ oil and frankincense—truth and love untainted by worldliness.
2. Pastoral care should emphasize congruence between liturgy and life; moral compromise dims the lamp of witness.
3. Discipleship directs believers to Christ, whose purity becomes theirs by grace and whose Spirit empowers their pursuit of practical holiness (Hebrews 9:14).

Related Concepts and Contrasts

• Tahor (clean) and qodesh (holy) complement זַךְ, while tamé (unclean) and aqob (crooked) serve as antonyms.
• Together they create a biblical tapestry where external and internal purity converge, reaching climax in the call: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matthew 5:8).

וְ֝זַ֗ךְ וזך זַ֖ךְ זַ֣ךְ זַ֥ךְ זַכָּ֑ה זַכָּֽה׃ זָ֛ךְ זך זכה זכה׃ veZach wə·zaḵ wəzaḵ zach zaḵ zāḵ zak·kāh zakKah zakkāhInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts