Bor denotes a cleansing substance used figuratively in refining and directly in washing.

The two attestations show bor as a cleansing substance: in Isaiah 1:25 it occurs in the image of refining away dross, while in Job 9:30 it belongs to washing and cleansing hands.

1. Cleansing substance in refining and washing · dominant

   Both occurrences use the masculine singular absolute noun in cleansing contexts. In Isaiah 1:25 the APB renders the refining of dross “as with lye,” while in Job 9:30 it renders cleansing hands “with lye.”

   Isaiah 1:25Job 9:30

In the Anselm Project Bible: The APB uses “lye” in both Isaiah 1:25 and Job 9:30, respectively within refining imagery and hand cleansing. This consistency supports the verse-level presentation rather than isolating a precise English equivalent.