כָּבַס
to trample; hence, to wash (properly, by stamping with the feet)
Definition
The verb כָּבַס (kābaṣ) primarily means 'to wash' or 'to launder,' but its root sense involves the physical action of treading or trampling, as in the ancient fulling process where cloth was cleansed by stamping on it. In its literal usage, it describes washing garments (Exodus 19:10, 14) or ritual cleansing of items or persons in Levitical law (Leviticus 6:27, 13:6). Figuratively, it can convey the idea of purification from sin, as seen in the symbolic washing in Isaiah 4:4. The word is distinct from other Hebrew washing verbs by its association with this trampling method.
Biblical Usage
כָּבַס is used 48 times in the Old Testament, predominantly in the Pentateuch, especially in Leviticus, where it governs ritual purity laws for cleansing after contact with unclean animals (Leviticus 11:25, 28, 40) or diseased persons. It also appears in narrative contexts for ordinary washing, such as preparing the Israelites to meet God at Sinai (Exodus 19:10, 14). The prophetic book of Isaiah employs it metaphorically for spiritual cleansing (Isaiah 4:4). Its usage is almost exclusively for washing textiles or ritual objects, not for bathing the body.
Etymology
כָּבַס is a primitive root in Hebrew, meaning its origin is not derived from another Hebrew word. It is cognate with words in other Semitic languages, like Akkadian kabāṣu ('to tread down'), reinforcing the core idea of trampling. The semantic development moved from the physical action of stamping (as in fulling cloth) to the general concept of washing, especially by that method.
Semantic Range
This word is theologically significant as it is central to the Old Testament concepts of ritual purity and holiness. The act of washing prescribed by כָּבַס in Levitical law (e.g., Leviticus 11–15) prepared people and items for worship, symbolizing separation from impurity and readiness to approach a holy God. Understanding this concrete, physical action enriches the reading of passages about cleansing from sin, such as Isaiah 1:16 or Psalm 51:7, by connecting them to the tangible rituals of the Mosaic covenant. It points forward to the need for and the reality of spiritual purification in Christ.
In ancient Israel, washing with כָּבַס often involved the labor-intensive process of fulling, where laundry was trampled underfoot in water, sometimes with cleansing agents like soap or lye (see Malachi 3:2). This differs from modern machine washing, emphasizing physical effort and the removal of deep stains. In ritual contexts, it was not about hygiene alone but about ceremonial status, restoring a person or object to a state fit for communal and sacred life.
רָחַץ (rāḥaṣ, H7364) — to wash, bathe; typically used for washing parts of the body or hands. / טָהֵר (ṭāhēr, H2891) — to be clean, pure; a broader term for ritual or moral purity, not specifically the act of washing.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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