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
Arise, go through the length of the land and through its breadth, for I will give it to you."
{that neither a thread nor} a thong of a sandal would I take from all that [belongs] to you, that you might not say, 'I made Abram rich.'
And he said, "You must not come near to here. Take off your sandals from on your feet, because the place on which you [are] standing, it [is] holy ground."
And this is how you will eat it--[with] your waists fastened, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand, and you will eat it in haste. It [is] Yahweh's Passover.
[then] his sister-in-law shall go near him before the eyes of the elders, and she shall pull off his sandal from his foot, and she shall spit in his face, and she shall {declare} and she shall say, 'This is how it is done to the man who does not build the house of his brother.'
The commander of Yahweh's army said to Joshua, "Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you [are] standing [is] holy." And Joshua did so.
The sandals on their feet [were] patched and old, their clothes [were] old, and their food was dry and crumbled.
These [are] the wineskins that we filled new, but look, they have burst; and these [are] our clothes and sandals that have worn out from the very long journey."
And when they brought these kings to Joshua, Joshua called all the men of Israel and said to the commanders of {the fighting men} who had gone with him, "Come near, put your feet on the necks of these kings." So they came near and put their feet on their necks.
(Now this {was the custom in former times} in Israel concerning the kinsman-redemption and transfer of property: to confirm the matter, a man removed his sandal and gave [it] to his fellow countryman. This [was] the manner of attesting in Israel.) So the redeemer said to Boaz, "Acquire [it] for yourself," and he removed his sandal.
Now David [was] going up on the Ascent of the Olives, {weeping as he went}, with his head covered and going barefoot. All the people who [were] with him each covered their head {and wept as they went}.
[The] longing of [the] afflicted you have heard, O Yahweh. You will make their heart secure. You will {listen attentively}
Moab [is] my washing pot; over Edom, I will cast my sandal. On account of me, O Philistia, raise a shout."
Moab [is] my washing pot; over Edom, I will cast my sandal. On account of me, O Philistia, raise a shout."
Through God we will do {valiantly}, and [it is] he [who] will tread down our enemies.
How beautiful are your feet in sandals, O royal princess! The curves of your {thighs} [are] like {jewels}, the work of the hands of a craftsman.
None [is] weary, and none among him stumbles; none slumbers and none sleeps. And no loincloth on his waist is opened, and no thong of his sandals is drawn away.
at that time, Yahweh had spoken by the hand of Isaiah son of Amoz, saying, "Go and loosen the sackcloth from your loins, and take off your sandals from your feet," and he had done so, walking naked and barefoot.
so shall the king of Assyria lead the captives of Egypt and the exiles of Cush, young and old, naked and barefoot, {with bared buttocks}, the shame of Egypt.
You will protect a firm inclination [in] peace, [in] peace because he trusts in you.
And I clothed you [with] beautiful finished cloth, and I put sandals [on] you [of] fine leather, and I bound you in fine linen, and I covered you [with] costly fabric.
Sigh in silence [for the] dead; you shall not make a mourning ceremony. Bind your turban on you, and you must put your sandals on your feet. You must not cover your [upper] lip, and the bread of {mourners} you shall not eat."
Thus says Yahweh: "For three transgressions of Israel and for four I will not revoke [the punishment], because they sell the righteous for money and the poor for a pair of sandals!
{That we can} buy [the] powerless with silver and [the] poor for the sake of a pair of sandals, and we can sell the waste of the grain?"
I baptize you with water for repentance, but the one who comes after me is more powerful than I [am], whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
Do not [take] a traveler's bag for the road, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff, for the worker [is] deserving of his provisions.
but to put on sandals and not to wear two tunics.
but to put on sandals and not to wear two tunics.
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to direct our feet into the way of peace."
and standing behind [him] at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with [her] tears and was wiping [them] with the hair of her head and was kissing his feet and anointing [them] with the perfumed oil.
Do not carry a money bag or a traveler's bag or sandals, and greet no one along the road.
Then he poured water into the washbasin and began to wash the feet of the disciples, and to wipe [them] dry with the towel {which he had tied around himself}. Then he came to Simon Peter. He said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?"
And the angel said to him, "Gird yourself and put on your sandals!" And he did so. And he said to him, "Wrap your cloak around you and follow me!"
But while John was completing [his] mission, he said, 'What do you suppose me to be? I am not [he]! But behold, one is coming after me of whom I am not worthy to untie the sandals of [his] feet!'
And how will they preach, unless they are sent? Just as it is written, "How timely [are] the feet of those who bring good news of good things."
and binding [shoes] under your feet with the preparation of the good news of peace,
And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your 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 neither a thread nor} a thong of a sandal would I take from all that [belongs] to you, that you might not say, 'I made Abram rich.'
{that neither a thread nor} a thong of a sandal would I take from all that [belongs] to you, that you might not say, 'I made Abram rich.'
And he said, "You must not come near to here. Take off your sandals from on your feet, because the place on which you [are] standing, it [is] holy ground."
The commander of Yahweh's army said to Joshua, "Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you [are] standing [is] holy." And Joshua did so.
Now David [was] going up on the Ascent of the Olives, {weeping as he went}, with his head covered and going barefoot. All the people who [were] with him each covered their head {and wept as they went}.
None [is] weary, and none among him stumbles; none slumbers and none sleeps. And no loincloth on his waist is opened, and no thong of his sandals is drawn away.
I baptize you with water for repentance, but the one who comes after me is more powerful than I [am], whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
And he was preaching, saying, "One [who is] more powerful than I is coming after me, of whom I am not worthy to bend down [and] untie the strap of his sandals.
and standing behind [him] at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with [her] tears and was wiping [them] with the hair of her head and was kissing his feet and anointing [them] with the perfumed oil.
Then he poured water into the washbasin and began to wash the feet of the disciples, and to wipe [them] dry with the towel {which he had tied around himself}. Then he came to Simon Peter. He said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?"