Original Word: טָהֵר
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: taher
Pronunciation: tah-hare'
Phonetic Spelling: (taw-hare')
KJV: be (make, make self, pronounce) clean, cleanse (self), purge, purify(-ier, self)
NASB: clean, cleansed, cleanse, pronounce him clean, purified, purify, become clean
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. (properly) to be bright
2. (by implication) to be pure (physical sound, clear, unadulterated)
3. (Levitically) uncontaminated
4. (morally) innocent or holy

be make, make self, pronounce clean, cleanse self, purge

A primitive root; properly, to be bright; i.e. (by implication) to be pure (physical sound, clear, unadulterated; Levitically, uncontaminated; morally, innocent or holy) -- be (make, make self, pronounce) clean, cleanse (self), purge, purify(-ier, self).

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to be clean or pure
NASB Translation
become clean (2), becomes clean (2), becomes cleansed (1), clean (25), cleanse (15), cleansed (19), cleansing (1), cleared (1), pronounce him clean (6), pronounce the clean (1), pronounce clean (2), pronounces him clean (1), pronouncing it clean (1), pure (2), purge (1), purged (2), purified (5), purifier (1), purify (5), purifying (1), remain (1), unclean* (1).

טָהֵר verb be clean, pure (Arabic , id.; Late Hebrew id., Pi`el make or declare ceremonially clean; Aramaic טְהַר emptiness, טִיהֲרָא brightness; Sabean טהר Hal⁶⁸²; Ethiopic purify, wash oneself with water) —

Qal Perfect ׳ט Leviticus 11:32 12t.; 3 feminine singular טָֽהֲרָה Leviticus 12:7; Leviticus 15:28; טָהֵ֑רָה Leviticus 12:8 etc., + 5 t. Perfect; Imperfect יִטְהַר Leviticus 15:13; Job 4:17 etc., + 9 t. Imperfect; Imperative טְהָ֑ר 2 Kings 5:10,13; —

1 be clean, i.e. (miraculously) freed from leprosy by washing in the Jordan 2 Kings 5:10,12,13,14.

2 be clean ceremonially (only H P), Leviticus 15:13,28 (twice in verse) (P), Leviticus 22:4 (H); by washing with water, the flesh Leviticus 22:7 (H); garments Leviticus 13:6,34,58; Numbers 31:24 (all P); both flesh and garments Leviticus 17:5 (H), Leviticus 14:8,9; Leviticus 15:13; Numbers 19:19 (all P); other articles Leviticus 11:32 (P); passing things through the fire Numbers 31:23 (P); offering sin-offerings Leviticus 12:7,8; Leviticus 14:20 (P); by the ceremony of the two birds Leviticus 14:53 (P); by ashes of red heifer Numbers 19:12 (twice in verse) (P).

3 be clean morally, of people, made clean by ׳יs scattering clean water upon them Ezekiel 36:25; of Jerusalem, specifically made clean from idolatry, under figure of adultery Jeremiah 13:27; also followed by מִן Ezekiel 24:13 (twice in verse) (purification by ׳י); made clean מִכָּלחַֿטּאֹתֵיכֶם Leviticus 16:30 (P; by the sin-offering of the atonement day); also of the individual, be clean מֵחַטָּאוֺת Proverbs 20:9 ("" זכה); become clean by use of hyssop Psalm 51:9 ("" אַלְבִּין); more Generally אִםמֵֿעשֵֹׁהוּ יִטְהַרגָּֿ֑בֶר Job 4:17 shall a man be more pure than his maker? ("" יִצְדָּ֑ק).

Pi`el Perfect טִהַר Leviticus 13:3 4t.; suffix טִהֲרוֺ Leviticus 13:6 5t.; 2 masculine singular טִהַרְתָּ Numbers 8:6,15 etc. + 7 t. Perfect; Imperfect; יְטַהֵר2Chronicles 34:5 etc. + 4 t. Imperfect; Imperative suffix טַהֲרֵנִי Psalm 51:4; Infinitive construct טַהֵר Ezekiel 39:12 5t.; suffix טַהֲרִי Ezekiel 36:33 etc. + 4 t. Infinitive; Participle מְטַחֵר Leviticus 14:11; Malachi 3:3; — chiefly P;

1 cleanse, purify:

a. physically, metals from dross Malachi 3:3; land from corpses Ezekiel 39:12,14,16; heavens from clouds Job 37:21; temple from unclean things 2Chronicles 29:15,16,18; land and city from Asherim and images 2 Chronicles 34:3,5,8; store-chambers of temple from household stuff Nehemiah 13:9; priesthood by exclusion of alien blood Nehemiah 13:30.

b. ceremonially, the altar of incense by the blood of the annual sin-offering Leviticus 16:19 (P); the people, gates, and wall (by some undefined ceremony) Nehemiah 12:30; the altar of the court by the blood of sin-offerings Ezekiel 43:26; of consecration of Levites by מֵי חטאת Numbers 8:6,7 (P), and חטאת Numbers 8:15,21 (P).

c. morally Leviticus 16:30 (P), Ezekiel 37:23; Malachi 3:3; מֵחַטָּאֹת Psalm 51:4; מֵעונ(ותׅ Jeremiah 33:8; Ezekiel 36:33; מִטּמא(ו)ת Ezekiel 24:13; Ezekiel 36:25.

2 pronounce clean, ceremonially Leviticus 13:6; Leviticus 13:13; Leviticus 13:17; Leviticus 13:23; Leviticus 12:28; Leviticus 13:34,37,59; Leviticus 14:7,48 (all P).

3 perform the ceremony of cleansing Leviticus 14:11 (P).

Pu`al Perfect3masculine singular טֹהַר 1 Samuel 20:26 (so. read for ᵑ0 טהור ᵐ5 We Dr, he is not clean, because he hath not been cleansed); Participle אֶרֶץ לֹא מְטֹהָרָה a land not cleansed Ezekiel 22:24 (but ᵐ5 Hi Ew Co SS read a land not rained upon, see מטר).

Hithpa`el Perfect3plural הִטָּֽהֲרוּ Ezra 6:20; הִטֶּהָ֑רוּ (Kö^{i. 271}) 2 Chronicles 30:18; Numbers 8:7; 1plural הִטַּהַרְנוּ Joshua 22:17; Imperfect יִטָּֽהֲרוּ Nehemiah 12:30; Imperative הִטָּֽהֲרוּ Genesis 35:2; Participle מִטַּהֵר Leviticus 14:7 11t.; plural מִטַּהֲרִים Nehemiah 13:22; Isaiah 66:17; — reflexive:

1 purify oneself:

a. ceremonially, especially in preparation for sacred duties Genesis 35:2 (R), Numbers 8:7; 2Chronicles 30:18; Ezra 6:20; Nehemiah 13:22; also for heathen mysteries Isaiah 66:17; of purifying priests, people, and wall Nehemiah 12:30 (compare Pi`el 1 b).

b. morally Joshua 22:17 (P).

2 present oneself for purification, only participle הַמִּטַּהֵר the candidate for purification Leviticus 14:4,7,8,11,14,17,18,19,25,28,29,31 (P).

Definition and Scope of Usage

טָהֵר (ta·hēr) is the common Old Testament verb for “to cleanse,” “to purify,” or “to pronounce clean.” Occurring about ninety-five times, it addresses every sphere in which Israel encountered uncleanness—physical, ceremonial, moral, and national. The verb may describe either the actual removal of defilement (“he shall cleanse it”) or the authoritative declaration of cleanness (“he shall pronounce him clean”). Behind every occurrence stands the holiness of God, who requires purity and graciously provides the means to attain it.

Ritual Purity in the Tabernacle and Temple

From Exodus through Chronicles the verb is woven into priestly procedure.
• Leviticus 14 records the longest single unit (twelve uses) concerning the cleansing of a leper and his house. Blood, water, hyssop, cedar, and scarlet thread were applied “to cleanse the house and make atonement for it” (Leviticus 14:53).
• On the Day of Atonement “atonement will be made for you to cleanse you, and you will be clean from all your sins before the LORD” (Leviticus 16:30). Here cleansing is directly linked with substitutionary sacrifice.
• Vessels captured in war had to be purified before they could be used (Numbers 31:23).
• In the reign of Hezekiah, Levites “went into the inner sanctuary of the house of the LORD to cleanse it” (2 Chronicles 29:16), demonstrating that even sacred space required continual purification.

Personal Cleansing from Physical Defilement

The verb governs matters of skin disease, bodily discharges, childbirth, and contact with the dead.
• After Naaman washed seven times in the Jordan, “his flesh was restored…and he was clean” (2 Kings 5:14).
• Bathsheba “had purified herself from her uncleanness” after her menstrual cycle (2 Samuel 11:4), showing the ordinary rhythm of purification in daily life.
• The water of the red heifer ritual ensured that “whoever touches a corpse…shall purify himself with the water” (Numbers 19:12-13).

These regulations protected the community from ceremonial defilement while teaching Israel that sin, like disease or death, alienates from God and requires cleansing.

Moral and Spiritual Cleansing

While many uses are ceremonial, several speak to the inner life.
• “Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin” (Psalm 51:2).
• “Create in me a clean heart, O God” (Psalm 51:10).
• “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to Your word” (Psalm 119:9).
• Job wrestles: “How can a man be pure who is born of woman?” (Job 15:14; cf. 4:17).
• Proverbs acknowledges both the desire and the deceit of the human heart: “Who can say, ‘I have kept my heart pure; I am cleansed from my sin’?” (Proverbs 20:9).

These texts move the discussion beyond ritual to the deeper problem of sin and the need for divine intervention.

National and Corporate Purification

When the covenant community strayed, wholesale cleansing was required.
• Priests and Levites “purified themselves” before sacrificing the Passover for the returning exiles (Ezra 6:20).
• Nehemiah reports, “I purified the priests, the Levites, and the gates and the wall” (Nehemiah 12:30).
• Daniel is told, “Many will be purified, made spotless, and refined” during the time of the end (Daniel 12:10).

The nation’s purity was essential for worship and mission, anticipating a future work of God that would reach every heart.

Prophetic and Eschatological Dimensions

The prophets employ טָהֵר to announce a coming, divinely wrought purification.
• “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and all your idols” (Ezekiel 36:25).
• “They will no longer defile themselves… I will cleanse them” (Ezekiel 37:23).
• Isaiah’s call scene reaches its climax when the seraph declares, “Your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for” (Isaiah 6:7).
• Malachi pictures the Lord as a refiner “and He will purify the sons of Levi” (Malachi 3:3).

Such promises look beyond ritual water and animal blood to a final, comprehensive purification.

Typological Fulfillment in Jesus Christ

The Levitical shadows find their substance in the ministry of the Messiah. He touches lepers and they are cleansed (Matthew 8:3), signals the end of temple sacrifices by His atoning death (Hebrews 9:13-14), and provides living water that cleanses the conscience (Hebrews 10:22). The sprinkling of Ezekiel 36 takes shape in the cleansing “by the washing with water through the word” (Ephesians 5:26). The Church, therefore, inherits Israel’s call to be “a people for His own possession…zealous for good deeds” (Titus 2:14), purified by the blood of the Lamb.

Practical Ministry Implications

1. Confession and Repentance: Psalm 51 shows that genuine cleansing is inseparable from contrition. Public and private worship should make room for confession.
2. Holiness and Mission: A purified people bear witness to a holy God (Isaiah 52:11; 1 Peter 1:15-16).
3. Pastoral Care: Those struggling with guilt or shame can be pointed to the certainty of divine cleansing—“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
4. Sacramental Life: Baptism symbolizes the once-for-all washing promised in Ezekiel, while ongoing participation in the Lord’s Supper calls believers to examine themselves and pursue practical purity (1 Corinthians 11:28).
5. Eschatological Hope: Every experience of cleansing anticipates the day when “nothing unclean will ever enter” the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:27).

טָהֵר thus serves as a theological thread that ties together Israel’s ritual life, the believer’s moral renewal, and the ultimate redemption accomplished in Christ and consummated in glory.

אֲטַהֵ֥ר אטהר הִֽטַּהֲר֞וּ הִטֶּהָ֔רוּ הִטַּהַ֙רְנוּ֙ הַֽמְטַהֵ֗ר הַמִּטַּהֵ֑ר הַמִּטַּהֵ֖ר הַמִּטַּהֵ֛ר הַמִּטַּהֵ֨ר הַמִּטַּהֵר֙ הטהרו הטהרנו המטהר וְאֶטְהָ֑ר וְהִֽטַּהֲר֔וּ וְהִטֶּהָֽרוּ׃ וְהַמִּֽטַּהֲרִ֜ים וְטִ֣הֲר֔וֹ וְטִ֣הַרְתִּ֔ים וְטִֽהֲר֖וּ וְטִֽהֲרוֹ֙ וְטִֽהַרְתִּ֖ים וְטִֽהַרְתָּ֣ וְטִהֲר֖וֹ וְטִהֲר֣וֹ וְטִהֲר֤וֹ וְטִהֲר֥וּ וְטִהַ֖ר וְטִהַ֤ר וְטִהַ֧ר וְטִהַרְתִּ֤י וְטִהַרְתָּ֖ וְטָהֲרָ֖ה וְטָהֵ֑ר וְטָהֵ֔ר וְטָהֵ֥ר וְטָהֵֽרָה׃ וְטָהֵֽר׃ וְטָהָ֑רְתִּי וַֽיְטַהֲר֖וּ וַֽיְטַהֲרוּ֙ וַֽתְּטַהֲרֵֽם׃ וַיְטַהֵ֥ר וַיִּֽטַּהֲר֔וּ וַיִּטְהָֽר׃ וּֽטֳהָר־ וּטְהַרְתֶּ֑ם וּטְהָֽר׃ וּמְטַהֵר֙ ואטהר והטהרו והטהרו׃ והמטהרים וטהר וטהר־ וטהר׃ וטהרה וטהרה׃ וטהרו וטהרת וטהרתי וטהרתים וטהרתם ויטהר ויטהר׃ ויטהרו ומטהר ותטהרם׃ טִֽהַרְתִּיךְ֙ טִהַ֖רְנוּ טַהֲרִ֣י טַהֲרֵֽנִי׃ טַהֵ֣ר טָ֝הַ֗רְתִּי טָהֲרָ֖ה טָהַ֔רְתְּ טהר טהרה טהרי טהרנו טהרני׃ טהרת טהרתי טהרתיך יִטְהַ֤ר יִטְהַר־ יִטְהָ֑ר יִטְהָֽר׃ יטהר יטהר־ יטהר׃ לְטַֽהֲרָ֑הּ לְטַֽהֲרָ֔ם לְטַהֲר֖וֹ לְטַהֲרָֽם׃ לְטַהֵ֔ר לְטַהֵ֖ר לְטַהֵ֣ר לְטַהֵ֥ר לְטַהֵר֒ לַמִּטַּהֵ֛ר לטהר לטהרה לטהרו לטהרם לטהרם׃ למטהר מְטֹהָרָ֖ה מִֽטַּהֲרִים֙ מטהרה מטהרים תִּטְהָֽר׃ תִּטְהָֽרוּ׃ תִטְהֲרִ֔י תִטְהֲרִי־ תטהר׃ תטהרו׃ תטהרי תטהרי־ ’ă·ṭa·hêr ’ăṭahêr ataHer ham·miṭ·ṭa·hêr ham·ṭa·hêr hammittaHer hammiṭṭahêr hamtaHer hamṭahêr hiṭ·ṭa·hă·rū hiṭ·ṭa·har·nū hiṭ·ṭe·hā·rū hittaHarnu hiṭṭaharnū hittahaRu hiṭṭahărū hitteHaru hiṭṭehārū lam·miṭ·ṭa·hêr lammittaHer lammiṭṭahêr lə·ṭa·hă·rāh lə·ṭa·hă·rām lə·ṭa·hă·rōw lə·ṭa·hêr letahaRah ləṭahărāh letahaRam ləṭahărām letahaRo ləṭahărōw letaHer ləṭahêr mə·ṭō·hā·rāh metohaRah məṭōhārāh miṭ·ṭa·hă·rîm mittahaRim miṭṭahărîm ṭā·hă·rāh ṭa·hă·rê·nî ṭa·hă·rî ṭā·har·tî ṭā·hart ṭa·hêr tahaRah ṭāhărāh tahaReni ṭahărênî tahaRi ṭahărî taHart ṭāhart taHarti ṭāhartî taHer ṭahêr ṭi·har·nū ṭi·har·tîḵ tiHarnu ṭiharnū tihartiCh ṭihartîḵ ṯiṭ·hă·rî ṯiṭ·hă·rî- tiṭ·hā·rū tiṭ·hār titHar tiṭhār tithaRi ṯiṭhărî ṯiṭhărî- titHaru tiṭhārū ū·mə·ṭa·hêr ū·ṭə·hār ū·ṭə·har·tem ū·ṭo·hār- umetaHer ūməṭahêr uteHar ūṭəhār uteharTem ūṭəhartem ūṭohār- utohor vaiyitHar vaiyittahaRu VattetahaRem vaytahaRu vaytaHer veetHar vehammittahaRim vehittahaRu vehitteHaru vetahaRah vetaHareti vetaHer vetaHerah vetiHar vetihaRo vetiharTa vetiharTi vetiharTim vetihaRu wat·tə·ṭa·hă·rêm wattəṭahărêm way·ṭa·hă·rū way·ṭa·hêr way·yiṭ·hār way·yiṭ·ṭa·hă·rū wayṭahărū wayṭahêr wayyiṭhār wayyiṭṭahărū wə’eṭhār wə·’eṭ·hār wə·ham·miṭ·ṭa·hă·rîm wə·hiṭ·ṭa·hă·rū wə·hiṭ·ṭe·hā·rū wə·ṭā·hă·rāh wə·ṭā·hā·rə·tî wə·ṭā·hê·rāh wə·ṭā·hêr wə·ṭi·hă·rōw wə·ṭi·hă·rū wə·ṭi·har wə·ṭi·har·tā wə·ṭi·har·tî wə·ṭi·har·tîm wəhammiṭṭahărîm wəhiṭṭahărū wəhiṭṭehārū wəṭāhărāh wəṭāhārətî wəṭāhêr wəṭāhêrāh wəṭihar wəṭihărōw wəṭihartā wəṭihartî wəṭihartîm wəṭihărū yiṭ·har yiṭ·hār yiṭ·har- yitHar yiṭhar yiṭhār yiṭhar-Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts