כָּבַס
𐤊𐤁𐤎
kâbaç
H3526 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To wash textiles thoroughly, particularly by vigorous means such as trampling or beating—the standard method of cleaning cloth in the ancient Near East; by extension, to cause to become clean or purified. The verb commonly signifies laundering garments, especially in preparation for ritual or social occasions, and can carry the nuance of ritual purification in certain literary contexts.
Semantic Range
to wash clothes by trampling or beating, to launder, to cleanse (garments), to purify (figuratively), to perform ritual washing of garments
Root / Etymology
Root is כ-ב-ס (כָּבַס), denoting the action of washing or cleansing, particularly of fabrics. The root reflects a process of forceful washing, traditionally achieved by trampling or agitating textiles in water. The development of the verb may relate to the physical process of treading on garments to clean them.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, כָּבַס describes the washing of garments as part of ritual purification (e.g. Exodus 19:10, Leviticus 14:8), general laundering (Genesis 49:11; Numbers 19:19), or metaphorically as purification (Psalm 51:4). The process was typically manual, involving trampling or beating cloth in water, unlike modern techniques. The related noun כּוֹבֵס (fuller, launderer) signifies one engaged in this trade (Malachi 3:2). While later English translations sometimes render figurative usages as 'cleanse' or 'purify,' the verb retains a concrete sense of textile laundering throughout its biblical usage; spiritual meanings are contextual or metaphoric, not intrinsic to the word itself. The term should be distinguished from other Hebrew verbs for washing people or objects (e.g., רָחַץ for washing the body). The semantic emphasis of כָּבַס is thus on the vigorous washing of garments rather than generic cleansing. Usage remains largely consistent throughout the biblical periods, though ritual associations are especially prominent in Levitical and priestly texts.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to trample; hence, to wash (properly, by stamping with the feet), whether literal (including the fulling process) or figurative; fuller, wash(-ing).
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
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כבס (k-b-s) — to wash clothing, to launder, to cleanse by agitation
Word Forms
16 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3526-16 |
יְכַבֵּ֥ס | yekhabes | HVpi3ms |
shall wash | he will launder | 17 |
H3526-13 |
וְ/כִבֶּ֥ס | vekhibes | HC/Vpq3ms |
and shall wash | and he laundered | 12 |
H3526-14 |
וְ/כִבְּס֖וּ | vekhibesu | HC/Vpq3cp |
and let them wash | and they laundered | 3 |
H3526-05 |
כוֹבֵֽס | khoves | HVqrmsa |
of the fuller | laundering one | 3 |
H3526-11 |
וַֽ/יְכַבְּס֖וּ | vayekhabesu | HC/Vpw3mp |
and they washed | and they thoroughly laundered | 2 |
H3526-08 |
תְּכַבֵּ֖ס | tekhabes | HVpi2ms |
you shall wash | you will launder | 2 |
H3526-01 |
הֻכַּבֵּ֣ס | hukabes | HVuc |
it is washed | to be thoroughly laundered | 2 |
H3526-15 |
וְ/כֻבַּ֥ס | vekhubas | HC/VPq3ms |
it-shall-be-washed | and was thoroughly laundered | 2 |
H3526-02 |
כַּבְּסֵ֣/נִי | kabeseni | HVpv2ms/Sp1cs |
wash me | Launder me | 1 |
H3526-03 |
כַּבְּסִ֨י | kabesi | HVpv2fs |
wash | Launder! | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
51 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3526-06 |
Genesis 49:11 | כִּבֵּ֤ס | kibes | HVpp3ms |
he washes | he thoroughly laundered |
H3526-14 |
Exodus 19:10 | וְ/כִבְּס֖וּ | vekhibesu | HC/Vpq3cp |
and let them wash | and they laundered |
H3526-11 |
Exodus 19:14 | וַֽ/יְכַבְּס֖וּ | vayekhabesu | HC/Vpw3mp |
and they washed | and they thoroughly laundered |
H3526-08 |
Leviticus 6:20 | תְּכַבֵּ֖ס | tekhabes | HVpi2ms |
you shall wash | you will launder |
H3526-16 |
Leviticus 11:25 | יְכַבֵּ֥ס | yekhabes | HVpi3ms |
shall wash | he will launder |
H3526-16 |
Leviticus 11:28 | יְכַבֵּ֥ס | yekhabes | HVpi3ms |
shall wash | he will launder |
H3526-16 |
Leviticus 11:40 | יְכַבֵּ֥ס | yekhabes | HVpi3ms |
shall-wash | he will launder |
H3526-16 |
Leviticus 11:40 | יְכַבֵּ֥ס | yekhabes-2 | HVpi3ms |
shall-wash | he will launder |
H3526-13 |
Leviticus 13:6 | וְ/כִבֶּ֥ס | vekhibes | HC/Vpq3ms |
and shall wash | and he laundered |
H3526-13 |
Leviticus 13:34 | וְ/כִבֶּ֥ס | vekhibes | HC/Vpq3ms |
and he shall wash | and he laundered |