wosh , wosh´ing : The two usual Hebrew words for "wash" are רחץ , rāḥac , and כּבס , kābhaṣ , the former being normally used of persons or of sacrificial animals ( Genesis 18:4 , etc., often translated "bathe"; Leviticus 15:5 , etc.), and the latter of things (Genesis 49:11 , etc.), the exceptions to this distinction being few (for rāḥac , 1 Kings 22:38 margin; for kābhaṣ , Psalm 51:2 , Psalm 51:7; Jeremiah 2:22; Jeremiah 4:14 ). Much less common are דּוּח , dūaḥ (2 Chronicles 4:6; Isaiah 4:4; Ezekiel 40:38 ) and שׁטף , shātaph (1 Kings 22:38; Job 14:19; Ezekiel 16:9 ), translated "rinse" in Leviticus 6:28; Leviticus 15:11 , Leviticus 15:12 . In Nehemiah 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 νίπτω , nı́ptō (Matthew 6:17 , etc.), with aponı́ptō in Matthew 27:24 . Of the other terms, λούω , loúō (Susanna verses 15, 17; John 13:10 , etc.), with apoloúō (Acts 22:16; 1 Corinthians 6:11 ) and the noun loutrón (Sirach 34:25b; Ephesians 5:26; Titus 3:5 ), usually has a sacral significance. On βαπτίζω , baptı́́zō (Sirach 34:25a; Mark 7:4; Luke 11:38 ), with the noun baptismós (Mark 7:4 (text?); Hebrews 9:10 ), see BAPTISM . In Luke 5:2; Revelation 7:14; Revelation 22:14 the Revised Version (British and American) occurs πλύνω , plúnō , while Judith 10:3 has περικλύζω , periklúzō . 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 ( Psalm 51:2; Isaiah 1:16 , etc.), but, with an entirely different figure, "to wash in" may signify "to enjoy in plenty" (Genesis 49:11; Job 29:6; the meaning in Song of Solomon 5:12 is uncertain). Washing of the hands, in token of innocence, is found in Deuteronomy 21:6; Matthew 27:24 .
The "washing balls" of Susanna verse 17 ( σμῆγμα , smḗgma , a very rare word) were of soap. See SOAP .
The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE) was edited by James Orr, John Nuelsen, Edgar Mullins, Morris Evans, and Melvin Grove Kyle and was published complete in 1939. This web site includes the complete text.
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