Bible Dictionaries
Garment

From Easton: Dress, (1.) Materials used. The earliest and simplest an apron of fig-leaves sewed together (Genesis 3:7); then skins of animals (3:21). Elijah's dress was probably the skin of a sheep (2 Kings 1:8). The Hebrews were early acquainted with the art of weaving hair into cloth (Exodus 26:7; Exodus 35:6), which formed the sackcloth of mourners. This was the material of John the Baptist's robe (Matthew 3:4). Wool was also woven into garments (Leviticus 13:47; Deuteronomy 22:11; Ezekiel 34:3; Job 31:20; Proverbs 27:26). The Israelites probably learned the art of weaving linen when they were in Egypt (1 Chronicles 4:21). Fine linen was used in the vestments of the high priest (Exodus 28:5), as well as by the rich (Genesis 41:42; Proverbs 31:22; Luke 16:19). The use of mixed material, as wool and flax, was forbidden (Leviticus 19:19; Deuteronomy 22:11).

(2.) Colour. The prevailing colour was the natural white of the material used, which was sometimes rendered purer by the fuller's art (Psalms 104:1, Psalms 104:2; Isaiah 63:3; Mark 9:3). The Hebrews were acquainted with the art of dyeing (Genesis 37:3, Genesis 37:23). Various modes of ornamentation were adopted in the process of weaving (Exodus 28:6; Exodus 26:1, Exodus 26:31; Exodus 35:25), and by needle-work (Judges 5:30; Psalms 45:13). Dyed robes were imported from foreign countries, particularly from Phoenicia (Zephaniah 1:8). Purple and scarlet robes were the marks of the wealthy (Luke 16:19; 2 Samuel 1:24).

(3.) Form. The robes of men and women were not very much different in form from each other.

(a) The "coat" (kethoneth), of wool, cotton, or linen, was worn by both sexes. It was a closely-fitting garment, resembling in use and form our shirt (John 19:23). It was kept close to the body by a girdle (John 21:7). A person wearing this "coat" alone was described as naked (1 Samuel 19:24; Isaiah 20:2; 2 Kings 6:30; John 21:7); deprived of it he would be absolutely naked.

(b) A linen cloth or wrapper (sadin) of fine linen, used somewhat as a night-shirt (Mark 14:51). It is mentioned in Judges 14:12, Judges 14:13, and rendered there "sheets."

(c) An upper tunic (meil), longer than the "coat" (1 Samuel 2:19; 1 Samuel 24:4; 1 Samuel 28:14). In 1 Samuel 28:14 it is the mantle in which Samuel was enveloped; in 1 Samuel 24:4 it is the "robe" under which Saul slept. The disciples were forbidden to wear two "coats" (Matthew 10:10; Luke 9:3).

(d) The usual outer garment consisted of a piece of woollen cloth like a Scotch plaid, either wrapped round the body or thrown over the shoulders like a shawl, with the ends hanging down in front, or it might be thrown over the head so as to conceal the face (2 Samuel 15:30; Esther 6:12). It was confined to the waist by a girdle, and the fold formed by the overlapping of the robe served as a pocket (2 Kings 4:39; Psalms 79:12; Haggai 2:12; Proverbs 17:23; Proverbs 21:14).

Female dress. The "coat" was common to both sexes (Song of Solomon 5:3). But peculiar to females were (1) the "veil" or "wimple," a kind of shawl (Ruth 3:15; rendered "mantle," R.V., Isaiah 3:22); (2) the "mantle," also a species of shawl (Isaiah 3:22); (3) a "veil," probably a light summer dress (Genesis 24:65); (4) a "stomacher," a holiday dress (Isaiah 3:24). The outer garment terminated in an ample fringe or border, which concealed the feet (Isaiah 47:2; Jeremiah 13:22).

The dress of the Persians is described in Daniel 3:21.

The reference to the art of sewing are few, inasmuch as the garments generally came forth from the loom ready for being worn, and all that was required in the making of clothes devolved on the women of a family (Proverbs 31:22; Acts 9:39).

Extravagance in dress is referred to in Jeremiah 4:30; Ezekiel 16:10; Zephaniah 1:8 (R.V., "foreign apparel"); 1 Timothy 2:9; 1 Peter 3:3. Rending the robes was expressive of grief (Genesis 37:29, Genesis 37:34), fear (1 Kings 21:27), indignation (2 Kings 5:7), or despair (Judges 11:35; Esther 4:1).

Shaking the garments, or shaking the dust from off them, was a sign of renunciation (Acts 18:6); wrapping them round the head, of awe (1 Kings 19:13) or grief (2 Samuel 15:30; casting them off, of excitement (Acts 22:23); laying hold of them, of supplication (1 Samuel 15:271 Kings 18:461 Kings 18:46). They were thrown aside also when they would impede action (Mark 10:50;John 13:4;Acts 7:58).

Verses:

• Genesis 3:21
• Genesis 9:23
• Genesis 24:53
• Genesis 27:15
• Genesis 27:27
• Genesis 28:20
• Genesis 35:2
• Genesis 37:3
• Genesis 37:23
• Genesis 37:29
• Genesis 37:31
• Genesis 37:32
• Genesis 37:33
• Genesis 37:34
• Genesis 38:14
• Genesis 38:19
• Genesis 41:14
• Genesis 41:42
• Genesis 44:13
• Genesis 45:22
• Genesis 49:11
• Exodus 3:22
• Exodus 12:34
• Exodus 12:35
• Exodus 19:10
• Exodus 19:14
• Exodus 21:10
• Exodus 22:9
• Exodus 28:2
• Exodus 28:3
• Exodus 28:4
• Exodus 28:31
• Exodus 28:32
• Exodus 28:34
• Exodus 28:35
• Exodus 28:41
• Exodus 28:42
• Exodus 29:5
• Exodus 29:8
• Exodus 29:21
• Exodus 29:29
• Exodus 31:10
• Exodus 35:19
• Exodus 35:21
• Exodus 39:1
• Exodus 39:22
• Exodus 39:23
• Exodus 39:24
• Exodus 39:26
• Exodus 39:28
• Exodus 39:41
• Exodus 40:13
• Exodus 40:14
• Leviticus 6:10
• Leviticus 6:11
• Leviticus 6:27
• Leviticus 8:2
• Leviticus 8:7
• Leviticus 8:30
• Leviticus 10:6
• Leviticus 11:25
• Leviticus 11:28
• Leviticus 11:32
• Leviticus 11:40
• Leviticus 13:6
• Leviticus 13:34
• Leviticus 13:45
• Leviticus 13:47
• Leviticus 14:8
• Leviticus 14:9
• Leviticus 14:47
• Leviticus 14:55
• Leviticus 15:5
• Leviticus 15:6
• Leviticus 15:7
• Leviticus 15:8
• Leviticus 15:10
• Leviticus 15:11
• Leviticus 15:13
• Leviticus 15:17
• Leviticus 15:21
• Leviticus 15:22
• Leviticus 15:27
• Leviticus 16:4
• Leviticus 16:23
• Leviticus 16:24
• Leviticus 16:26
• Leviticus 16:28
• Leviticus 16:32
• Leviticus 17:15
• Leviticus 17:16
• Leviticus 19:19
• Leviticus 21:10
• Numbers 8:7
• Numbers 8:21
• Numbers 14:6
• Numbers 15:38
• Numbers 19:7
• Numbers 19:8
• Numbers 19:10
• Numbers 19:19
• Numbers 19:21
• Numbers 20:26
• Numbers 20:28
• Numbers 31:20
• Numbers 31:24
• Deuteronomy 8:4
• Deuteronomy 10:18
• Deuteronomy 21:13
• Deuteronomy 22:5
• Deuteronomy 22:11
• Deuteronomy 29:5
• Joshua 7:6
• Joshua 9:5
• Joshua 9:13
• Joshua 22:8
• Judges 5:30
• Judges 8:25
• Judges 8:26
• Judges 11:35
• Judges 14:12
• Judges 14:13
• Judges 14:19
• Judges 17:10
• Ruth 3:3
• Ruth 3:9
• 1 Samuel 2:19
• 1 Samuel 4:12
• 1 Samuel 15:27
• 1 Samuel 17:38
• 1 Samuel 18:4
• 1 Samuel 19:13
• 1 Samuel 24:4
• 1 Samuel 24:5
• 1 Samuel 24:11
• 1 Samuel 27:9
• 1 Samuel 28:8
• 1 Samuel 28:14
• 2 Samuel 1:2
• 2 Samuel 1:11
• 2 Samuel 1:24
• 2 Samuel 3:31
• 2 Samuel 10:4
• 2 Samuel 12:16
• 2 Samuel 12:20
• 2 Samuel 13:18
• 2 Samuel 13:19
• 2 Samuel 13:31
• 2 Samuel 14:2
• 2 Samuel 15:32
• 2 Samuel 19:24
• 2 Samuel 20:12
• 2 Samuel 21:10
• 1 Kings 10:25
• 1 Kings 20:31
• 1 Kings 20:32
• 1 Kings 21:27
• 2 Kings 2:12
• 2 Kings 4:29
• 2 Kings 4:39
• 2 Kings 5:5
• 2 Kings 5:7
• 2 Kings 5:8
• 2 Kings 5:22
• 2 Kings 5:23
• 2 Kings 5:26
• 2 Kings 6:30
• 2 Kings 7:8
• 2 Kings 7:15
• 2 Kings 8:15
• 2 Kings 9:13
• 2 Kings 10:22
• 2 Kings 11:14
• 2 Kings 18:37
• 2 Kings 19:1
• 2 Kings 19:2
• 2 Kings 22:11
• 2 Kings 22:19
• 2 Kings 25:29
• 1 Chronicles 15:27
• 1 Chronicles 19:4
• 1 Chronicles 21:16
• 2 Chronicles 6:41
• 2 Chronicles 9:24
• 2 Chronicles 23:13
• 2 Chronicles 28:15
• 2 Chronicles 34:19
• 2 Chronicles 34:27
• Ezra 2:69
• Nehemiah 4:23
• Nehemiah 5:13
• Nehemiah 7:70
• Nehemiah 7:72
• Nehemiah 9:1
• Nehemiah 9:21
• Esther 4:1
• Esther 4:2
• Esther 4:3
• Esther 4:4
• Esther 6:8
• Esther 6:9
• Esther 6:10
• Esther 6:11
• Esther 8:15
• Job 1:20
• Job 2:12
• Job 7:5
• Job 8:22
• Job 9:31
• Job 10:11
• Job 13:28
• Job 16:15
• Job 22:6
• Job 24:7
• Job 24:10
• Job 29:14
• Job 30:18
• Job 31:19
• Job 37:17
• Job 38:9
• Job 38:14
• Job 40:10
• Psalms 22:18
• Psalms 30:11
• Psalms 35:13
• Psalms 35:26
• Psalms 45:8
• Psalms 45:14
• Psalms 65:13
• Psalms 69:11
• Psalms 73:6
• Psalms 76:10
• Psalms 93:1
• Psalms 102:26
• Psalms 104:1
• Psalms 104:2
• Psalms 104:6
• Psalms 109:19
• Psalms 109:29
• Psalms 132:9
• Psalms 132:16
• Psalms 132:18
• Proverbs 6:27
• Proverbs 20:16
• Proverbs 23:21
• Proverbs 25:20
• Proverbs 27:13
• Proverbs 27:26
• Proverbs 31:21
• Proverbs 31:22
• Proverbs 31:24
• Proverbs 31:25
• Ecclesiastes 9:8
• Song of Solomon 4:11
• Song of Solomon 5:3
• Isaiah 3:7
• Isaiah 3:23
• Isaiah 3:24
• Isaiah 4:1
• Isaiah 6:1
• Isaiah 9:5
• Isaiah 15:3
• Isaiah 19:10
• Isaiah 20:2
• Isaiah 22:12
• Isaiah 22:21
• Isaiah 23:18
• Isaiah 30:22
• Isaiah 32:11
• Isaiah 36:22
• Isaiah 37:1
• Isaiah 37:2
• Isaiah 50:3
• Isaiah 50:9
• Isaiah 51:6
• Isaiah 51:8
• Isaiah 52:1
• Isaiah 58:5
• Isaiah 58:7
• Isaiah 59:6
• Isaiah 59:17
• Isaiah 61:3
• Isaiah 61:10
• Isaiah 63:1
• Isaiah 63:2
• Isaiah 63:3
• Jeremiah 4:8
• Jeremiah 6:26
• Jeremiah 10:9
• Jeremiah 36:24
• Jeremiah 38:11
• Jeremiah 38:12
• Jeremiah 41:5
• Jeremiah 43:12
• Jeremiah 48:37
• Jeremiah 49:3
• Jeremiah 52:33
• Lamentations 2:10
• Lamentations 4:14
• Ezekiel 5:3
• Ezekiel 7:18
• Ezekiel 7:27
• Ezekiel 9:2
• Ezekiel 9:3
• Ezekiel 9:11
• Ezekiel 10:2
• Ezekiel 10:6
• Ezekiel 10:7
• Ezekiel 16:4
• Ezekiel 16:10
• Ezekiel 16:13
• Ezekiel 16:16
• Ezekiel 16:18
• Ezekiel 16:39
• Ezekiel 18:7
• Ezekiel 18:16
• Ezekiel 23:6
• Ezekiel 23:26
• Ezekiel 26:16
• Ezekiel 27:24
• Ezekiel 27:31
• Ezekiel 42:14
• Ezekiel 44:17
• Ezekiel 44:18
• Ezekiel 44:19
• Daniel 3:21
• Daniel 5:7
• Daniel 5:16
• Daniel 5:29
• Daniel 7:9
• Daniel 9:3
• Joel 1:8
• Joel 1:13
• Joel 2:13
• Amos 2:8
• Amos 8:10
• Jonah 3:5
• Jonah 3:6
• Jonah 3:8
• Haggai 1:6
• Haggai 2:12
• Micah 2:8
• Zechariah 3:3
• Zechariah 3:4
• Zechariah 3:5
• Zechariah 6:13
• Zechariah 8:23
• Malachi 2:16
• Matthew 3:4
• Matthew 6:25
• Matthew 6:28
• Matthew 6:30
• Matthew 7:15
• Matthew 9:16
• Matthew 11:8
• Matthew 11:21
• Matthew 17:2
• Matthew 22:11
• Matthew 22:12
• Matthew 25:36
• Matthew 25:38
• Matthew 25:43
• Matthew 26:65
• Matthew 27:28
• Matthew 27:31
• Matthew 27:35
• Matthew 28:3
• Mark 1:6
• Mark 2:21
• Mark 5:15
• Mark 5:28
• Mark 5:30
• Mark 9:3
• Mark 14:51
• Mark 14:52
• Mark 14:63
• Mark 15:17
• Mark 15:20
• Mark 15:24
• Mark 16:5
• Luke 5:36
• Luke 7:25
• Luke 8:27
• Luke 8:35
• Luke 9:29
• Luke 10:13
• Luke 12:23
• Luke 12:28
• Luke 15:22
• Luke 23:11
• Luke 23:34
• Luke 24:49
• John 11:44
• John 13:4
• John 13:12
• John 19:2
• John 19:5
• John 19:23
• John 19:24
• John 21:7
• Acts 7:58
• Acts 9:39
• Acts 10:30
• Acts 14:14
• Acts 16:14
• Acts 18:6
• Acts 20:33
• Acts 22:20
• Romans 13:14
• 1 Corinthians 4:11
• 1 Corinthians 15:53
• 1 Corinthians 15:54
• 2 Corinthians 5:2
• 2 Corinthians 5:3
• 2 Corinthians 5:4
• Galatians 3:27
• Colossians 3:12
• 1 Timothy 2:9
• 1 Timothy 6:8
• Hebrews 1:11
• Hebrews 1:12
• James 2:2
• James 2:3
• James 2:15
• James 5:2
• 1 Peter 3:3
• 1 Peter 5:5
• Jude 1:23
• Revelation 1:13
• Revelation 3:4
• Revelation 3:18
• Revelation 6:11
• Revelation 6:12
• Revelation 11:3
• Revelation 12:1
• Revelation 16:15
• Revelation 18:16
• Revelation 19:8
• Revelation 19:13
• Revelation 19:16