CLEAN (klen). Several Hebrew and Greek words are translated "clean" and "cleanness." They mean primarily freedom from dirt, purity, but they also often indicate ceremonial cleanness.
Ethical and Figurative. Closely related to this ceremonial use is the ethical, and quite as old. In passages like Ezek. xxxvi :25; Luke xi :4i, and especially John xiii :10; xv :3, we see the one pass ing into the other ; in others the ethically stands out from the ceremonially religious meaning. Take first of all some passages where the Hebrew is the usual verb (taller) or adjective (tailor) used for ceremonial cleanness : Ps. xix :9, 'The fear of the Lord is clean' (that is, the religion of Jehovah is morally undefiled, in contrast to heathen re ligions. Comp. Ps. xii :6, 'the words of the Lord are pure words,' where the Hebrew is the same, a word frequently applied to 'pure' gold) ; Lev. xvi: 3o, 'from all your sins shall ye be clean' ; Gen. xxxv :2, 'Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your gar ments ;' Ps. li :7, 'Purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean ;' no,'Create in me a clean heart.' Next, where the Hebrew is bar, that is, 'clean' because cleansed, 'bright' because polished (as a pointed arrow, Is. xlix :2) ; Ps. lxxiii 'such as
are of clean heart ;' Job xi:4, 'I am clean in thine eyes ;' comp. Is. lii 'be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord.' Finally, where the Hebrew is zakhah, or zakhak, 'be clean,' zak, 'clean,' al ways in a moral sense, Job xv 'What is man that he should be clean?' ix :3o, 'If I wash my self with snow water and make my hands never so clean ;' xv :15, 'the heavens are not clean in his sight ;' xxxiii :9, 'I am clean, without transgres sion ;' Prov. xvi :2, 'all the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes' (J. Hastings, Bib. Diet.).
The cleanness or purity of the saints lies in their having a clean heart and pure hands; in having their conscience purged from guilt by the applica tion of the Saviour's righteousness; their mind, will, and affections sanctified by his spirit, en dowed with implanted grace, and free from the love and power of sinful corruption ; their out ward conversation being holy and blameless. Cleanness of teeth is want of provision to eat (Amos iv :6). Clean, purely, also denote full, fully (Lev. xxiii :23; Josh. Is. i :25). (See UNCLEAN, UNCLEANNESS.)