Psalms 51:7 — Word Study
WLCתְּחַטְּאֵ֣נִי בְאֵז֣וֹב וְאֶטְהָ֑ר תְּ֝כַבְּסֵ֗נִי וּמִשֶּׁ֥לֶג אַלְבִּֽין׃
BSAlook!hên iniquityʻâvôn to twistchûwl sinchêṭᵉʼ to conceiveyâcham motherʼêm
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| תְּחַטְּאֵ֣נִי | you will cleanse from sin me | Verb piel imperfect second person masculine singular, suffix |
| בְאֵז֣וֹב | with hyssop | Preposition, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| וְאֶטְהָ֑ר | so I may be pure | Conjunction, verb qal first person common singular |
| תְּ֝כַבְּסֵ֗נִי | you will wash me | Verb piel imperfect second person masculine singular, suffix |
| וּמִשֶּׁ֥לֶג | and more than snow | Conjunction, preposition, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| אַלְבִּֽין׃ | I will become white | Verb, Hiphil, imperfect first person common singular |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. |
| KJV | Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. |
| ASV | Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. |
| YLT | Thou cleansest me with hyssop and I am clean, Washest me, and than snow I am whiter. |
| WEB | Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean. Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. |
| BBE | Make me free from sin with hyssop: let me be washed whiter than snow. |
Where they part company is אֵזוֹב — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence is structured around a series of requests, each building on the previous one to emphasize the need for cleansing.







8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbH3835
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Psalms 51:7
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — A Plea for Purificationgenerated
Psalms 51:7 is part of a larger expression of contrition where David acknowledges his sins and seeks God's mercy. He uses the imagery of hyssop, a plant associated with ritual cleansing, to symbolize his desire for spiritual purification. This psalm reflects deep remorse and the hope for restoration, echoing themes found throughout the Hebrew Scriptures regarding sin and redemption.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leviticus 14:4–7 | the priest shall order that two live clean birds, cedar wood, scarlet yarn, and hyssop be brought for the one to be cleansed. |
| 2 | Numbers 19:18–20 | Then a man who is ceremonially clean is to take some hyssop, dip it in the water, and sprinkle the tent, all the furnishings, and the people who were there. He is also to sprinkle the one who touched a bone, a grave, or a person who has died or been slain. |
| 3 | Hebrews 9:19 | For when Moses had proclaimed every commandment of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, along with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people, |
| 4 | Hebrews 9:13–14 | For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that their bodies are clean, |
| 5 | 1 John 1:7 | But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 9 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — חָטָא, chata'generated
The verb חָטָא (chata') means to miss the mark or to sin, indicating a failure to meet a standard. It encompasses not only wrongdoing but also the concept of making amends or repenting. In this context, David is asking for cleansing from sin, emphasizing his need for divine intervention to restore his purity.
The Piel stem indicates an intensive action, suggesting a thorough cleansing. David's plea is for a complete purification, highlighting the seriousness of his sin and the depth of his desire for renewal.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The verse contains a series of requests centered around the finite verbs תְּחַטְּאֵ֣נִי (you will cleanse me) and אֶטְהָ֑ר (so I may be pure), with additional clauses elaborating on the means of purification and the desired outcome.
The structure emphasizes the urgency of David's plea for cleansing, with the verbs indicating actions David desires God to perform, while the phrases that follow elaborate on the method and the result of this divine intervention.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, the Hebrew חָטָא is rendered as ἐν, which conveys the idea of being in a state of sin. This choice emphasizes the ongoing nature of David's condition and his need for cleansing.
The translation of אֵזוֹב as a specific plant in the Septuagint reflects the cultural understanding of purification rituals, aligning with the Hebrew context.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalms 51:7 shows David asking God to purify him using hyssop, a plant linked to cleansing rituals. He desires to be made clean and whiter than snow, expressing his deep need for forgiveness and renewal.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Hyssop is a plant used in purification rituals, symbolizing David's request for spiritual cleansing and renewal from sin.
David uses the imagery of snow to illustrate the purity and brightness he seeks after being cleansed from his sins.
The verbs express David's urgent requests for cleansing and purity, highlighting his deep remorse and desire for restoration.
This verse encapsulates the core themes of sin, repentance, and the hope for divine forgiveness found throughout the Psalms.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what areas of my life do I need to seek God's cleansing and renewal?
- How can I better understand the significance of purification in my spiritual journey?
- What does it mean to me to be made 'whiter than snow' in my relationship with God?
- How can I apply the themes of repentance and forgiveness from this psalm in my daily life?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
The early Church Fathers often referenced this psalm in discussions about sin and repentance. Here is a quotation from Augustine of Hippo, who reflects on the significance of hyssop in the context of cleansing.
"You shall sprinkle me," he says, "with hyssop, and I shall be cleansed" [Psalms 51:7]. Hyssop we know to be a herb humble but healing: to the rock it is said to adhere with roots.Early Church Fathers on Psalms 51 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 51:7 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BiblePurge me with hyssop,.... Or "thou shalt purge me with hyssop" (f); or "expiate me"; which was used in sprinkling the blood of the paschal lamb on the door posts of the Israelites in Egypt, that the
Read John Gill on Psalms 51 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryPurge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Prayer for forgiveness and for the Spirit. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean.
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 51 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleWith hyssop; or, as with hyssop; the note of similitude being frequently understood. As lepers and other unclean persons are by thy appointment purified by the use of hyssop and other things, ; so do thou cleanse me, a most leprous and polluted creature, by thy grace, and by the virtue of that blood of Christ, which is signified by those ceremonial usages.
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 51 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 51:7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.Ver. 7. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean] Sprinkle me with the blood of Christ by the hyssop bunch of faith, not only taking away thereby the sting and stink of sin, but conferring upon me the sweet savour of Christ’ s righteousness imputed unto me. See Hebrews 9:13-14; Hebrews 9:19, where he calleth it hyssop; of which see Dioscorides, lib. 3, chap. xxvi., xxviii. David multiplieth his suit for pardon, not only in plain terms, but by many metaphors. Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow] So we cannot be by any washings of our own, though with snow water, Isaiah 1:16. The bride’ s…
Read John Trapp on Psalms 51 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(7) Hyssop.—The mention of this connects this verse with the priestly ordinances concerning leprosy and contact with a dead body (Leviticus 14; Numbers 19); but generally it is a repetition of the former prayer to have the breach made in the covenant - relationship healed. (Comp. Isaiah 1:18.)
Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 51 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 7. Purge me with hyssop] תחטאני techatteeni, "thou shalt make a sin-offering for me;" probably alluding to the cleansing of the leper: Leviticus 14:1, c. The priest took two clean birds, cedar-wood, scarlet, and hyssop one of the birds was killed; and the living bird, with the scarlet, cedar, and hyssop, dipped in the blood of the bird that had been killed, and then sprinkled over the person who had been infected. But it is worthy of remark that this ceremony was not performed till the plague of the leprosy had been healed in the leper; (Leviticus 14:3;) and the ceremony above mentioned was for the purpose of declaring to the people that the man was healed, that he might be restored…
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 51 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges5–8. He has inherited a sinful nature; and yet, so he is confident, God can and will make it conform to His desire. The emphatic ‘Behold!’ marks the beginning of a new stanza.
Read Cambridge on Psalms 51 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BiblePurge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean - On the word hyssop, see the notes at John 19:29; notes at Hebrews 9:19.
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 51 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean. Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
Sprinkle me with water and I will be pure; wash me and I will be whiter than snow.
Tyndale line
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Purge me with hyssope, and I shalbe cleane: wash me, and I shalbe whiter then snowe.
Strictly literal
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Thou cleansest me with hyssop and I am clean, Washest me, and than snow I am whiter.
You cleanse me with hyssop and I am clean, || Wash me, and I am whiter than snow.
(51:9) Cleanse me from sin with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
From the Latin
Therefore will God destroy thee for ever: he will pluck thee out, and remove thee from thy dwelling place: and thy root out of the land of the living.
Simplified
Purify me with hyssop so I can be clean; wash me so I can be whiter than snow.
Make me free from sin with hyssop: let me be washed whiter than snow.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint largely agree in their wording for Psalms 51:7, with five of the six words matched. The Septuagint captures the essence of the original Hebrew, though its word order and articles differ.
תְּחַטְּאֵ֣נִי בְאֵז֣וֹב וְאֶטְהָ֑ר תְּ֝כַבְּסֵ֗נִי וּמִשֶּׁ֥לֶג אַלְבִּֽין׃
5 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Psalms 51:7
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
חָטָא (chata') means to miss a goal or way, and is commonly translated as 'to sin.' It encompasses a range of meanings including incurring guilt, making a sin offering, and purifying from uncleanness. The word can also imply leading others to sin or causing oneself to lose one's way. It appears in various forms, such as Qal, Piel, Hiphil, and Hithpael, indicating different nuances of the concept of sin.
חָטָא 238 vb. miss (a goal or way), go wrong, sin
Qal
miss
sin, miss the goal or path of right and duty
incur guilt, penalty by sin, forfeit
Pi.
bear loss
make a sin offering
purify from sin
purify from uncleanness
Hiph.
miss the mark
induce or cause to sin
bring into guilt, condemnation, punishment
Hithp.
miss oneself, lose oneself, fig. for be bewildered, beside oneself
purify oneself from uncleanness
base
H2398 חָטָא miss (a goal or way), go wrong, sin .. miss
. sin, miss the goal or path of right and duty
. incur guilt, penalty by sin, forfeit
. . bear loss
. make a sin offering
. purify from sin
. purify from uncleanness
. . miss the mark
. induce or cause to sin
. bring into guilt, condemnation, punishment
. . miss oneself, lose oneself, fig. for be bewildered, beside oneself
. purify oneself from uncleanness
2398 chata' khaw-taw'
a primitive root; properly, to miss; hence (figuratively and
generally) to sin; by inference, to forfeit, lack, expiate,
repent, (causatively) lead astray, condemn:--bear the blame,
cleanse, commit (sin), by fault, harm he hath done, loss,
miss, (make) offend(-er), offer for sin, purge, purify (self),
make reconciliation, (cause, make) sin(-ful, -ness), trespass.
חָטָא (cha.ta) — to sin.
1) to sin, miss, miss the way, go wrong, incur guilt, forfeit, purify from uncleanness
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to miss
1a2) to sin, miss the goal or path of right and duty
1a3) to incur guilt, incur penalty by sin, forfeit
1b) (Piel)
1b1) to bear loss
1b2) to make a sin-offering
1b3) to purify from sin
1b4) to purify from uncleanness
1c) (Hiphil)
1c1) to miss the mark
1c2) to induce to sin, cause to sin
1c3) to bring into guilt or condemnation or punishment
1d) (Hithpael)
1d1) to miss oneself, lose oneself, wander from the way
1d2) to purify oneself from uncleanness
HVpi2ms/Sp1bs — Verb piel imperfect second person masculine singular · suffixHVpi2ms/Sp1bs
אֵזוֹב (ezowb) refers to hyssop, a plant likely of foreign origin. It is noted for its use in both medicinal and religious contexts.
אֵזוֹב n.m. hyssop
base
H231 אֵזוֹב hyssop
231 'ezowb ay-zobe'
probably of foreign derivation; hyssop:--hyssop.
אֵזוֹב (e.zov) — hyssop.
hyssop, a plant used for medicinal and religious purposes
HR/Ncmsa — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absoluteHR/Ncmsa
his'-up ('ezobh; hussspos, Ex 12:22; Le 14:4,6,4:9 ff; Nu 19:6,18; 1Ki 4:33; Ps 51:7; Joh 19:29; Heb 9:19): A plant used for ritual cleansing purposes; a humble plant springing out of the wall (1Ki 4:33), the extreme contrast to the cedar.
The common hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis) of the Natural Order Labiatae, an aromatic plant with stomatic properties, cannot be the hyssop of the Bible as it is unknown in Palestine, but allied aromatic plants of the same…
Hyssop
(Heb. ‘ezob; LXX. hyssopos), first mentioned in Ex. 12:22 in connection with the institution of the Passover. We find it afterwards mentioned in Lev. 14:4, 6, 52; Num. 19:6, 18; Heb. 9:19. It is spoken of as a plant “springing out of the wall” (1 Kings 4:33). Many conjectures have been formed as to what this plant really was. Some contend that it was a species of marjoram (origanum), six species of which are found in Palestine. Others with more probability think that it was the caper plant, the Capparis spinosa of Linnaeus. This plant grew in Egypt, in the desert of Sinai, and in Palestine. It was capable of…
(Heb. ezob.) The ezob was used for sprinkling in some of the sacrifices and purifications of the Jews. In consequence of its detergent qualities, or from its being associated with the purificatory Services, the psalmist makes use of the expression, "Purge me with ezob ." (Psalms 51:7) It is described in (1 Kings 4:33) as growing on or near walls. (Besides being thus fit for sprinkling, having cleansing properties and growing on walls, the true hyssop should be a plant common to Egypt, Sinai and Palestine, and capable of producing a stick three or four feet long since on a stalk of hyssop the sponge of vinegar was held up to Christ on the cross. (John 19:29) it is impossible to precisely identify the plant because the name was…
Is often mentioned in Scripture, and is directed to be used in the sprinklings which made part of the Jewish ceremonial law, Ex 12:22 Le 14:4-6 Ps 51:9 Heb 9:19. It is some low shrub, which is contrasted with the lofty cedar, 1Ki 4:33. In Joh 19:29, the soldiers are said to have "filled a sponge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop," that is, upon a rod of hyssop, two feet or more in length, which was long enough to enable one to reach the mouth of a person on the cross. Many different plants have been taken for the hyssop of Scripture, and among others, the…
טָהֵר (taher) means to be clean or pure, covering physical, ceremonial, and moral aspects of purity. It can refer to being free from disease, ceremonially clean, or morally innocent. The verb has various forms, including Qal (to be clean), Piel (to cleanse), and Hithpael (to purify oneself). Brown-Driver-Briggs notes a specific instance of miraculous cleansing related to leprosy.
טָהֵר vb. be clean, pure
Qal
be clean, i.e. (miraculously) freed from leprosy by washing in the Jordan
be clean ceremonially
be clean morally
Pi.
cleanse, purify
pronounce clean, ceremonially
perform the ceremony of cleansing
Pu. a land not cleansed
Hithp.
purify oneself
present oneself for purification
base
H2891 טָהֵר be clean, pure
2891 taher taw-hare'
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).
טָהֵר (ta.her) — be pure.
1) to be clean, be pure
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to be clean (physically-of disease)
1a2) to be clean ceremonially
1a3) to purify, be clean morally, made clean
1b) (Piel)
1b1) to cleanse, purify
1b1a) physically
1b1b) ceremonially
1b1c) morally
1b2) to pronounce clean
1b3) to perform the ceremony of cleansing
1c) (Pual) to be cleansed, be pronounced clean
1d) (Hithpael)
1d1) to purify oneself
1d1a) ceremonially
1d1b) morally
1d2) to present oneself for purification
HC/Vqu1cs — Conjunction · verb qal first person common singularHC/Vqu1cs
כָּבַס (kabac) means to wash, specifically by treading, and is associated with the work of a fuller. It can refer to both literal washing of garments or people and figurative uses. The entries note various forms, including participles and different verb stems, indicating actions like washing and being washed.
[כָּבַס] 51 vb. (tread), wash
Qal highway of fuller’s (= treader’s, washer’s) field
Pi.
wash garments (i.e. by treading)
wash person
Pu. be washed, of garment
Hothp. after the plague is washed out
base
H3526 כָּבַס (tread), wash
3526 kabac kaw-bas'
a primitive root; to trample; hence, to wash (properly, by
stamping with the feet), whether literal (including the
fulling process) or figurative:--fuller, wash(-ing).
כָּבַס (ka.vas) — Washer's.
This name means to wash (by treading)
כָּבַס (ka.vas) — to wash.
1) to wash (by treading), be washed, perform the work of a fuller
1a) (Qal) washer, fuller, treader (participle)
1b) (Piel) to wash (garments, person)
1c) (Pual) to be washed
1d) (Hothpael) to be washed out
HVpi2ms/Sp1bs — Verb piel imperfect second person masculine singular · suffixHVpi2ms/Sp1bs
שֶׁ֫לֶג (sheleg) means 'snow' and is derived from the root word for whiteness. It is consistently defined across entries as snow, with a reference to its Aramaic equivalent, תְּלַג (te.lag). The term appears in contexts related to snow in the Old Testament.
שֶׁ֫לֶג n.m. snow
base
H7950 שֶׁ֫לֶג snow
7950 sheleg sheh'-leg
from 7949; snow (probably from its whiteness):--snow(-y).
see HEBREW for 07949
שֶׁ֫לֶג (she.leg) — snow.
snow
Aramaic equivalent: te.lag (תְּלַג "snow" H8517)
HC/R/Ncmsa — Conjunction · preposition · noun common masculine singular absoluteHC/R/Ncmsa
sno (shelegh, telagh (Da 7:9); chion):
(1) Snow is not uncommon in the winter in Jerusalem, but it never reaches any depth and in many winters it is not seen at all. It usually disappears, for the most part, as soon as the sun appears, though it may "hide itself" for a time in the gorge cut by a stream (Job 6:16). On lower levels than Jerusalem there is never sufficient to cover the ground, though often there are some flakes seen in the air. Even at sea-level there is occasionally a sufficient fall of hail to cover the ground. A very exceptional snowfall is related in 1 Macc 13:22 at Adora (near Hebron). It was heavy enough to prevent the movement of troops.
Snow
Common in Palestine in winter (Ps. 147:16). The snow on the tops of the Lebanon range is almost always within view throughout the whole year. The word is frequently used figuratively by the sacred writers (Job 24:19; Ps. 51:7; 68:14; Isa. 1:18). It is mentioned only once in the historical books (2 Sam. 23:20). It was “carried to Tyre, Sidon, and Damascus as a luxury, and labourers sweltering in the hot harvest-fields used it for the purpose of cooling the water which they drank (Prov. 25:13; Jer. 18:14).…
This historical books of the Bible contain only two notices of snow actually falling -- (2 Samuel 23:20) 1Macc 13:22; but the allusions in the poetical books are so numerous that there can be no doubt as to its being an ordinary occurrence in the winter months. (Psalms 147:16; 148:8) The snow lies deep in the ravines of the highest ridge of Lebanon until the summer is far advanced and indeed never wholly disappears; the summit of Hermon also perpetually glistens with frozen snow. From these sources probably the Jews obtained their supplies of ice for the purpose of cooling their beverages in summer. (Proverbs 25:13) The liability to snow must of course vary considerably in a country of such varying altitude as Palestine. At…
Is often alluded to in Scripture, for its whiteness, Ex 4:6; Nu 12:10; 2Ki 5:27; Ps 51:7; Isa 1:18, and for its cleansing qualities, Job 9:30. The expression in Pr 25:13, "as the cold of snow in the time of harvest," alludes to its use in preparing cool drinks for the reapers; while on the other hand, in Pr 26:1, "snow in summer," that is, a fall of snow, being unseasonable and unnatural, is compared to honors inappropriately lavished on a fool. Snow from…
The Hebrew word לָבֵן (*laben*) has two primary meanings: to be white and to make bricks. It can refer to the process of becoming white or purifying in an ethical sense, as well as the act of making bricks. The entries indicate that it is derived from a primitive root and is used in various forms, including Hiphil and Hithpael.
[לָבֵן] vb. be white
Hiph.
make white = purify (ethical)
shew whiteness, grow white, of fig tree, stripped by locusts
Hithp. be purified
base
[לָבַן] vb. denom. make brick
base
H3835a לָבֵן be white H3835b לָבַן vb. denom. make brick
3835 laban law-ban'
a primitive root; to be (or become) white; also (as
denominative from 3843) to make bricks:--make brick, be (made,
make) white(-r).
see HEBREW for 03843
לָבֵן (la.ven) — to whiten.
1) to be white
1a) (Hiphil)
1a1) to make white, become white, purify
1a2) to show whiteness, grow white
1b) (Hithpael) to become white, be purified (ethical)
לָבַן (la.van) — to make bricks.
(Qal) to make bricks
HVhi1cs — Verb · Hiphil · imperfect first person common singularHVhi1cs
hwit.
See COLORS.
White
A symbol of purity (2 Chr. 5:12; Ps. 51:7; Isa. 1:18; Rev. 3:18; 7:14). Our Lord, at his transfiguration, appeared in raiment “white as the light” (Matt. 17:2, etc.).
→ See COLOR
