I will wash my hands in innocence: so will I go about your altar, O LORD:
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Augustine of Hippo
AD 430
6. "I will wash mine hands amid the innocent" (ver. 6). I will make clean my works among the innocent: among the innocent will I wash mine hands, with which I shall embrace Thy glorious gifts. "And I will compass Thy altar, O Lord."
Innocent. Hebrew, "in innocence "avoiding every thing which may defile and render me unfit to approach thy holy altar. Many things (Calmet) of themselves innocent, (Haydock) excluded the priests of the old law from officiating, and if they had partaken of any idolatrous sacrifices, they lost their dignity for ever, Ezechiel xliv. 12. How much greater ought to be the sanctity of Christian priests! The Jews carefully abstained from eating what the law forbade, Daniel i. 8., and Tobias i. 12. David would not sit down to a feast with the proud, Psalm c. 5. It was customary to wash before meat (Matthew xv. 2., and Mark vii. 3.) and prayer. Aristeas informs us that the Septuagint washed their hands every morning, before they began to translate the Bible, to show what purity of soul was requisite. Pilate used the like ceremony, when he would have no hand in the condemnation of our Saviour; (Matthew xxvii. 24.; Calmet) and thus people declared their innocence, Deuteronomy xxi. 6. (Menochius)
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