Washing in the Bible Encyclopedia - ISBE

wosh, wosh'-ing: The two usual Hebrew words for "wash" are rachats, and kabhac, the former being normally used of persons or of sacrificial animals (Gen 18:4, etc., often translated "bathe"; Lev 15:5, etc.), and the latter of things (Gen 49:11, etc.), the exceptions to this distinction being few (for rachats, 1 Ki 22:38 margin; for kabhac, Ps 51:2,7; Jer 2:22; 4:14). Much less common are duach (2 Ch 4:6; Isa 4:4; Ezek 40:38) and shataph (1 Ki 22:38; Job 14:19; Ezek 16:9), translated "rinse" in Lev 6:28; 15:11,12. In Neh 4:23 the King James Version has "washing" and the Revised Version (British and American) "water" for mayim, but the text is hopelessly obscure (compare the Revised Version margin). In the Apocrypha and New Testament the range of terms is wider. Most common is nipto (Mt 6:17, etc.), with aponipto in Mt 27:24. Of the other terms, louo (Susanna verses 15,17; Jn 13:10, etc.), with apolouo (Acts 22:16; 1 Cor 6:11) and the noun loutron (Sirach 34:25b; Eph 5:26; Tit 3:5), usually has a sacral significance. On baptizo (Sirach 34:25a; Mk 7:4; Lk 11:38), with the noun baptismos (Mk 7:4 (text?); Heb 9:10), see BAPTISM. In Lk 5:2; Rev 7:14; 22:14 the Revised Version (British and American) occurs pluno, while Judith 10:3 has perikluzo. Virtually, as far as meaning is concerned, all these words are interchangeable. Of the figurative uses of washing, the most common and obvious is that of cleansing from sin (Ps 51:2; Isa 1:16, etc.), but, with an entirely different figure, "to wash in" may signify "to enjoy in plenty" (Gen 49:11; Job 29:6; the meaning in Song 5:12 is uncertain). Washing of the hands, in token of innocence, is found in Dt 21:6; Mt 27:24. The "washing balls" of Susanna verse 17 (smegma, a very rare word) were of soap.