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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadInternational Standard Bible Encyclopedia: Pure; Purely; Purity
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puÌ‚r, puÌ‚r´li, pû´ri-ti: This group of words has in the Old Testament and the New Testament an almost exclusively ethical significance, though the word “pure†is of course used also in its literal sense of freedom from alloy or other alien matter (, etc.). “Pure†in the Old Testament represents many Hebrew words, most frequently טהור, tÌ£aÌ„hoÌ„r; “purely,†occurs once only in the King James Version, as the translation of בּר, boÌ„r, properly “that which cleanses†(compare , the Revised Version margin “Hebrew 'cleanse my hands with lye,' “ i.e. alkali for soap) in , the Revised Version (British and American) “thoroughly (margin “as with lye,†the King James Version “purelyâ€) purge away thy drossâ€; “pureness†is the King James Version translation of the same word in , the Revised Version (British and American) “cleanness.†In the New Testament “pure†is the translation chiefly of καθαÏοÌÏ‚, katharoÌs (, Blessed are the pure in heart,†etc.), but also of ἀγνοÌÏ‚, hagnoÌs (; ; ; - always in an ethical sense). A different word (eilikrineÌ„Ìs) is used in , the Revised Version (British and American) “sincere.†“Purity†(hagneıÌa) occurs only in the King James Version in ; ; in the Revised Version (British and American) in (as the translation of teÌ„Ìs hagnoÌteÌ„los). See CLEAN; PURITY.