Greek word · G3021

λευκαίνω

leukainō

to bleach

To make white, to bleach. Used of a fuller (cloth-cleaner) whitening fabric, and in the figurative sense of purifying.

Appears 2 times in 2 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

λευκαίνω

(λευκός), [in LXX: Psalms 51:7, Isaiah 1:18 (לָבַן hi.), etc. ;]

to whiten, make white: with accusative of thing(s), Mark 9:3, Revelation 7:14.†

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Revelation 7:14

Range of meaning

To make white, to bleach. Used of a fuller (cloth-cleaner) whitening fabric, and in the figurative sense of purifying.

Against the English

'Made white' is accurate. 'Bleached' gets closer to the workshop picture, but in English it sounds too chemical.

Used elsewhere in the period

Mark 9:3: Jesus' clothes became white 'as no fuller on earth could whiten (λευκᾶναι) them'. Isaiah 1:18 in Greek: 'I will make them white as snow'. Psalm 51:7 (50:9 in the Greek): 'I shall be made whiter than snow'. Daniel 11:35 and 12:10 (Hebrew lelabben, yitlabbenu): the wise among God's people are refined, purified and 'made white' through persecution.

From the study of Mark 9:3

Range of meaning

To make white, whiten, bleach. Used literally of cloth and figuratively of cleansing.

Against the English

'Whiten' (KJV 'white', WEB, NASB) keeps the echo of λευκά earlier in the verse. 'Bleach' (BSB, ESV, NIV) is idiomatic but loses the echo.

Used elsewhere in the period

Septuagint Isaiah 1:18 ('I will make them white as snow') and Psalm 51:7 [LXX 50:9] ('I shall be whitened beyond snow'). In Revelation 7:14 the martyrs 'made their robes white in the blood of the Lamb'.

Where it appears

Mark · 1

  1. Mark 9:3 λευκᾶναι. to whiten.

    His clothes became radiantly white, brighter than any launderer on earth could bleach them.

    Here: The fuller's technical work of whitening cloth. It echoes λευκά earlier in the verse: the clothes became *white* as no one can *whiten*.

Revelation · 1

  1. Revelation 7:14 ἐλεύκαναν made white

    “Sir,” I answered, “you know.” So he replied, “These are the ones who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

    Here: To make something white, the work of a cloth-bleacher (Mark 9:3). It echoes Daniel 11:35 and 12:10, where the faithful are 'made white' through persecution.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.