Numbers 15:38

Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue:

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Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
Speak	דַּבֵּ֞ר da.Ber	H1696	perhaps properly · verb, piel imperative, 2nd person masculine singular
children	בְּנֵ֤י be.Nei	H1121	a son (as a builder of the family name) · noun, common masculine plural construct
Israel	יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ Yis.ra.'El	H3478	Jisrael · proper noun, a place name
bid	וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ ve.'a.mar.Ta	H559	to say (used with great latitude) · conjunction + verb, qal sequential perfect, 2nd person masculine singular
make	וְעָשׂ֨וּ ve.'a.Su	H6213	to do or make · conjunction + verb, qal sequential perfect, 3rd person common plural
fringes	צִיצִ֛ת tzi.Tzit	H6734	a floral or wing-like projection · noun, common feminine singular absolute
borders	כַּנְפֵ֥י kan.Fei	H3671	an edge or extremity · noun, common feminine dual construct
garments	בִגְדֵיהֶ֖ם vig.dei.Hem	H899	a covering · noun, common masculine plural construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine plural
generations	לְדֹרֹתָ֑ם le.do.ro.Tam	H1755	properly · preposition + noun, common feminine plural construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine plural
put	וְנָֽתְנ֛וּ ve.Na.te.Nu	H5414	to give · conjunction + verb, qal sequential perfect, 3rd person common plural
fringe	צִיצִ֥ת tzi.Tzit	H6734	a floral or wing-like projection · noun, common feminine singular construct
borders	הַכָּנָ֖ף ha.ka.Naf	H3671	an edge or extremity · definite article + noun, common feminine singular absolute
ribband	פְּתִ֥יל pe.Til	H6616	twine · noun, common masculine singular construct
blue	תְּכֵֽלֶת te.Khe.let	H8504	the cerulean mussel · noun, common feminine singular absolute

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Deuteronomy 22:12 Thou shalt make thee fringes upon the four quarters of thy vesture, wherewith thou coverest thyself.
Matthew 23:5 But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,
Matthew 9:20 And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment:
Luke 8:44 Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched.

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Numbers 15:37–end

Provision had been just now made by the law for the pardon of sins of ignorance and infirmity; now here is an expedient provided for the preventing of such sins. They are ordered to make fringes upon the borders of their garments, which were to be memorandums to them of their duty, that they might not sin through forgetfulness. 1. The sign appointed is a fringe of silk, or thread, or worsted, or the garment itself ravelled at the bottom, and a blue riband bound on the top of it to keep it tight, Num 15:38. The Jews being a peculiar people, they were thus distinguished from their neighbours in their dress, as well as in their diet, and taught by such little instances of singularity not to be…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Numbers 15:38

bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments--These were narrow strips, in a wing-like form, wrapped over the shoulders and on various parts of the attire. "Fringe," however, is the English rendering of two distinct Hebrew words--the one meaning a narrow lappet or edging, called the "hem" or "border" (Mat 23:5; Luk 8:44), which, in order to make it more attractive to the eye and consequently more serviceable to the purpose described, was covered with a riband of blue or rather purple color; the other term signifies strings with tassels at the end, fastened to the corners of the garment. Both of these are seen on the Egyptian and Assyrian frocks; and as the Jewish peo…

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John Gill on Numbers 15:38

Speak unto the children of Israel,.... Whom it only concerned, and all of them, except women and children; for priests, Levites, Israelites, proselytes, and freed servants, were bound to wear the fringes, but not Gentiles; nor might the Gentiles make them, what were made by them were not to be used (z), since it follows: and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments, throughout their generations: the garments on which these fringes were put were such that were made either of linen or of woollen; no other were obliged to them by the law; but according to the Rabbins other garments were also, yet only square garments, which they call the Talith; and if that had not…

Dictionary and topics

Colour — The subject of colours holds an important place in the Scriptures. White occurs as the translation of various Hebrew words. It is applied to milk (Gen. 49:12), manna (Ex. 16:31), snow (Isa. 1:18),…
Dress — (1.) Materials used. The earliest and simplest an apron of fig-leaves sewed together (Gen. 3:7); then skins of animals (3:21). Elijah’s dress was probably the skin of a sheep (2 Kings 1:8). The…
Hem — Of a garment, the fringe of a garment. The Jews attached much importance to these, because of the regulations in Num. 15:38, 39. These borders or fringes were in process of time enlarged so as to…
Hem Of Garment — The importance which the later Jews, especially the Pharisees, (Matthew 23:5) attached to the hem or fringe of their garments was founded upon the regulation in (Numbers 15:38,39) which gave a…
Jesus Christ — “The life and character of Jesus Christ,” says Dr. Schaff, “is the holy of holies in the history of the world.”
Colors · B — B
Fringes · Prescribed for the vesture worn by the Israelites — Prescribed for the vesture worn by the Israelites
Garments · Were often fringed and bordered — Were often fringed and bordered
Hyke Or Upper Garment · Law respecting fringes of — Law respecting fringes of
Instruction · Fringes on the bor — Fringes on the bor
Obedience · ENJOINED — ENJOINED
Ribband · General scriptures concerning

Numbers 15:38

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Numbers 15:37–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Numbers 15:38

John Gill on Numbers 15:38

Dictionary and topics

Numbers 15:38

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Numbers 15:37–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Numbers 15:38

John Gill on Numbers 15:38

Dictionary and topics

John Calvin on Numbers 15:37–end

Keil & Delitzsch on Numbers 15:37-38

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Numbers 15:37-41

Rashi on Numbers 15:38