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καθαρισμός

katharismós

G2512 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

Primarily, the act of making clean, removal of impurity or defilement. In various contexts, refers to ritual purification (removal of cultic or ceremonial impurity), the process or state of being cleansed or purified, and, by extension in some texts, purification from sin or moral stain.

Semantic Range

cleansing, purification, ritual washing, ablution, expiation, process of making pure, removal of ritual or moral impurity

Root / Etymology

From καθαρίζω (to cleanse, to purify), itself from the root καθαρός (clean, pure). The noun form καθαρισμός denotes the process or result of cleansing.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, καθαρισμός is rare and usually refers to ritual or physical cleansing. In Hellenistic and especially religious contexts (including the Septuagint and New Testament), the term is typically used for ritual or ceremonial purification practices among Israelites/Judahites/Judeans, such as washings or ablutions prescribed by the Torah for re-entering a state of ritual purity. In later Jewish-Greek and early Christian literature, it can also denote moral or inner purification, but its primary use remains cultic and tangible (e.g., washing of hands, purification after childbirth). Standard translations like 'purification' or 'cleansing' generally convey the sense, but can obscure the strong ritual-legal connotations in Second Temple and New Testament usage. Unlike καθαρότης (cleanness, purity as a state), καθαρισμός typically denotes the process or means to achieve such a state.

Translation Consistency

primary "cleanse" 2 occurrences

Katharismós denotes the act/process of making clean or removing impurity (ritual or moral). "Cleanse" is natural, broadly covers ritual washing and moral purification, and maps closely to the common English renderings (cleansing/purification) while remaining a simple verb form to inflect consistently.

Alternatives (5 occurrences):
"purification" (5x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from καθαρίζω; a washing off, i.e. (ceremonially) ablution, (morally) expiation:--cleansing, + purge, purification(-fying).

Root Family

καθαρισμός (katharismos) — cleansing, purification, removal of impurity

Root καθαριζ- to cleanse, to make pure, to remove impurity

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G2512-02 καθαρισμοῦ katharismou N GEN M SG cleansing of purification purification 5
G2512-01 καθαρισμὸν katharismon N ACC M SG purification cleansing cleansing 2

Occurrences in Scripture

7 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G2512-02 Mark 1:44 καθαρισμοῦ katharismou N GEN M SG cleansing of purification purification
G2512-02 Luke 2:22 καθαρισμοῦ katharismou N GEN M SG purification of purification purification
G2512-02 Luke 5:14 καθαρισμοῦ katharismou N GEN M SG cleansing of purification purification
G2512-01 John 2:6 καθαρισμὸν katharismon N ACC M SG purifying cleansing cleansing
G2512-02 John 3:25 καθαρισμοῦ katharismou N GEN M SG purification of purification purification
G2512-01 Hebrews 1:3 καθαρισμὸν katharismon N ACC M SG purification cleansing cleansing
G2512-02 2 Peter 1:9 καθαρισμοῦ katharismou N GEN M SG cleansing of purification purification
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