fuller, wash(-ing)

Boyd’s Bible Dictionary:

(tramper on). Fuller’s art used for cleaning clothes. They were placed in vessels of water impregnated with natron or soap and trodden with the feet (Prov. 25:20²⁰As he that taketh away a garment in cold weather, and as vinegar upon nitre, so is he that singeth songs to an heavy heart. (Proverbs 25:20); Jer. 2:22²²For though thou wash thee with nitre, and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked before me, saith the Lord God. (Jeremiah 2:22); Mal. 3:2²But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: (Malachi 3:2)). Chalk and fuller’s earth used for bleaching (2 Kings 18:17¹⁷And the king of Assyria sent Tartan and Rab-saris and Rabshakeh from Lachish to king Hezekiah with a great host against Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. And when they were come up, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is in the highway of the fuller's field. (2 Kings 18:17); Isa. 7:3; 36:2³Then said the Lord unto Isaiah, Go forth now to meet Ahaz, thou, and Shear-jashub thy son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller's field; (Isaiah 7:3)
²And the king of Assyria sent Rabshakeh from Lachish to Jerusalem unto king Hezekiah with a great army. And he stood by the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller's field. (Isaiah 36:2)).

Concise Bible Dictionary:

The word kabas simply implies “to wash,” as it is often translated, and would include “bleaching.” The coming of the Lord is compared to a “refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap,” when the dross and dirt will be cleared away (Mal. 3:2²But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: (Malachi 3:2)). At the transfiguration the clothing of the Lord became so white that it exceeded the whiteness produced by any fuller on earth (Mark 9:3³And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them. (Mark 9:3)). It was a reflection of heavenly glory.

Strong’s Dictionary of Hebrew Words:

Number:

3526 (find all occurrences in KJV Bible)

Transliteration:

kabac

Phonic:

kaw-bas’

Meaning:

a primitive root; to trample; hence, to wash (properly, by stamping with the feet), whether literal (including the fulling process) or figurative

KJV Usage:

fuller, wash(-ing)

From Manners and Customs of the Bible:

Malachi 3:2²But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: (Malachi 3:2). He is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap.

The precise character of all the articles used by the ancient fullers is unknown. They had mineral alkali in niter, to which reference is made in Proverbs 25:20²⁰As he that taketh away a garment in cold weather, and as vinegar upon nitre, so is he that singeth songs to an heavy heart. (Proverbs 25:20) and Jeremiah 2:22²²For though thou wash thee with nitre, and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked before me, saith the Lord God. (Jeremiah 2:22). They obtained vegetable alkali, as the Arabs do at the present time, from the ashes of some plants and from the juices of others.

They likewise used, for cleansing their cloth, urine and chalk, and bean-meal mixed with water.

The cloths are thought to have been first trodden by the feet. They were also rubbed with the knuckles. A subsequent operation probably consisted in rubbing the cloth on an inclined plane, after the manner still followed in the East, and one which was common among the ancient Egyptians.