H2891 — טָהֵר (ṭâhêr)¶

Core Data¶

Strong's: H2891
Original: טָהֵר
Transliteration: ṭâhêr
Pronunciation: taw-hare'
Part of Speech: Verb
Root: Primitive root; properly "to be bright" → by implication "to be pure"
Occurrences: 94 (BLB) / 115 KJV translation instances across 80 unique verses
First Occurrence: Gen 35:2 — "be clean, and change your garments"
Hapax Legomenon: No

Lexicon Definition¶

A primitive root; properly, to be bright; i.e. (by implication) to be pure (physically sound, clear, unadulterated; Levitically, uncontaminated; morally, innocent or holy):—be (make, make self, pronounce) clean, cleanse (self), purge, purify(-ier, self).

Verb Stem Distribution¶

Stem	Count	Typical Meaning
Piel	37	declare/pronounce clean; actively cleanse
Qal	34	be clean (stative/intransitive)
Hithpael	18	cleanse oneself, purify oneself (reflexive)
Pual	1	be cleansed (passive)

Pattern: The Piel dominates when the priest or God is the agent performing cleansing. The Qal describes the resulting state ("he shall be clean"). The Hithpael is used for self-purification, particularly in preparation for worship or service.

Translation Distribution (KJV)¶

Translation	Count	%
cleanse/cleansed	40	35%
clean/be clean	35	30%
pronounce clean	10	9%
purify/purified	7	6%
purge/purged	5	4%
pure	2	2%
(other/auxiliary)	16	14%

Distribution by Book¶

Book	Count	Per 100 Verses
Leviticus	53	6.2
Ezekiel	15	1.2
Numbers	11	0.9
2 Chronicles	8	1.0
Nehemiah	6	1.5
Job	5	0.5
2 Kings	4	0.6
Jeremiah	3	0.2
Psalms	2	0.1
Malachi	2	3.6
Joshua	2	0.3
Genesis	1	0.1
Ezra	1	0.4
Proverbs	1	0.1
Isaiah	1	0.1

Pattern: Heavily concentrated in Leviticus (46% of all occurrences), reflecting its role in the ceremonial purity system. Ezekiel is the second-highest book, using it primarily for eschatological/spiritual cleansing. Notably absent from Deuteronomy, the wisdom books (except Job/Proverbs), and the Minor Prophets (except Malachi).

Semantic Categories¶

1. Levitical Cleansing of Persons (Qal/Piel — priest-mediated)¶

Lev 13:6 — "the priest shall pronounce him clean: it is but a scab"
Lev 13:13 — "he shall pronounce him clean that hath the plague: it is all turned white: he is clean"
Lev 14:7 — "he shall sprinkle upon him that is to be cleansed from the leprosy seven times, and shall pronounce him clean"
Lev 15:13 — "when he that hath an issue is cleansed of his issue; then he shall number to himself seven days"

2. Purification After Bodily States (Qal — resulting state)¶

Lev 12:7 — "she shall be cleansed from the issue of her blood"
Lev 14:8 — "he that is to be cleansed shall wash his clothes... that he may be clean"
Lev 22:4 — "he shall not eat of the holy things, until he be clean"
Lev 22:7 — "when the sun is down, he shall be clean"

3. Ritual Purification of Objects and Sacred Spaces (Piel — active cleansing)¶

Lev 16:19 — "he shall sprinkle of the blood upon it... and cleanse it"
2 Chr 29:15-16 — "came... to cleanse the house of the LORD"
Neh 13:9 — "I commanded, and they cleansed the chambers"
Eze 43:26 — "Seven days shall they purge the altar and purify it"

4. Self-Purification in Preparation for Worship (Hithpael — reflexive)¶

Gen 35:2 — "be clean, and change your garments" (Jacob's household before Bethel)
Num 8:7 — Levites "make themselves clean"
Neh 12:30 — "the priests and the Levites purified themselves, and purified the people"
Isa 66:17 — "They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens"

5. Divine Spiritual Cleansing (Piel — God as agent, prophetic/eschatological)¶

Jer 33:8 — "I will cleanse them from all their iniquity"
Eze 36:25 — "Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness... will I cleanse you"
Eze 37:23 — "I will save them... and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people"
Mal 3:3 — "he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver"

6. Moral Purity as Human Question (Qal — wisdom/philosophical)¶

Job 4:17 — "shall a man be more pure than his maker?"
Pro 20:9 — "Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?"
Eze 24:13 — "because I have purged thee, and thou wast not purged"
Jer 13:27 — "Woe unto thee, O Jerusalem! wilt thou not be made clean?"

Common Collocations¶

Word	Strong's	Co-occurrences	Typical Pattern
כֹּהֵן (kohen)	H3548	25x	"the priest shall pronounce him clean"
כָּבַס (kabas)	H3526	13x	"wash his clothes... and be clean"
בֶּגֶד (beged)	H899	13x	garments washed as part of purification
כָּפַר (kaphar)	H3722	12x	"make atonement... and he shall be clean"
מַיִם (mayim)	H4325	10x	water as instrument of cleansing
שֶׁבַע (sheba)	H7651	10x	"seven days/times" — temporal marker for purification periods
רָחַץ (rachats)	H7364	8x	"bathe his flesh in water, and be clean"
לֵוִיִּי (Leviy)	H3881	8x	Levites as agents of purification
חַטָּאָה (chattat)	H2403	7x	sin/sin offering paired with cleansing result

Word Family / Cognates¶

H2889 טָהוֹר (ṭâhôwr) — adjective: clean, pure (96x) — describes the state achieved by taher
H2893 טׇהֳרָה (ṭohŏrâh) — noun: purification, cleanness (13x) — the process or condition
H2892 טֹהַר (ṭôhar) — noun: purity, brightness (4x) — the quality itself

Synonyms¶

H2212 זקק — returned by search_relationships.py as a near-neighbor in the purification / refinement field.
H3526 כבס — another cleansing neighbor in the wash-and-purify field.
H3722 כפר — paired by the tool with atonement / purge language that often precedes restored cleanness.
H6942 קדשׁ — adjacent holiness / consecration vocabulary in the broader purity field.
H3835 לבן — whiten/brighten language that overlaps with purification imagery.
H6663 צדק — moral-rightness vocabulary surfaced alongside purity language.
H5545 סלח — forgiveness language returned as another restoration neighbor.

Antonyms¶

No antonyms returned by search_relationships.py for H2891.

Easily Confused Words¶

Word	Strong's	Shared Translation	Key Difference
טָמֵא (ṭâmêʼ)	H2930	antonym — "be unclean"	tame = become impure; taher = become pure. Opposite ends of the purity spectrum
חָטָא (châṭâʼ)	H2398	"purify" (11x KJV)	chata primarily = "sin/miss"; Piel form = "purify from sin" (de-sin). Taher = restore purity status
נָקָה (nâqâh)	H5352	"be clean" (3x KJV)	naqah = be clean in a juridical sense (acquitted/guiltless). Taher = ritual/moral purity
זָכָה (zâkâh)	H2135	"be clean" (2x KJV)	zakah = be translucent/clear (moral innocence). Taher = broader: ritual + moral + physical
בָּרַר (bârar)	H1305	"purify" (1x), "purge" (2x)	barar = clarify/select/refine (metallurgical metaphor). Taher = ceremonial/religious purification
כָּפַר (kâphar)	H3722	"purge" (9x)	kaphar = cover/atone (deals with guilt). Taher = cleanse (deals with impurity). Often sequential: atonement → cleansing

Semantic Domains¶

UBS / Relationship Domains¶

[002003001014] Pure — search_relationships.py places ṭâhêr in the core purity field with neighbors such as H2134 זַךְ, H2141 זכך, H2889 טָהוֹר, H2892 טֹהַר, and H4357 מִכְלֹות.
[002001001012] Clean — the same tool also groups ṭâhêr with cleanliness vocabulary including H1252/H1253 בֹּר, H1305 ברר, H1740 דוח, H2212 זקק, and H2219 זרה.
[002003003015] Innocent — a secondary domain linking purity language with blamelessness, with neighbors such as H935 בוא, H1252/H1253 בֹּר, H1305 ברר, and H1460 גֵּו.

LXX Mapping¶

Greek Equivalent	Count	Notes
καθαρίζω (katharizō) G2511	61x	Primary equivalent — "to cleanse"
καθαρός (katharos) G2513	23x	Adjective form used for stative Qal
πλύνω (plynō) G4150	13x	"wash" — used when physical washing is prominent
ἁγνίζω (hagnizō) G48	8x	"sanctify/purify" — when ritual purity is in view
λούω (louō) G3068	8x	"bathe" — when bodily washing is the action