Reference: Sandal
Fausets
na'al. A sole attached to the foot by thongs, Greek hupodema (Mr 6:9; Ac 12:8). Often ornamentally inlaid with gold, silver, jewels, and silk (Song 7:1). The materials were leather, felt, cloth, or wood, occasionally shod with iron. A shoe was delivered in token of transferring property: "over Edom will I cast My shoe." i.e. I will take possession of it, treading on its pride as it had trodden Israel as an invader (Ps 60:8,12; 2Sa 8:14; Jos 10:24). The custom, which existed among the Indians and the ancient Germans, arose from the taking possession of property by treading the soil (Ge 13:17), hence handing the shoe symbolized renunciation and transfer of ownership (De 25:9; Ru 4:7-8). When a Bedouin husband divorces a runaway wife, he says, "She was my slipper, I have cast her off." (Burckhardt). In Mt 3:11; Ac 13:25, the image is, one about to wash his feet getting the slave to untie his shoe or else sandal. Hengstenberg so explains Ps 60:8, "Moab is My washing tub; to Edom will I cast My shoe," namely, to "bear" as My slave.
The latchet was the strap across the instep, securing it on the foot, of small value (Ge 14:23; Am 2:6; 8:6). "Buy the needy for a pair of shoes," i.e. by oppression compel them to sell themselves to us as bondmen, in order that our great women may have elaborately ornamented sandals. Sandals were laid aside indoors, and only put on in a journey or military expedition (Jos 9:5,13; Isa 5:27; Eph 6:15). "Your feet shod with the preparation (Ps 10:17) of the gospel of peace," i.e. preparedness for the good warfare, produced by the gospel, which brings peace within though there is conflict outside with Satan and the world (Lu 1:79; Ro 10:15; Isa 26:3; Php 4:7). The shoes and sandals were taken off during meals (Lu 7:38; Joh 13:5-6); but the Jews wore sandals on their feet at the Passover, as ready for the journey (Ex 12:11).
They put off sandals in reverence at a sacred place (Ex 3:5; Jos 5:15). So the priests in the temple officiated barefoot; so the Mahometans of Palestine before entering a mosque or the Kaaba at Mecca, and the Mesopotamian Yezidis before entering the tomb of a patron saint, and the Samaritans before treading Mount Gerizim. A sign of mourning (2Sa 15:30; Eze 24:17); humiliation (Isa 20:2,4; Eze 16:10), "I shod thee with badgers' skins" or seal skins, and skins of other marine animals of the Red Sea; the material of the Hebrew shoes and of the tabernacle covering. (See BADGER.) Mt 10:10, "provide not shoes," but Mr 6:9, "be shod with sandals"; Lu 10:4 harmonizes them, "carry not shoes," i.e., do not, as most travelers, carry an extra pair in case the pair in use became worn out.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
Come, go through all the land from one end to the other for I will give it to you.
That I will not take so much as a thread or the cord of a shoe of yours; so that you may not say, I have given wealth to Abram:
And he said, Do not come near: take off your shoes from your feet, for the place where you are is holy.
And take your meal dressed as if for a journey, with your shoes on your feet and your sticks in your hands: take it quickly: it is the Lord's Passover.
Then his brother's wife is to come to him, before the responsible men of the town, and take his shoe off his foot, and put shame on him, and say, So let it be done to the man who will not take care of his brother's name.
And the captain of the Lord's army said to Joshua, Take off your shoes from your feet, for the place where you are is holy. And Joshua did so.
And put old stitched-up shoes on their feet, and old clothing on their backs; and all the food they had with them was dry and broken up.
And these wine-skins were new when we put the wine in them, and now they are cracked as you see; and our clothing and our shoes have become old because of our very long journey here.
And when they had made those kings come out to Joshua, Joshua sent for all the men of Israel, and said to the chiefs of the men of war who had gone with him, Come near and put your feet on the necks of these kings. So they came near and put their feet on their necks.
Now, in earlier times this was the way in Israel when property was taken over by a near relation, or when there was a change of owner. To make the exchange certain one man took off his shoe and gave it to the other; and this was a witness in Israel. So the near relation said to Boaz, Take it for yourself. And he took off his shoe.
And David went up the slopes of the Mount of Olives weeping all the way, with his head covered and no shoes on his feet: and all the people who were with him, covering their heads, went up weeping.
Lord, you have given ear to the prayer of the poor: you will make strong their hearts, you will give them a hearing:
Who will take me into the strong town? who will be my guide into Edom?
Who will take me into the strong town? who will be my guide into Edom?
How beautiful are your feet in their shoes, O king's daughter! The curves of your legs are like jewels, the work of the hands of a good workman:
There is no weariness among them, and no man is feeble-footed: they come without resting or sleeping, and the cord of their shoes is not broken.
At that time the word of the Lord came to Isaiah, the son of Amoz, saying, Go, and take off your robe, and your shoes from your feet; and he did so, walking unclothed and without shoes on his feet.
So will the king of Assyria take away the prisoners of Egypt and those forced out of Ethiopia, young and old, unclothed and without shoes, and with backs uncovered, to the shame of Egypt.
The man whose heart is unmoved you will keep in peace, because his hope is in you.
And I had you clothed with needlework, and put leather shoes on your feet, folding fair linen about you and covering you with silk.
Let there be no sound of sorrow; make no weeping for your dead, put on your head-dress and your shoes on your feet, let not your lips be covered, and do not take the food of those in grief.
These are the words of the Lord: For three crimes of Israel, and for four, I will not let its fate be changed; because they have given the upright man for silver, and the poor for the price of two shoes;
Getting the poor for silver, and him who is in need for the price of two shoes, and taking a price for the waste parts of the grain.
Truly, I give baptism with water to those of you whose hearts are changed; but he who comes after me is greater than I, whose shoes I am not good enough to take up: he will give you baptism with the Holy Spirit and with fire:
Take no bag for your journey and do not take two coats or shoes or a stick: for the workman has a right to his food.
They were to go with common shoes on their feet, and not to take two coats.
They were to go with common shoes on their feet, and not to take two coats.
To give light to those in dark places, and in the shade of death, so that our feet may be guided into the way of peace.
And went in and took her place at the back of him, near his feet, weeping, so that his feet were washed with the drops from her eyes, and with her hair she made them dry, and kissing his feet she put the perfume on them.
Take no bag for money or for food, and no shoes; say no word to any man on the way.
Then he put water into a basin and was washing the feet of the disciples and drying them with the cloth which was round him. So he came to Simon Peter. Peter said, Lord, are my feet to be washed by you?
Then the angel said, Put on your shoes and get ready to go. And he did so. And he said, Put your coat round you and come with me.
And when John was completing his work, he said, What do I seem to you to be? I am not he; but one is coming after me, whose shoes I am not good enough to undo.
And how will there be preachers if they are not sent? As it is said, How beautiful are the feet of those who give the glad news of good things.
Be ready with the good news of peace as shoes on your feet;
And the peace of God, which is deeper than all knowledge, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Hastings
Smith
was the article ordinarily used by the Hebrews for protecting the feet. It consisted simply of a sole attached to the foot by thongs. We have express notice of the thong (Authorized Version "shoe latchet") in several passages, notably
Sandals were worn by all classes of society in Palestine, even by the very poor; and both the sandal and the thong or shoe-latchet were so cheap and common that they passed into a proverb for the most insignificant thing.
Ecclus. 46;13, They were dispensed with in-doors, and were only put on by persons about to undertake some business away from their homes. During mealtimes the feet were uncovered.
Lu 7:38; Joh 13:5-6
It was a mark of reverence to cast off the shoes in approaching a place or person of eminent sanctity.
It was also an indication of violent emotion, or of mourning, if a person appeared barefoot in public.
To carry or to unloose a person's sandal was a menial office, betokening great inferiority on the part of the person performing it.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
That I will not take so much as a thread or the cord of a shoe of yours; so that you may not say, I have given wealth to Abram:
That I will not take so much as a thread or the cord of a shoe of yours; so that you may not say, I have given wealth to Abram:
And he said, Do not come near: take off your shoes from your feet, for the place where you are is holy.
And the captain of the Lord's army said to Joshua, Take off your shoes from your feet, for the place where you are is holy. And Joshua did so.
And David went up the slopes of the Mount of Olives weeping all the way, with his head covered and no shoes on his feet: and all the people who were with him, covering their heads, went up weeping.
There is no weariness among them, and no man is feeble-footed: they come without resting or sleeping, and the cord of their shoes is not broken.
Truly, I give baptism with water to those of you whose hearts are changed; but he who comes after me is greater than I, whose shoes I am not good enough to take up: he will give you baptism with the Holy Spirit and with fire:
And he said to them all, There is one coming after me who is greater than I, whose shoes I am not good enough to undo.
And went in and took her place at the back of him, near his feet, weeping, so that his feet were washed with the drops from her eyes, and with her hair she made them dry, and kissing his feet she put the perfume on them.
Then he put water into a basin and was washing the feet of the disciples and drying them with the cloth which was round him. So he came to Simon Peter. Peter said, Lord, are my feet to be washed by you?