### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **dûwach**, represented by `{{H1740}}`, is a primitive root meaning to **thrust away** or, figuratively, **to cleanse**. Its base definition includes actions like to **cast out, purge, wash**. It appears **4 times** across **4 unique verses** in the Bible, demonstrating a specific range of use from physical expulsion to ritual and spiritual purification.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In its biblical usage, `{{H1740}}` carries distinct meanings depending on the context. In a literal, violent sense, it describes the feeling of being rejected, as when Jerusalem laments that Nebuchadrezzar has **cast me out** [[Jeremiah 51:34]]. In a ceremonial context, it refers to the specific act of washing sacrificial items. The burnt offerings were **washed** `{{H1740}}` in the lavers of the temple [[2 Chronicles 4:6]], a practice also mentioned in Ezekiel's vision of the temple [[Ezekiel 40:38]]. Figuratively, the term is used for divine judgment and purification, where the Lord will have **purged** `{{H1740}}` the blood of Jerusalem by a spirit of judgment [[Isaiah 4:4]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words provide deeper context for the actions associated with `{{H1740}}`:
* `{{H7364}}` **râchats**: Defined as **to lave (the whole or a part of a thing); bathe (self), wash (self)**. This word is often used for general or personal washing. In the temple, while the burnt offerings were washed `{{H1740}}`, the sea was for the priests to **wash in** `{{H7364}}` [[2 Chronicles 4:6]], showing a distinction in ritual cleansing. It is also used alongside `{{H1740}}` in the prophecy of Zion's cleansing [[Isaiah 4:4]].
* `{{H6675}}` **tsôwʼâh**: Meaning **excrement; generally, dirt; figuratively, pollution; dung, filth(-iness)**. This word describes the impurity that must be removed. In [[Isaiah 4:4]], the Lord first washes away the **filth** `{{H6675}}` of Zion before he will have **purged** `{{H1740}}` its blood.
* `{{H1818}}` **dâm**: This word for **blood** often carries the figurative sense of **bloodshed (i.e. drops of blood)** or **blood-guiltiness**. In [[Isaiah 4:4]], it is specifically the **blood** `{{H1818}}` of Jerusalem that is **purged** `{{H1740}}`, signifying the removal of guilt for shed blood.
### Theological Significance
The theological significance of `{{H1740}}` is seen in its application to purification and judgment:
* **Ceremonial Purification:** The word is used specifically for the washing of burnt offerings, a necessary step in the sacrificial system to prepare an offering for God ([[2 Chronicles 4:6]], [[Ezekiel 40:38]]). This highlights the importance of external purity in acts of worship.
* **Divine Judgment and Cleansing:** The most significant use is figurative, where God **purges** the **blood** `{{H1818}}` of Jerusalem. This is not a physical washing but a spiritual cleansing from **blood-guiltiness** accomplished through a "spirit of judgment and... burning" [[Isaiah 4:4]].
* **Rejection and Exile:** In a non-ritual context, the word conveys a sense of violent rejection. Jerusalem, personified, feels devoured and then **cast out** by Babylon, connecting the idea of being "thrust away" to the experience of exile and defeat [[Jeremiah 51:34]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{H1740}}` is a potent verb that bridges the physical and the spiritual. While it can mean to be physically **cast out** [[Jeremiah 51:34]], its primary weight is found in the context of cleansing. It moves from the literal, ceremonial **washing** of a burnt offering [[2 Chronicles 4:6]] to the profound, figurative **purging** of a city's bloodguilt by God himself [[Isaiah 4:4]]. This demonstrates how a single Hebrew root can encompass both ritual action and divine judgment.
TRV