Lexical Summary bor: cleanness Original Word: בֹּר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance cleanness, pureness From barar; purify -- cleanness, pureness. see HEBREW barar NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom barar Definition cleanness, pureness NASB Translation cleanness (5). Brown-Driver-Briggs II. בּוֺר, cleanness, see בֹּר below ברר. II. בֹּר noun masculine cleanness, pureness: בֹּר יָדַי cleanness of my hands 2 Samuel 22:21 (= Psalm 18:21) Psalm 18:25 (= בֹּרִי my cleanness 2 Samuel 22:25); בֹּר כַּף Job 9:30; Job 22:30. Topical Lexicon Biblical Portrait of CleannessThe term בֹּר captures the idea of moral and ritual purity expressed in concrete, down-to-earth imagery such as clean hands, smelted metal, or laundered garments. Scripture consistently uses the noun to mark out what is unalloyed, unmixed, and therefore acceptable in the presence of the Holy One of Israel. Occurrences in Canonical Context 2 Samuel 22:21 and Psalm 18:20 (parallel passages) present בֹּר as the ground upon which David receives divine reward: “The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness; He has repaid me according to the cleanness of my hands.” The next verses in each psalm (2 Samuel 22:25; Psalm 18:24) reinforce the same principle, making “cleanness” a covenantal metric by which God assesses His servant. Job 22:30 extends the reach of בֹּר beyond self-interest to intercession: “He will deliver even one who is not innocent; he will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands.” Here purity becomes the channel of rescue for others, anticipating priestly and ultimately Messianic mediation. Isaiah 1:25 shifts the focus from human to divine agency: “I will turn My hand against you; I will thoroughly purge your dross; I will remove all your impurities.” The prophet pictures Judah’s impurities (slag) being burned away in a refiner’s furnace, revealing that true cleanness is the product of God’s purifying work. Theology of Purity 1. Moral Integrity. In the historical books and Psalms, בֹּר parallels “righteousness,” underscoring that purity is first an ethical reality—clean hands flow from a clean heart. Historical and Cultural Background Ancient metallurgy required repeated heating and skimming to separate slag from molten metal. Isaiah draws on this common trade to illustrate God’s covenantal discipline. Likewise, washing hands before worship (Exodus 30:17-21) provided a visible sign of the inward purity David celebrates. These practices engraved the concept of בֹּר onto Israel’s collective imagination. Foreshadowing New Covenant Cleansing Though בֹּר is confined to the Old Testament, its themes converge in the New Testament proclamation that “the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). The refiner’s fire of Isaiah becomes the fiery baptism of Pentecost (Acts 2:3-4); the clean hands of David find their ultimate expression in the nail-pierced hands of the Savior. Ministry Implications • Personal Holiness: Leaders must cultivate private purity, for public effectiveness rests on the “cleanness of hands” God sees (Psalm 18:24). Summary בֹּר weaves together righteousness, purification, and deliverance across worship, wisdom, prophecy, and narrative. It confronts every reader with the unchanging standard of God’s holiness while unveiling His gracious provision to make and keep His people pure. Forms and Transliterations בְּבֹ֣ר בבר כְּבֹ֥ר כְּבֹרִ֖י כַּבֹּ֖ר כבר כברי bə·ḇōr bəḇōr beVor kab·bōr kabBor kabbōr kə·ḇō·rî kə·ḇōr kəḇōr kəḇōrî keVor kevoRiLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 2 Samuel 22:21 HEB: יְהוָ֖ה כְּצִדְקָתִ֑י כְּבֹ֥ר יָדַ֖י יָשִׁ֥יב NAS: me according to my righteousness; According to the cleanness of my hands KJV: me according to my righteousness: according to the cleanness of my hands INT: the LORD to my righteousness to the cleanness of my hands has recompensed 2 Samuel 22:25 Job 22:30 Psalm 18:20 Psalm 18:24 Isaiah 1:25 6 Occurrences |
    |