barar · purify, choose, test

What it means

barar (בָּרַר) is a Hebrew word of the Bible that means “purify, choose, test”.

To cleanse, to purify; also to choose the best and to put to the test. As a participle, "clean, pure."

How to say it

Approximate pronunciation. Vowels sound as in Spanish (a as in father, e as in bed, i as in machine, o as in note, u as in rule); the syllable in bold is stressed. The voice is your device's.

Its senses in the Bible

1. To remove every stain.
2. To set apart the best for a task, as clean grain is set apart.
3. To hone an arrow.
4. To examine someone so that what he really is may be seen.

From Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906)

How it is translated

The words this translation uses for it, most frequent first.

• clean ×4
• chosen ×2
• purify ×2
• I will purge ×1
• Sharpen ×1
• choice ×1
• cleanse ×1
• polished ×1
• pure ×1
• purity ×1
• others ×3

Related words

Words of the same family, by Strong’s numbering.

Where it appears

• 2 Samuel×2
• 1 Chronicles×3
• Nehemiah×1
• Job×1
• Psalms×2
• Ecclesiastes×1
• Isaiah×2
• Jeremiah×2
• Ezekiel×1
• Daniel×2
• Zephaniah×1

• 2 Samuel 22:27

  with the clean you show yourself clean, and with the crooked you show yourself tortuous.

• 1 Chronicles 7:40

  All these were the sons of Asher, heads of the fathers’ houses, chosen, mighty men of valor, heads of the chiefs; and their genealogical record in the army, for the war: their number, twenty-six thousand men.

• 1 Chronicles 9:22

  All of them who were chosen as gatekeepers at the thresholds were two hundred and twelve. They were enrolled in the genealogy in their villages; David and Samuel the seer established them in their office of trust.

• 1 Chronicles 16:41

  And with them Heman and Jeduthun, and the rest of the selected ones who were designated by name to give thanks to YHWH, for his loyal love is forever;

• Nehemiah 5:18

  And what was prepared for one day was one ox, six choice sheep, and birds were prepared for me; and once every ten days all kinds of wine in abundance. Yet with this I did not seek the bread of the governor, because the servitude was heavy on this people.

• Job 33:3

  My sayings are the uprightness of my heart, and the knowledge of my lips they speak with purity.

• Psalms 18:26

  with the clean you show yourself clean, and with the crooked you show yourself tortuous.

• Ecclesiastes 3:18

  I said in my heart concerning human beings, “Elohim tests them so that they may see that they are beasts, they by themselves.”

• Isaiah 49:2

  And he made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand he hid me; and he made me a polished arrow; in his quiver he concealed me.

• Isaiah 52:11

  Depart, depart, go out from there, what is unclean do not touch; go out from the midst of her; purify yourselves, you who carry the vessels of YHWH.

• Jeremiah 4:11

  At that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem, “A scorching wind from the bare heights in the wilderness comes on the way of the daughter of my people, not to winnow and not to cleanse,

• Jeremiah 51:11

  Sharpen the arrows! Fill the shields! YHWH has stirred up the spirit of the kings of Media, for against Babylon is his purpose, to destroy her; for it is the vengeance of YHWH, the vengeance for his temple.

• Ezekiel 20:38

  And I will purge from among you the rebels and those who transgress against me; from the land where they reside as aliens I will bring them out, but into the soil of Israel they will not enter; and you will know that I am YHWH.

• Daniel 11:35

  And some of the insightful will stumble, to refine them and to purify and to make them white, until the time of the end; for it is yet for the appointed time.

• Daniel 12:10

  Many will be purified and made white and refined; and the wicked will act wickedly, and none of the wicked will understand, but the insightful will understand.

• Zephaniah 3:9

  For then I will change the peoples to a pure language, so that they may call all of them on the name of YHWH, to serve him with one shoulder.

And 2 more times.