In the Bible, the concept of impurity refers to something or someone that is ritually or morally contaminated, unclean or defiled before God. Impurity stands in opposition to purity, holiness and cleanliness. The Bible has extensive laws and regulations regarding impurity and purity. Understanding biblical impurity is important to properly interpret many passages in Scripture.
Physical Impurity
Many impurities mentioned in the Bible are physical in nature. God gave laws regarding clean and unclean foods (Leviticus 11). Unclean foods like pork were not to be eaten. Eating unclean foods made someone impure. Bodily discharges could also cause impurity. Discharges from skin diseases (Leviticus 13), male emissions (Leviticus 15:16-17), female menstruation (Leviticus 15:19-24), and contact with human corpses (Numbers 19:11-13) all brought about a state of impurity. Women were considered impure after giving birth (Leviticus 12:2).
In addition, people, places and objects could become physically impure through contagious impurity. Anyone or anything that came in contact with an impure person or thing also became impure. This included people who touched a corpse (Numbers 19:22), sat on a seat a menstruating woman sat on (Leviticus 15:21-23), or entered a house with mildew (Leviticus 14:44-46).
Physical impurity required purification rites to become pure again. This often involved washing, sacrifices and the passage of time (Leviticus 12-15). Physical impurity was not necessarily sinful, but still excluded people from entering God’s presence or partaking in Israel’s worship.
Moral Impurity
The Bible also speaks of moral impurities that result from sinful thoughts or actions. Sexual immorality is a prime example. Premarital sex (Deuteronomy 22:13-21), adultery (Leviticus 18:20), incest (Leviticus 18:6-18), homosexuality (Leviticus 18:22), and bestiality (Leviticus 18:23) were all considered sources of moral impurity. Idolatry was seen as a horrendous impurity (Ezekiel 37:23). Sins like greed and murder also generated moral impurity (Mark 7:20-23).
Moral impurities separated people from a holy God. Unlike physical impurities, they could not be cleansed simply by rituals. Moral purification required sincere repentance, sacrifices and atonement for sins before God. The Bible says, “Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil” (Isaiah 1:16).
Impurity as a Picture of Sin
On a symbolic level, the strict biblical laws concerning impurity helped ingrain an awareness of sin and holiness in Israel. Physical impurities acted as constant reminders and pictures of how seriously God took the impurity of sin.
By regulating even natural bodily functions as causes of impurity, the law impressed upon Israel that no one was free from impurity and capable of approaching the utter holiness of God on their own. Impurity laws were a “guardian” keeping Israel under the realization of their sin until Christ came (Galatians 3:24). The sacrificial system also vividly displayed how atonement requires the shedding of blood for forgiveness (Leviticus 17:11; Hebrews 9:22).
Jesus and Impurity
The coming of Christ transformed the way God’s people relate to purity and impurity. Through his death, Jesus provided atonement for sins once for all (Hebrews 10:10). He cleansed believers inwardly from moral corruption (Titus 2:14; Hebrews 9:14). This ended the need for blood sacrifices and other ritual washings (Hebrews 10:1-18).
Outwardly, believers are still in a process of being made holy. But Jesus declared all foods clean (Mark 7:19), nullifying the distinctions between clean and unclean foods. He touched lepers and a hemorrhaging woman without becoming impure himself (Matthew 8:2-3; Mark 5:25-34). His followers likewise became free from anxieties about contagious impurity spreading via contact with blood, corpses and the diseased.
However, Christianity did not do away with the importance of purity. Through Christ, God’s people have been declared righteous in standing, but still need moral purification in practice. As Paul said, we must “cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God” (2 Corinthians 7:1; cf. 1 John 3:3). Believers must now pursue purity motivated by love, not external regulations.
Impurity in the End Times
The Bible indicates that in the end times, God will purge the earth and his people of all impurity:
“Many shall purify themselves and make themselves white and be refined, but the wicked shall act wickedly.” (Daniel 12:10)
“For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble.” (Malachi 4:1)
God promises to create a new heavens and new earth “in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13). There will be “no more death or mourning or crying or pain” in this perfectly pure state (Revelation 21:4).
As Christians, we look forward to absolute purity in body, mind and spirit when Jesus returns to fully establish his kingdom (1 John 3:2-3). Even while waiting, we seek to walk in greater purity out of love and gratitude to the God who cleansed us from sin through the blood of Christ.