{ "entry_id": "TSP-ENT-000293", "slug": "hyssop", "url_path": "/types-symbols/hyssop/", "canonical_name": "Hyssop", "entry_classifications": [ "ORDINARY_DESCRIPTION", "MOTIF", "METAPHOR" ], "modules": [ "PLANTS_AGRICULTURE", "SACRIFICES" ], "aliases": [], "legacy_present": true, "legacy_raw_wording_public": false, "senses": [ { "sense_id": "TSP-SNS-000684", "label": "Ritual application and purification association", "classification": "MOTIF", "definition": "Hyssop recurrently serves as the material applicator/sprinkler in Passover and Mosaic cleansing/purification rites, and Hebrews recalls that ritual use.", "not_always": "The plant’s ritual association does not make every occurrence a spiritual symbol or assign efficacy to the plant itself.", "scope_note": "The plant’s ritual association does not make every occurrence a spiritual symbol or assign efficacy to the plant itself.", "claims": [ { "claim_id": "TSP-CLM-000684", "statement": "Hyssop recurrently functions as the applicator/sprinkler in Passover and Mosaic purification rites, giving it a strong canonical association with ritual cleansing and blood/water application.", "asserted_classifications": [ "MOTIF" ], "type_kinds": [], "evidence_grade": 4, "grade_basis": "G4_RECURRENT_CANONICAL_MOTIF_OR_STRONG_THEMATIC_PATTERN", "status": "STRONGLY_SUPPORTED", "public_wording_class": "CANONICAL_MOTIF", "scope_limitation": "The plant’s ritual association does not make every occurrence a spiritual symbol or assign efficacy to the plant itself.", "strongest_alternative_explanation": null, "residual_uncertainty": "No material residual uncertainty beyond the stated scope limitation.", "theological_intersections": [ "COVENANT", "SANCTIFICATION" ], "scripture_references": [ { "passage_ref_id": "TSP-PAS-001039", "osis_start": "Exod.12.22", "osis_end": null, "display_label": "Exodus 12:22", "versification_system": "ENGLISH_STANDARD" }, { "passage_ref_id": "TSP-PAS-001044", "osis_start": "Lev.14.4", "osis_end": "Lev.14.7", "display_label": "Leviticus 14:4–7", "versification_system": "ENGLISH_STANDARD" }, { "passage_ref_id": "TSP-PAS-001045", "osis_start": "Num.19.18", "osis_end": "Num.19.19", "display_label": "Numbers 19:18–19", "versification_system": "ENGLISH_STANDARD" }, { "passage_ref_id": "TSP-PAS-001047", "osis_start": "Heb.9.19", "osis_end": null, "display_label": "Hebrews 9:19", "versification_system": "ENGLISH_STANDARD" } ], "source_citations": [ { "source_id": "TSP-SRC-000001", "author_editor": null, "title": "Canonical Scripture: MT/LXX/NA28 with NET/ESV comparison", "publication_data": "Text loci verified for TSP-S0F Batch 1", "locator": null, "verification_level": "V4_QUOTATION_VERIFIED", "source_function": [ "CANONICAL_AUTHORITY", "TEXT_ESTABLISHMENT" ], "locator_targets": [] }, { "source_id": "TSP-SRC-000210", "author_editor": "BibleHub lexical summary", "title": "Hebrew ezob: hyssop and ritual uses", "publication_data": "Accessed/verified 2026-09-20", "locator": "https://biblehub.com/hebrew/231.htm", "verification_level": "V3_CLAIM_VERIFIED", "source_function": [ "TEXT_ESTABLISHMENT" ], "locator_targets": [ { "kind": "EXTERNAL_URL", "target": "https://biblehub.com/hebrew/231.htm" } ] } ], "s8_wording_provenance": null } ] }, { "sense_id": "TSP-SNS-000685", "label": "Psalm 51 cleansing metaphor", "classification": "METAPHOR", "definition": "Psalm 51:7 asks God to purge/cleanse with hyssop, naturally drawing on hyssop’s established ritual-cleansing background.", "not_always": "The verse uses ritual imagery for divine cleansing; it does not attribute cleansing power intrinsically to the plant.", "scope_note": "The verse uses ritual imagery for divine cleansing; it does not attribute cleansing power intrinsically to the plant.", "claims": [ { "claim_id": "TSP-CLM-000685", "statement": "Psalm 51:7 uses hyssop figuratively in a prayer for cleansing, most naturally drawing on the established ritual-purification background.", "asserted_classifications": [ "METAPHOR" ], "type_kinds": [], "evidence_grade": 5, "grade_basis": "G5_CONTEXTUALLY_PROBABLE", "status": "PROBABLE", "public_wording_class": "PROBABLE", "scope_limitation": "The verse uses ritual imagery for divine cleansing; it does not attribute cleansing power intrinsically to the plant.", "strongest_alternative_explanation": "The wording may be read simply as ritual cleansing language transferred into prayer, without assigning an independent symbolic meaning to the plant itself.", "residual_uncertainty": "No material residual uncertainty beyond the stated scope limitation.", "theological_intersections": [ "SANCTIFICATION" ], "scripture_references": [ { "passage_ref_id": "TSP-PAS-001046", "osis_start": "Ps.51.7", "osis_end": null, "display_label": "Psalm 51:7", "versification_system": "ENGLISH_STANDARD" } ], "source_citations": [ { "source_id": "TSP-SRC-000001", "author_editor": null, "title": "Canonical Scripture: MT/LXX/NA28 with NET/ESV comparison", "publication_data": "Text loci verified for TSP-S0F Batch 1", "locator": null, "verification_level": "V4_QUOTATION_VERIFIED", "source_function": [ "CANONICAL_AUTHORITY", "TEXT_ESTABLISHMENT" ], "locator_targets": [] }, { "source_id": "TSP-SRC-000210", "author_editor": "BibleHub lexical summary", "title": "Hebrew ezob: hyssop and ritual uses", "publication_data": "Accessed/verified 2026-09-20", "locator": "https://biblehub.com/hebrew/231.htm", "verification_level": "V3_CLAIM_VERIFIED", "source_function": [ "TEXT_ESTABLISHMENT" ], "locator_targets": [ { "kind": "EXTERNAL_URL", "target": "https://biblehub.com/hebrew/231.htm" } ] } ], "s8_wording_provenance": null } ] }, { "sense_id": "TSP-SNS-000686", "label": "No intrinsic “applied by faith” meaning", "classification": "ORDINARY_DESCRIPTION", "definition": "The hyssop texts describe commanded ritual use and prayer for cleansing but do not identify “faith” as the plant’s symbolic referent.", "not_always": "Faith may characterize obedient response in broader theology, but it is not the inspired one-to-one meaning of hyssop.", "scope_note": "Faith may characterize obedient response in broader theology, but it is not the inspired one-to-one meaning of hyssop.", "claims": [ { "claim_id": "TSP-CLM-000686", "statement": "The legacy phrase “applied by faith” is not an inspired symbolic meaning of hyssop; Scripture presents commanded ritual application and cleansing imagery but does not equate the plant itself with faith.", "asserted_classifications": [ "ORDINARY_DESCRIPTION" ], "type_kinds": [], "evidence_grade": 7, "grade_basis": "G7_INSUFFICIENT_BIBLICAL_EVIDENCE", "status": "INSUFFICIENT_BIBLICAL_EVIDENCE", "public_wording_class": "INSUFFICIENT_BIBLICAL_EVIDENCE", "scope_limitation": "Faith may characterize obedient response in broader theology, but it is not the inspired one-to-one meaning of hyssop.", "strongest_alternative_explanation": null, "residual_uncertainty": "No material residual uncertainty beyond the stated scope limitation.", "theological_intersections": [ "OTHER" ], "scripture_references": [ { "passage_ref_id": "TSP-PAS-001039", "osis_start": "Exod.12.22", "osis_end": null, "display_label": "Exodus 12:22", "versification_system": "ENGLISH_STANDARD" }, { "passage_ref_id": "TSP-PAS-001046", "osis_start": "Ps.51.7", "osis_end": null, "display_label": "Psalm 51:7", "versification_system": "ENGLISH_STANDARD" } ], "source_citations": [ { "source_id": "TSP-SRC-000001", "author_editor": null, "title": "Canonical Scripture: MT/LXX/NA28 with NET/ESV comparison", "publication_data": "Text loci verified for TSP-S0F Batch 1", "locator": null, "verification_level": "V4_QUOTATION_VERIFIED", "source_function": [ "CANONICAL_AUTHORITY", "TEXT_ESTABLISHMENT" ], "locator_targets": [] }, { "source_id": "TSP-SRC-000210", "author_editor": "BibleHub lexical summary", "title": "Hebrew ezob: hyssop and ritual uses", "publication_data": "Accessed/verified 2026-09-20", "locator": "https://biblehub.com/hebrew/231.htm", "verification_level": "V3_CLAIM_VERIFIED", "source_function": [ "TEXT_ESTABLISHMENT" ], "locator_targets": [ { "kind": "EXTERNAL_URL", "target": "https://biblehub.com/hebrew/231.htm" } ] } ], "s8_wording_provenance": null } ] } ], "lexeme_mappings": [ { "lexeme_link_id": "TSP-LEX-000158", "language": "HEBREW", "lemma_unicode": "אֵזוֹב", "transliteration": "ezob", "strongs_id": "H231", "owner_tier": "TSP_MAPPING_ONLY", "semantic_domain_ids": [] } ], "canonical_relationships": [], "negative_guardrails": [] }