Reference: GARMENTS
American
The chief garments of the Hebrews were the tunic or inner garment, and the mantle or outer garment. These seem to have constituted a "change of Rainment," Jg 14:13; 19; Ac 9:39. The tunic was of linen, and was worn next to the skin, fitting close to the body; it had armholes, and sometimes wide and open sleeves, and reached below the knees; that worn by females reached to the ankles. The tunic was sometimes woven without seam, like that of Jesus, Joh 19:23. The upper garment or mantle was a piece of cloth nearly square, and two or three yards in length and breadth, which was wrapped round the body, or tied over the shoulders. A man without this robe on was sometimes said to be "naked," Isa 20:2-4; Joh 21:7. This could be so arranged as to form a large bosom for carrying things; and the mantle also served the poor as a bed by night, Ex 22:26-27; Job 22:6. See BOSOM and BED.
Between these two garments, the Hebrews sometimes wore a third, called me-il, a long and wide robe or tunic of cotton or linen, without sleeves.
The head was usually bare, or covered from too fierce a sunshine, or from rain, by a fold of the outer mantle, 2Sa 15:30; 1Ki 19:13; Es 6:12. The priests, however, wore a mitre, bonnet, or sacred turban; and after the captivity, the Jews adopted to some extent the turban, now so universal in the East. Women wore a variety of plain and ornamented headdresses. Veils were also an article of female dress, Isa 3:19. They were of various kinds, and were used alike by married and unmarried women; generally as a token of modesty, or of subjection to the authority of the husband, Ge 24:65; 1Co 11:3-10; but sometimes for the purpose of concealment, Ge 38:14.
As the Hebrews did not change the fashion of their clothes, as we do, it was common to lay up stores of rainment beforehand, in proportion to their wealth, Isa 3:6. To this Christ alludes when he speaks of treasures, which the moth devours, Mt 6:19; Jas 5:1-2. But though there was a general uniformity in dress from age to age, no doubt various changes took place in the long course of Bible history; and at all times numerous and increasing varieties existed among the different classes, especially in materials and ornaments. In early ages, and where society was wild and rude, the skins of animals were made into clothing, Ge 3:21; Heb 11:37. Spinning, weaving, and needlework soon began to be practiced, Ex 35:25; Jg 5:30. A coarse cloth was made of goats' or camels' hair, and finer cloths of woolen, linen, and probably cotton. Their manufacture was a branch of domestic industry, Pr 31:13-24.
The great and wealthy delighted in white rainment; and hence this is also a mark of opulence and prosperity, Ec 9:8. Angels are described as clothed in pure and cheerful white; and such was the appearance of our Savior's rainment during his transfiguration, Mt 17:2. The saints, in like manner, are described as clothed in white robes, Re 7:9,13-14; the righteousness of Christ in which they are clothed is more glorious than that of the angels.
The garments of mourning among the Hebrews were sackcloth and haircloth, and their color dark brown or black, Isa 50:3; Re 6:12. As the prophets were penitents by profession, their common clothing was mourning. Widows also dressed themselves much the same. The Hebrews, in common with their neighbors, sometimes used a variety of colors for their gayer and more costly dresses, Jg 5:30. So also according to our version, Ge 37:3,23; 2Sa 13:18; though in these passages some understand a tunic with long sleeves. Blue, scarlet, and purple are most frequently referred to, the first being a sacred color. Embroidery and fine needlework were highly valued among them, Jg 5:30; Ps 45:14.
The dress of females differed from that of males less than is customary among us. Yet there was a distinction; and Moses expressly forbade any exchange of apparel between the sexes, De 22:5, a custom associated with immodesty, and with the worship of certain idols. It is not clear for what reason clothing in which linen and woolen were woven together was prohibited, De 22:11; but probably it had reference to some superstitious usage of heathenism. In Isa 3:16-23, mention is made of the decorations common among the Hebrew women of that day; among which seem to be included tunics, embroidered vests, wide flowing mantles, girdles, veils, caps of network, and metallic ornaments for the ears and nose, for the neck, arms, fingers, and ankles; also smelling-bottles and metallic mirrors. In Ac 19:12, mention is made of handkerchiefs and aprons. Drawers were used, Ex 28:42, but perhaps not generally. See GIRDLES, RINGS, and SANDALS.
Presents of dresses are alluded to very frequently in the historical books of Scripture, and in the earliest times. Joseph gave to each of his brethren a change of rainment, and to Benjamin five changes, Ge 45:22. Naaman gave to Gehazi two changes of rainment; and even Solomon received rainment as presents, 2Ch 9:24. This custom is still maintained in the East, and is mentioned by most travelers. In Turkey, the appointment to any important office is accompanied with the gift of a suitable official rove. In the parable of the wedding garment, the king expected to have found all his guests clad in roes of honor of his own providing, Mt 22:11.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And Jehovah Elohim made Adam and his wife coats of skin, and clothed them.
And she had said to the servant, Who is the man that is walking in the fields to meet us? And the servant said, That is my master! Then she took the veil, and covered herself.
And Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons, because he was son of his old age; and he made him a vest of many colours.
And it came to pass when Joseph came to his brethren, that they stripped Joseph of his vest, the vest of many colours, which he had on;
And she put the garments of her widowhood off from her, and covered herself with a veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the entry of Enaim, which is on the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given to him as wife.
To each one of them all he gave changes of clothing; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of clothing.
If thou at all take thy neighbour's garment in pledge, thou shalt return it to him before the sun goes down; for that is his only covering, his garment for his skin: on what shall he lie down? And it shall come to pass, when he crieth unto me, that I will hear; for I am gracious.
And thou shalt make them linen trousers to cover the flesh of nakedness; from the loins even to the hips shall they reach.
And every woman that was wise-hearted spun with her hands, and brought what she had spun: the blue, and the purple, and the scarlet, and the byssus.
There shall not be a man's apparel on a woman, neither shall a man put on a woman's clothing; for whoever doeth so is an abomination to Jehovah thy God.
Thou shalt not wear a garment of mixed material, woven of wool and linen together.
Are they not finding and dividing the spoil? --A maiden or two for every man; spoil of dyed stuffs for Sis'era, spoil of dyed stuffs embroidered, two pieces of dyed work embroidered for my neck as spoil?'
Are they not finding and dividing the spoil? --A maiden or two for every man; spoil of dyed stuffs for Sis'era, spoil of dyed stuffs embroidered, two pieces of dyed work embroidered for my neck as spoil?'
Are they not finding and dividing the spoil? --A maiden or two for every man; spoil of dyed stuffs for Sis'era, spoil of dyed stuffs embroidered, two pieces of dyed work embroidered for my neck as spoil?'
but if you cannot tell me what it is, then you shall give me thirty linen garments and thirty festal garments." And they said to him, "Put your riddle, that we may hear it."
But David went up by the ascent of the Olives, and wept as he went up, and had his head covered, and he went barefoot; and all the people that was with him covered every man his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up.
And they brought every man his present, vessels of silver and vessels of gold, and clothing, armour, and spices, horses and mules, a rate year by year.
And Mordecai came again to the king's gate. But Haman hasted to his house, mourning and having his head covered.
For thou hast taken a pledge of thy brother for nought, and stripped off the clothing of the naked.
She shall be brought unto the king in raiment of embroidery; the virgins behind her, her companions, shall be brought in unto thee:
She seeketh wool and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands. She is like the merchants' ships: she bringeth her food from afar; read more. And she riseth while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and the day's work to her maidens. She considereth a field, and acquireth it; of the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard. She girdeth her loins with strength, and maketh strong her arms. She perceiveth that her earning is good; her lamp goeth not out by night. She putteth her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle. She stretcheth out her hand to the afflicted, and she reacheth forth her hands to the needy. She is not afraid of the snow for her household; for all her household are clothed with scarlet. She maketh herself coverlets; her clothing is byssus and purple. Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land. She maketh body linen and selleth it, and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.
Let thy garments be always white, and let not thy head lack oil.
When a man shall take hold of his brother, in his father's house, and shall say: Thou hast clothing; be our chief, and let this ruin be under thy hand;
And Jehovah said, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched-out neck and wanton eyes, and go along mincing, and making a tinkling with their feet; therefore the Lord will make bald the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and Jehovah will lay bare their secret parts. read more. In that day the Lord will take away the ornament of anklets, and the little suns and crescents, the pearl-drops, and the bracelets, and the veils,
the pearl-drops, and the bracelets, and the veils, the head-dresses, and the stepping chains, and the girdles, and the scent-boxes, and the amulets; read more. the finger-rings, and the nose-rings; the festival-robes, and the tunics, and the mantles, and the wallets; the mirrors, and the fine linen bodices, and the turbans, and the flowing veils.
at that time spoke Jehovah by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, Go and loose the sackcloth from off thy loins, and put off thy sandal from thy foot. And he did so, walking naked and barefoot. And Jehovah said, Like as my servant Isaiah hath walked naked and barefoot three years, a sign and a wonder concerning Egypt and concerning Ethiopia, read more. so shall the king of Assyria lead away the captives of Egypt and the exiles of Ethiopia, young and old, naked and barefoot, and with buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt.
I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering.
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where moth and rust spoils, and where thieves dig through and steal;
And he was transfigured before them. And his face shone as the sun, and his garments became white as the light;
And the king, having gone in to see the guests, beheld there a man not clothed with a wedding garment.
The soldiers therefore, when they had crucified Jesus, took his clothes, and made four parts, to each soldier a part, and the body-coat; but the body-coat was seamless, woven through the whole from the top.
That disciple therefore whom Jesus loved says to Peter, It is the Lord. Simon Peter therefore, having heard that it was the Lord, girded his overcoat on him (for he was naked), and cast himself into the sea;
And Peter rising up went with them, whom, when arrived, they brought up into the upper chamber; and all the widows stood by him weeping and shewing him the body-coats and garments which Dorcas had made while she was with them.
so that even napkins or aprons were brought from his body and put upon the sick, and the diseases left them, and the wicked spirits went out.
They were stoned, were sawn asunder, were tempted, died by the death of the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, destitute, afflicted, evil treated,
Go to now, ye rich, weep, howling over your miseries that are coming upon you. Your wealth is become rotten, and your garments moth-eaten.
And I saw when it opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as hair sackcloth, and the whole moon became as blood,
After these things I saw, and lo, a great crowd, which no one could number, out of every nation and tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palm branches in their hands.
And one of the elders answered, saying to me, These who are clothed with white robes, who are they, and whence came they? And I said to him, My lord, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they who come out of the great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and have made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Morish
Several words are used both in the O.T. and in the N.T. for raiment, clothing, or apparel, without defining what particular garments are alluded to; and when a single garment is intended it is variously translated in the A.V. In the East few garments were needed, and they were probably much the same as those worn there at present by the natives.
1. The inner garment is the kethoneth, a long tunic worn by men and women. It was made of wool, cotton, or linen. This was the garment God made of skins for Adam and Eve, and what Jacob made of many colours for Joseph. Ge 3:21; 37:3,23-33. It formed part of the priests dress. At times another is worn over it. The bride said she had put off her 'coat' for the night, which was probably the outer one, though the Hebrew word is the same. Cant. 5:3. The kethoneth answers to the ????? of the N.T., mostly translated 'coat.' The disciples were not to take two when the Lord sent them out. Mt 10:10. It was this garment of the Lord's that was woven in one piece, Joh 19:23; and the word is used of the coats made by Dorcas. Ac 9:39.
2. The other principal garment was the simlah, a cloak, or wide outer mantle, worn by men and women, and in which they wrapped themselves at night. This might be of any texture according to the season, and according to the station in life of the wearer. The peasants often wear such, called an 'abba' of camels' or goats' hair. This garment if taken in pledge had to be returned in the evening, for without it 'wherein shall he sleep?' Ex 22:26-27; cf. De 24:13. The simlah is the garment that was rent in grief. Ge 37:34; 44:13; Jos 7:6. This corresponds to the ??????? in the N.T. It is translated 'cloak ' in Mt 5:40; Lu 6:29; and it is the robe of purple with which the soldiers mocked the Lord. Joh 19:2,5. It is the 'garment' the edge of which the woman touched, Mt 14:36; and the 'garments' of which the scribes and Pharisees enlarged the borders. Mt 23:5. It is otherwise used for 'garments' in general, as in Mt 27:35; Joh 19:23-24; and is often translated 'raiment' and 'clothes.'
3. Another prominent article of apparel and one often richly ornamented was the GIRDLE. These three, with sandals, and a handkerchief or other covering for the head, constituted the usual dress in the East.
Besides the above we read of 'changeable suits of apparel' for women. Isa 3:22.
Also 4. The MANTLE, or ROBE meil, described as 'a large tunic, worn over the common one, but without sleeves.' It was worn by priests, Ex 28:31; 1Sa 28:14; Ezr 9:3,5; by kings and princes, 1Sa 18:4; 24:4,11; by men of rank, Job 1:20 Job; 2:12: and by women, 2Sa 13:18.
5. The WIMPLE or VEIL, a wide upper garment or shawl, which covered the head and part of the body. Ruth was able to carry in such a veil six measures of barley. Ru 3:15; Isa 3:22. There are four other Hebrew words translated 'veils.'
6. The STOMACHER, apparently a wide ornamented girdle. The word occurs only in Isa 3:24.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And Jehovah Elohim made Adam and his wife coats of skin, and clothed them.
And Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons, because he was son of his old age; and he made him a vest of many colours.
And it came to pass when Joseph came to his brethren, that they stripped Joseph of his vest, the vest of many colours, which he had on; and they took him and cast him into the pit; now the pit was empty there was no water in it. read more. And they sat down to eat bread; and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and behold, a caravan of Ishmaelites came from Gilead; and their camels bore tragacanth, and balsam, and ladanum going to carry it down to Egypt. And Judah said to his brethren, What profit is it that we kill our brother and secrete his blood? Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites; but let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother, our flesh. And his brethren hearkened to him. And Midianitish men, merchants, passed by; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty silver-pieces; and they brought Joseph to Egypt. And Reuben returned to the pit, and behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his garments, and returned to his brethren, and said, The child is not; and I, where shall I go? And they took Joseph's vest, and slaughtered a buck of the goats, and dipped the vest in the blood; and they sent the vest of many colours and had it carried to their father, and said, This have we found: discern now whether it is thy son's vest or not. And he discerned it, and said, It is my son's vest! an evil beast has devoured him: Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces! And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth on his loins, and mourned for his son many days.
Then they rent their clothes, and loaded every man his ass, and they returned to the city.
If thou at all take thy neighbour's garment in pledge, thou shalt return it to him before the sun goes down; for that is his only covering, his garment for his skin: on what shall he lie down? And it shall come to pass, when he crieth unto me, that I will hear; for I am gracious.
in any case thou shalt return him the pledge at the going down of the sun, that he may sleep in his own upper garment and bless thee; and it shall be righteousness unto thee before Jehovah thy God.
And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of Jehovah until the evening, he and the elders of Israel, and threw dust upon their heads.
And he said, Bring the cloak that thou hast upon thee, and hold it. And she held it, and he measured six measures of barley, and laid it on her; and he went into the city.
And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his dress, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.
And David's men said to him, Behold the day of which Jehovah said to thee, Behold, I will give thine enemy into thy hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good to thee. And David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul's robe secretly.
And see, my father, yes, see the skirt of thy robe in my hand. For in that I cut off the skirt of thy robe, and killed thee not, know and see that there is neither evil nor transgression in my hand, and I have not sinned against thee; yet thou liest in wait for my life to take it.
Now she had a vest of many colours upon her; for so were the king's daughters that were virgins apparelled. And his attendant brought her out, and bolted the door after her.
And when I heard this thing, I rent my mantle and my garment, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down overwhelmed.
And at the evening oblation I arose up from my humiliation; and with my mantle and my garment rent, I fell on my knees, and spread out my hands to Jehovah my God,
And Job rose up, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down on the ground, and worshipped;
the festival-robes, and the tunics, and the mantles, and the wallets;
the festival-robes, and the tunics, and the mantles, and the wallets;
And it shall come to pass, instead of perfume there shall be rottenness; and instead of a girdle, a rope; and instead of well-set hair, baldness; and instead of a robe of display, a girding of sackcloth; brand instead of beauty.
and to him that would go to law with thee and take thy body coat, leave him thy cloak also.
nor scrip for the way, nor two body coats, nor sandals, nor a staff: for the workman is worthy of his nourishment.
and besought him that they might only touch the hem of his garment; and as many as touched were made thoroughly well.
And all their works they do to be seen of men: for they make broad their phylacteries and enlarge the borders of their garments,
And having crucified him, they parted his clothes amongst themselves, casting lots.
To him that smites thee on the cheek, offer also the other; and from him that would take away thy garment, forbid not thy body-coat also.
And the soldiers having plaited a crown of thorns put it on his head, and put a purple robe on him,
(Jesus therefore went forth without, wearing the crown of thorn, and the purple robe.) And he says to them, Behold the man!
The soldiers therefore, when they had crucified Jesus, took his clothes, and made four parts, to each soldier a part, and the body-coat; but the body-coat was seamless, woven through the whole from the top.
The soldiers therefore, when they had crucified Jesus, took his clothes, and made four parts, to each soldier a part, and the body-coat; but the body-coat was seamless, woven through the whole from the top. They said therefore to one another, Let us not rend it, but let us cast lots for it, whose it shall be; that the scripture might be fulfilled which says, They parted my garments among themselves, and on my vesture they cast lots. The soldiers therefore did these things.
And Peter rising up went with them, whom, when arrived, they brought up into the upper chamber; and all the widows stood by him weeping and shewing him the body-coats and garments which Dorcas had made while she was with them.