Topical Encyclopedia
In biblical times, the concept of a "sink" as understood in modern plumbing did not exist. However, the Bible does reference various methods and places for washing and cleansing, which can be seen as functional precursors to the modern sink. These references provide insight into the practices of hygiene and ritual purification in ancient Israelite culture.
Washing and Cleansing in the BibleThe act of washing is frequently mentioned in the Bible, often in the context of ritual purification. For example, in
Exodus 30:18-21, God instructs Moses to make a bronze basin for washing: "You are to make a basin of bronze with a bronze stand for washing. Place it between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and put water in it, with which Aaron and his sons are to wash their hands and feet." This basin served a purpose similar to that of a sink, providing a place for the priests to cleanse themselves before performing their duties.
Ritual PurificationRitual washing was an essential part of the religious life of the Israelites.
Leviticus 15 outlines various laws concerning bodily discharges and the necessary washings to restore cleanliness. Verse 11 states, "Anyone whom the man with the discharge touches without rinsing his hands in water must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will be unclean until evening." This emphasis on washing highlights the importance of cleanliness in maintaining ritual purity.
Cultural PracticesIn addition to religious practices, washing was a part of daily life in ancient Israel.
Genesis 18:4 records Abraham offering water to his guests for washing their feet: "Let a little water be brought, that you may wash your feet and rest yourselves under the tree." This act of hospitality reflects the practical use of water for personal hygiene, akin to the function of a sink.
Symbolic SignificanceWater and washing also carry symbolic meanings in the Bible. In
Psalm 51:2, David pleads, "Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin." Here, washing symbolizes spiritual cleansing and forgiveness. Similarly, in the New Testament, Jesus uses the act of washing to teach humility and service. In
John 13:5, He washes the disciples' feet, saying in verse 14, "If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet."
ConclusionWhile the Bible does not mention sinks as we know them today, the practices of washing and cleansing are deeply embedded in its texts. These practices served both practical and spiritual purposes, reflecting the importance of purity and hospitality in biblical times.
Strong's Hebrew
6555. parats -- to break through... violence (1), everywhere (1), increase (1), increased (3), infrequent* (1), made
(1), made an outburst (1), outburst* (2), overflow (1),
sinks (1), spread (3
...7743. shuach -- to sink down
... Word Origin a prim. root Definition to sink down NASB Word Usage bowed down
(1),sinks down (1), sunk down (1). bow down, incline, humble....
Library
That a Man Whose Foundation is Bad,Sinks Daily from Bad to Worse.
... Prolegomena. Chapter XXVI. That a man whose foundation is bad,sinks daily
from bad to worse. Those then who are possessed by such...
Rest. LM
... (1078) How blest the righteous when he dies! Whensinks a weary soul to rest! How
mildly beam the closing eyes! How gently heaves the expiring breast!...
LM Mrs. Barbauld. His End is Peace.
... 1 How blest the righteous when he dies! Whensinks a trusting soul to rest, How
mildly beam the closing eyes, How gently heaves the expiring breast!...
Death of the Righteous.
... 1 Sweet is the scene when virtue dies! Whensinks a righteous soul to rest; How
mildly beam the closing eyes, How gently heaves th' expiring breast!...
Distinction Between Exterior and Interior Actions --Those of the...
... force, viz., a gentle sinking in God, in which God attracts it more and more strongly;
and, following this attraction, and resting in love, itsinks more and...
How Love Effects the Union of the Soul with God in Prayer.
... makes it incessantly tend to the centre;"so our heart, being once joined to God,
if without being drawn away it remain in this union,sinks still deeper by...
The vicissitudes Experienced in the Christian Life
... Find my chief cordial and my best repose. My soul is a forgotten thing; she
sinks,.Sinks and is lost, without a wish to rise; Feels...
On his Father'S Silence, Because of the Plague of Hail.
... Nay, indeed, if it be too violent, it sweeps away the earth, and increases the
proportion of the farmer's loss: while a gentle fall, whichsinks deep, enriches...
The Word is Sent not as an Inanimate Power, but as a Person...
... from the Father, just as they say that the light of the sun on earth is indivisible
and inseparable from the sun in the heavens; as when itsinks, the light...
Psalm 42:2. 6-11. Second Part. Melancholy Thoughts Reproved; Or...
... 1 My spiritsinks within me, Lord, But I will call thy name to mind, And times
of past distress record, When I have found my God was kind....
Thesaurus
Sinks (6 Occurrences)... Multi-Version Concordance
Sinks (6 Occurrences).
... Ecclesiastes 10:18 By slothfulness
the roof
sinks in; and through idleness of the hands the house leaks.
...Sink (16 Occurrences)
... 1. (vi) To fall by, or as by, the force of gravity; to descend lower and lower;
to decline gradually; to subside; as, a stonesinks in water; waves rise and...
Jude (4 Occurrences)
... Philippians 1:1 has a similar expression, "Paul and Timothy, servants of Jesus Christ,"
but "the designation common to two persons necessarilysinks to the...
Leaks (3 Occurrences)
... Leaks (3 Occurrences). Ecclesiastes 10:18 By slothfulness the roofsinks in; and
through idleness of the hands the house leaks. (WEB NAS RSV NIV)....
Idleness (4 Occurrences)
... (WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS NAS RSV NIV). Ecclesiastes 10:18 By slothfulness the roof
sinks in; and through idleness of the hands the house leaks....
Rottenness (9 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 5:24 Therefore as the tongue of fire devours the stubble, and as the dry
grasssinks down in the flame, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their...
Rot (15 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 5:24 Therefore as the tongue of fire devours the stubble, and as the dry
grasssinks down in the flame, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their...
Edomites (22 Occurrences)
... above that of the Dead Sea. From this point itsinks until it reaches the
shore of the Gulf of `Aqaba, 45 miles farther South. The...
Esdraelon
... The Vale of Jezreel between Zer`in and Beisan, a distance of about 12 miles, descends
nearly 600 ft., and thensinks suddenly to the level of the Jordan valley...
Den (19 Occurrences)
... Even on the plains, by a similar process, pits or "limesinks" are formed, which
are sometimes used by the Arabs for storing straw or grain....
Resources
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