H2893 — טׇהֳרָה (ṭohŏrâh)¶

Core Data¶

Strong's: H2893
Original: טׇהֳרָה
Transliteration: ṭohŏrâh
Pronunciation: toh-or-aw'
Part of Speech: Feminine noun (n-f)
Root: Feminine form of H2892 (ṭôhar), from the primitive root H2891 (ṭâhêr, "to be bright, to be pure")
Occurrences: 13 unique verses (BLB) / 15 KJV translation instances
First Occurrence: Lev 12:4 — "she shall then continue in the blood of her purifying"
Hapax Legomenon: No

Lexicon Definition¶

Feminine of H2892 (ṭôhar); ceremonial purification; moral purity: — is cleansed, cleansing, purification(-fying).

The word denotes both the process of purification (the prescribed ritual steps) and the period during which purification occurs. It is always tied to a structured, divinely regulated procedure — never a spontaneous or indefinite event.

Translation Distribution (KJV)¶

Translation	Count	%	Verses
of her purifying	4	26.7%	Lev 12:4 (x2), 12:5, 12:6
for his cleansing	3	20.0%	Lev 13:7, 14:23, 15:13
of his cleansing	2	13.3%	Lev 14:2, Num 6:9
his cleansing	1	6.7%	Lev 13:35
to his cleansing	1	6.7%	Lev 14:32
the purifying	1	6.7%	1 Chr 23:28
according to the purification	1	6.7%	2 Chr 30:19
of the purification	1	6.7%	Neh 12:45
he is cleansed	1	6.7%	Ezek 44:26

Pattern: The KJV never translates tohorah as a standalone word but always renders it within a prepositional or genitive phrase — "of her purifying," "for his cleansing," etc. This reflects its Hebrew usage: it consistently appears with pronominal suffixes (his/her) or in construct chains, indicating the purification always belongs to or pertains to someone or something specific.

Distribution by Book¶

Book	Verses	Translation Instances	Context
Leviticus	9	11	Ceremonial purification laws
Numbers	1	1	Nazirite defilement
1 Chronicles	1	1	Levitical service duties
2 Chronicles	1	1	Hezekiah's Passover reform
Nehemiah	1	1	Post-exilic temple worship
Ezekiel	1	1	Eschatological priestly law

Pattern: Overwhelmingly concentrated in Leviticus (69% of verses, 73% of instances), specifically within the ceremonial purity laws of Leviticus 12–15. The non-Levitical occurrences all concern priestly/temple service (1 Chronicles, Nehemiah) or the application of purification standards to worship (2 Chronicles, Ezekiel). Unlike the parent verb taher (H2891), which appears in wisdom literature (Job, Proverbs) and prophetic spiritual-cleansing passages (Jeremiah, Ezekiel 36–37), tohorah is entirely absent from wisdom, poetic, and prophetic-spiritual contexts. It remains a technical term for regulated ceremonial procedure.

Morphological Patterns in Context¶

Hebrew Form	Morphology	Count	Typical Pattern
טָהֳרָתוֹ (ṭohŏrâtô)	fs.Abs + 3ms suffix	8	"his purification" — used for male subjects (lepers, those with discharges, Nazirites, priests)
טָהֳרָהּ (ṭohŏrâh)	fs.Abs + 3fs suffix	3	"her purifying" — exclusively Lev 12:4, 12:6 for post-partum purification
טָהֳרָה (ṭohŏrâh)	fs.Abs (no suffix)	2	"purification" as an abstract concept (Lev 12:5, Neh 12:45)
טָהֳרַת (ṭohŏrat)	fs.Cst	2	Construct state: "purification of" — 1 Chr 23:28 (purifying of holy things), 2 Chr 30:19 (purification of the sanctuary)

Grammatical note: The construct forms in 1 Chr 23:28 and 2 Chr 30:19 are significant because they shift the word from describing a person's purification process to describing the purification of sacred objects/spaces — an institutional rather than individual usage.

Semantic Categories¶

1. Post-partum Purification Period (Lev 12:4–6)¶

The most frequent single context. Tohorah designates the time-bounded waiting period after childbirth during which the mother transitions from ritual uncleanness back to full access to sacred space.

Lev 12:4 — "she shall then continue in the blood of her purifying (bidmey tohorah) three and thirty days; she shall touch no hallowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying (yemey tohoratah) be fulfilled"
Lev 12:5 — "she shall continue in the blood of her purifying (demey tohorah) threescore and six days"
Lev 12:6 — "when the days of her purifying (yemey tohoratah) are fulfilled, for a son, or for a daughter, she shall bring a lamb... for a burnt offering, and a young pigeon... for a sin offering"

Key phrase: דְּמֵי טָהֳרָה (demey tohorah, "blood of purifying") — a construct chain unique to Lev 12, combining "blood" (dam) with "purification." The expression identifies the postpartum bleeding not as contaminating blood but as blood associated with the purification process itself — it is the blood that accompanies the transition back to cleanness.

Structure: Uncleanness period (7/14 days) → tohorah period (33/66 days) → culminating sacrifice (burnt offering + sin offering) → full restoration. Tohorah is the intermediate stage: no longer in the initial unclean state, but not yet restored to full access.

2. Skin-Disease Cleansing Certification (Lev 13:7, 35; 14:2, 23, 32)¶

Five occurrences deal with the priestly examination and cleansing process for skin diseases (traditionally "leprosy").

Lev 13:7 — "if the scab spread much abroad in the skin, after that he hath been seen of the priest for his cleansing (letohorato), he shall be seen of the priest again"
Lev 13:35 — "if the scall spread much in the skin after his cleansing (tohorato)"
Lev 14:2 — "This shall be the law (torah) of the leper in the day of his cleansing (yom tohorato): He shall be brought unto the priest"
Lev 14:23 — "he shall bring them on the eighth day for his cleansing (letohorato) unto the priest, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, before the LORD"
Lev 14:32 — "This is the law of him in whom is the plague of leprosy, whose hand is not able to get that which pertaineth to his cleansing (betohorato)"

Key phrase: תּוֹרַת הַמְּצֹרָע בְּיוֹם טָהֳרָתוֹ (torat hametsora beyom tohorato, "the law of the leper in the day of his cleansing") — Lev 14:2 establishes tohorah as a formal legal concept with its own prescribed torah (instruction/law). This is the only instance where a specific "law of X" is explicitly designated for a purification procedure.

The priest's role: Tohorah in this context involves both examination (Lev 13:7, 35 — the priest checks whether the condition has worsened after initial clearance) and ceremony (Lev 14:2, 23 — the priest administers the full cleansing ritual with sacrifices). The word encompasses the entire arc from examination through sacrifice.

Economic provision: Lev 14:32 explicitly notes that tohorah has material requirements ("that which pertaineth to his cleansing"), and that provision is made for those whose "hand is not able to get" the standard offering — indicating that the purification process required resources.

3. Bodily Discharge Purification (Lev 15:13)¶

Lev 15:13 — "when he that hath an issue is cleansed (yithar) of his issue; then he shall number to himself seven days for his cleansing (letohorato), and wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in running water, and shall be clean"

This verse is notable for containing both the verb taher (H2891, "is cleansed") and the noun tohorah (H2893, "his cleansing") — the verb describes the initial restoration of the clean state, and the noun denotes the formal purification period that follows. Seven days of counted purification, culminating in washing of garments (kabas) and bathing in running water (rachats), then the final declaration: "and shall be clean" (wetaher).

4. Nazirite Defilement Purification (Num 6:9)¶

Num 6:9 — "if any man die very suddenly by him, and he hath defiled the head of his consecration; then he shall shave his head in the day of his cleansing (yom tohorato), on the seventh day shall he shave it"

The Nazirite's purification follows a distinct procedure: the consecrated status (nezer) is interrupted by contact with death, and the "day of his cleansing" marks the formal restart of the purification process. The phrase יוֹם טָהֳרָתוֹ (yom tohorato, "the day of his purification") parallels Lev 14:2 exactly — both use "day of" + tohorah to mark the appointed time when the formal process begins.

5. Levitical Service Duty (1 Chr 23:28)¶

1 Chr 23:28 — "their office was to wait on the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of the LORD, in the courts, and in the chambers, and in the purifying (toharat) of all holy things, and the work of the service of the house of God"

Here tohorah appears in construct form: טָהֳרַת לְכָל־קֹדֶשׁ (toharat lekhol-qodesh, "purification of all holy things"). This is the only occurrence where tohorah governs sacred objects rather than persons. The Levites' perpetual duty includes maintaining the ritual purity of everything set apart as holy — vessels, furnishings, offerings.

6. Standard for Worship Access (2 Chr 30:19)¶

2 Chr 30:19 — "That prepareth his heart to seek God, the LORD God of his fathers, though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary (ketohorat haqqodesh)"

The construct phrase טָהֳרַת הַקֹּדֶשׁ (ketohorat haqqodesh, "purification of the sanctuary/holiness") establishes tohorah as a recognized standard — a norm against which actual practice is measured. During Hezekiah's Passover, many northerners ate without meeting this standard. Hezekiah prays for their acceptance despite the gap, and God hears his prayer (v. 20). The passage demonstrates that tohorah as an institution serves as the expected protocol for approaching God, even when grace can cover its absence.

7. Institutional Worship Regulation (Neh 12:45)¶

Neh 12:45 — "both the singers and the porters kept the ward of their God, and the ward of the purification (mishmeret hattohorah), according to the commandment of David, and of Solomon his son"

The phrase מִשְׁמֶרֶת הַטָּהֳרָה (mishmeret hattohorah, "the ward/charge of the purification") treats tohorah as an ongoing institutional responsibility — a standing charge to be kept, parallel to keeping "the ward of their God." In the post-exilic community, purification is not merely an occasional procedure but a permanent office requiring designated personnel and commanded by royal authority.

8. Eschatological Priestly Regulation (Ezek 44:26)¶

Ezek 44:26 — "after he is cleansed (tohorato), they shall reckon unto him seven days"

In Ezekiel's vision of the restored temple, the purification requirement for priests who have contacted the dead mirrors the Levitical pattern but with its own seven-day count. The noun tohorah here denotes the completed state of being cleansed, after which an additional seven-day waiting period is imposed. This is the only usage where tohorah itself seems to denote the completed act rather than the ongoing process, followed by a further waiting period.

Syntactic Patterns¶

Common Prepositions with Tohorah¶

Preposition	Count	Meaning	Example
לְ (le, "for/to")	4	Purpose — "for his cleansing"	Lev 13:7; 14:23; 15:13
בְּ (be, "in")	3	Temporal — "in the blood of her purifying" / "in his cleansing"	Lev 12:4; 14:32
אַחֲרֵי (acharey, "after")	3	Sequence — "after his cleansing"	Lev 13:35; Ezek 44:26
כְּ (ke, "according to")	1	Standard — "according to the purification"	2 Chr 30:19
עַל (al, "upon/concerning")	1	Domain — "concerning purification of all holy things"	1 Chr 23:28

Construct Chain Partners¶

Partner Word	Strong's	Pattern	Significance
יוֹם (yom, "day")	H3117	"day of his cleansing"	Marks the appointed commencement of the process
יָמִים (yamim, "days")	H3117	"days of her purifying"	Designates the duration of the process
דָּם (dam, "blood")	H1818	"blood of her purifying"	Unique to Lev 12; identifies blood type by its association with purification
קֹדֶשׁ (qodesh, "holiness")	H6944	"purification of the sanctuary/holy things"	Links purity to sacred space and objects
מִשְׁמֶרֶת (mishmeret, "charge")	H4931	"charge of the purification"	Institutional duty of maintaining purity
תּוֹרָה (torah, "law")	H8451	"the law... in the day of his cleansing"	Formal legal category for the purification process

Word Family / Cognates¶

H2891 טָהֵר (ṭâhêr) — verb: to be clean, to cleanse, to purify (94x) — the action. H2891-taher.md
H2889 טָהוֹר (ṭâhôwr) — adjective: clean, pure (96x) — the state. H2889-tahowr.md
H2892 טֹהַר (ṭôhar) — masculine noun: purity, brightness, clearness (4x) — the abstract quality. Appears only in Exod 24:10 ("clearness of the sky"), Lev 12:4, 12:6, Ps 89:44.

Distinction Between H2893 (tohorah) and H2892 (tohar)¶

H2892 tohar (masculine) = abstract quality: purity, brightness. Poetic/elevated register ("the clearness of the sky," Exod 24:10).
H2893 tohorah (feminine) = concrete process: purification procedure, cleansing period. Technical/legal register (Levitical laws, temple duties).

Both derive from the taher root, but they occupy different semantic spaces: tohar describes what purity looks like; tohorah describes how one gets there.

Antonym¶

H2932 טֻמְאָה (ṭumʼâh) — feminine noun: uncleanness, impurity (37x) — the direct antonym. Both are feminine nouns, both describe conditions/processes, both are concentrated in Leviticus. Where tumʼah denotes the state or source of contamination, tohorah denotes the procedure for its removal. H2932-tumah.md

H3526 כָּבַס (kâbaç) — wash (garments): the physical mechanism that accompanies tohorah (Lev 15:13)
H7364 רָחַץ (râchats) — bathe (body): another physical mechanism paired with tohorah (Lev 15:13)
H3722 כָּפַר (kâphar) — make atonement: the sacrificial component that often accompanies the tohorah process (Lev 12:7–8; 14:18–20)
H6944 קֹדֶשׁ (qodesh) — holiness: tohorah is the prerequisite for access to qodesh (Lev 12:4; 1 Chr 23:28; 2 Chr 30:19)

LXX Mapping¶

Greek Equivalent	Count	PMI	Notes
καθαρισμός (katharismos) G2512	4	9.34	Primary equivalent — "purification, cleansing" — exact semantic match: process noun → process noun. G2512-katharismos.md
καθαρίζω (katharizō) G2511	7	6.91	Secondary — the LXX sometimes renders the noun with the verb "to cleanse," especially in the idiom "after he is cleansed"
ἡμέρα (hēmera) G2250	8	2.92	Contextual — "day" appearing in "day(s) of purification" constructions
ἑπτά (hepta) G2033	3	4.27	Contextual — "seven" in "seven days for his cleansing"
ἱερεύς (hiereus) G2409	4	3.31	Contextual — "priest" in purification examination/ceremony contexts

Cross-testament trace: Tohorah (H2893) → katharismos (G2512) is a tight noun-to-noun alignment confirmed by the highest PMI score (9.34) of any Hebrew source for G2512. In the NT, katharismos appears in Lev 12 fulfillment context (Luke 2:22, "the days of her purification"), Lev 14 fulfillment context (Mark 1:44; Luke 5:14, "offer for thy cleansing"), and extends to Christ's atoning work (Heb 1:3, "when he had by himself purged our sins"). The tohorah concept thus travels from ceremonial procedure → christological accomplishment.

Semantic Domain Summary¶

Tohorah occupies a narrow but well-defined semantic space:

Always ceremonial — every occurrence involves divinely prescribed ritual procedure, never spontaneous moral renewal
Always temporal — tohorah has a beginning, a duration ("days of"), and a culmination (sacrifice or declaration)
Always relational — it belongs to someone (pronominal suffixes) or to something (construct chains)
Always structured — examination by priest, waiting period, physical washing, culminating sacrifice
Always gateway — tohorah is what stands between uncleanness and restored access to the holy (qodesh)