Greek word · G48

ἁγνίζω

hagnizō

to purify

To make ritually clean or consecrated, so that a person is fit to approach God or take part in worship. It also came to mean moral cleansing. It belongs to the same family as ἁγνός (pure, chaste) and is related to ἅγιος (holy).

Appears 7 times in 7 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

ἁγνίζω (> ἁγνός),

[in LXX always ceremonially, chiefly for קָדַשׁ ;]

to purify, cleanse from defilement;

(a) ceremonially: John 11:55, Acts 21:24, 26 24:18;

(b) morally: James 4:8, 1 Peter 1:22, 1 John 3:3.

† SYN.: καθαρίζω, which see (and see: ἁγνός). (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 1 Peter 1:22

Range of meaning

To make ritually clean or consecrated, so that a person is fit to approach God or take part in worship. It also came to mean moral cleansing. It belongs to the same family as ἁγνός (pure, chaste) and is related to ἅγιος (holy).

Against the English

English "purify" usually suggests moral self-improvement or removing impurities. The Greek carries a stronger sense of being set apart and made ready for God's presence, the language of priests and festivals.

Used elsewhere in the period

In the Greek Old Testament (the Septuagint, or LXX) it is used when the people consecrate themselves before Sinai (Exod 19:10), of the Nazirite vow (Num 6:3), of the Levites purifying themselves (Num 8:21), of Israel before crossing the Jordan (Josh 3:5), and of purification for Passover (2 Chr 30:17–18). In the New Testament, pilgrims went up to Jerusalem early "to purify themselves" before Passover (John 11:55), and Paul goes through temple purification (Acts 21:24, 26; 24:18). The moral sense appears in James 4:8 ("purify your hearts") and 1 John 3:3.

From the study of James 4:8

Range of meaning

To purify, especially in ritual: to consecrate or make holy before a sacred act. Used for preparing to meet God, for vows and for festivals. In early Christian writing it also means moral purification of the inner life (1 Pet 1:22; 1 John 3:3). 'Heart' (καρδία) in Hebrew and Jewish thinking is the center of the person: thinking, deciding, wanting, being loyal.

Against the English

'Purify your hearts' is accurate, but modern English 'heart' mostly means emotion. The biblical heart is closer to 'mind, will and motives'. NLT draws out the sense of loyalty.

How it drifted

Since the Romantic era, English 'heart' has narrowed toward feelings and sentiment. The Hebrew and Greek heart is where people plan, decide and choose whom they serve.

Used elsewhere in the period

At Sinai the LORD tells Moses to 'consecrate' (Greek ἅγνισον) the people before he comes down (Exod 19:10). The verb is used for the Nazirite (Num 6:3 and following). Jews went up to Jerusalem before Passover 'to purify themselves' (John 11:55), and Paul joins a purification rite (Acts 21:24, 26).

From the study of 1 John 3:3

Range of meaning

To purify or cleanse, especially ritually. To consecrate oneself, to make oneself fit for contact with the holy. In later use it extends to moral cleansing of heart and conduct.

Against the English

"Purify" in English can sound like a general clean-up or a self-improvement project. The Greek word brings in the specific world of preparing to come before God: washing, abstaining and consecrating oneself before a holy encounter.

Used elsewhere in the period

Greek Old Testament: Exod 19:10, where Moses is told to purify the people for two days because on the third day the LORD will come down before them at Sinai. Josh 3:5: "purify yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders." Also the purification laws of Num 6, 8 and 19. In the New Testament: John 11:55, where pilgrims go up to Jerusalem early "to purify themselves" before Passover; Acts 21:24, 26 and 24:18, Paul's purification in the Temple. Moral use: James 4:8 ("purify your hearts"); 1 Pet 1:22 ("having purified your souls by obedience to the truth").

Where it appears

John · 1

  1. John 11:55 ἁγνίσωσιν they may purify

    Now the Jewish Passover was near, and many people went up from the country to Jerusalem to purify themselves before the Passover.

    Here: Become ritually fit to enter the temple courts and eat the Passover meal. This involved immersing in water, washing clothes and, for anyone made unclean by a dead body, being sprinkled on the third and seventh days. It is about ritual readiness, not repentance for moral wrongdoing.

Acts · 3

  1. Acts 21:24 ἁγνίσθητι do be purified

    Take these men, purify yourself along with them, and pay their expenses so they can have their heads shaved. Then everyone will know that there is no truth to these rumors about you, but that you also live in obedience to the law.

    Here: An aorist passive command, 'be purified' or 'get yourself purified'. It means ritual purification that makes a person fit to enter the temple and take part in offerings. It is not a call to moral repentance.

  2. Acts 21:26 ἁγνισθεὶς having been purified

    So the next day Paul took the men and purified himself along with them. Then he entered the temple to give notice of the date when their purification would be complete and the offering would be made for each of them.

  3. Acts 24:18 ἡγνισμένον purified

    At the time they found me in the temple, I was ceremonially clean and was not inciting a crowd or an uproar. But there are some Jews from the province of Asia

James · 1

  1. James 4:8 ἁγνίσατε do purify

    Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

    Here: A command to purify. The word is used for the purifications before Sinai, for Nazirite vows and before festivals. Here it means: make your inner self pure, set apart and fit for God.

1 Peter · 1

  1. 1 Peter 1:22 ἡγνικότες having purified

    Since you have purified your souls by obedience to the truth so that you have a genuine love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from a pure heart.

    Here: Perfect participle: a purification already done whose effect still holds. The word comes from ritual cleansing before approaching God. It gives the ground for the command: since you are in this purified state…

1 John · 1

  1. 1 John 3:3 ἁγνίζει purifies

    And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as Christ is pure.

    Here: Present tense: keeps purifying. This is the vocabulary of getting ready to come before God, used in the Greek Old Testament for consecrating oneself before meeting God. Here it is applied to conduct.

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