Sandal
Jump to: Smith'sISBEWebster'sConcordanceThesaurusGreekHebrewLibrarySubtopicsTerms
Topical Encyclopedia
Definition and Description:
A sandal is a type of footwear that consists of a sole fastened to the foot by straps or thongs. In biblical times, sandals were the most common form of footwear in the ancient Near East, including Israel. They were typically made from leather or other durable materials and were designed to protect the feet from the rough terrain and hot climate.

Biblical References:
Sandals are mentioned numerous times throughout the Bible, often symbolizing various cultural and religious practices. In the Old Testament, sandals are frequently associated with daily life and travel. For instance, in Exodus 3:5, God instructs Moses to remove his sandals at the burning bush: "Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." This act of removing sandals signifies reverence and respect in the presence of the divine.

In the New Testament, sandals continue to hold practical and symbolic significance. In Mark 6:9, Jesus instructs His disciples to wear sandals during their missionary journeys: "Wear sandals, but not a second tunic." This directive emphasizes simplicity and readiness for service.

Cultural and Religious Significance:
Sandals in biblical times were more than just practical footwear; they held cultural and religious importance. The act of removing sandals was a sign of humility and respect, as seen in the encounter between Moses and God. Additionally, the exchange or removal of sandals could signify the transfer of property or the sealing of a covenant, as illustrated in Ruth 4:7: "Now in earlier times in Israel, for the redemption and transfer of property to become final, one party took off his sandal and gave it to the other. This was the method of legalizing transactions in Israel."

Symbolism:
Sandals can symbolize various spiritual truths in the Bible. They represent the readiness to follow God's call, as seen in the instructions given to the Israelites during the Passover in Exodus 12:11: "This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the LORD’s Passover." Here, sandals signify preparedness for the journey of faith and obedience to God's commands.

Conclusion:
While sandals are a simple and practical item, their presence in the Bible carries deep cultural, religious, and symbolic meanings. They remind believers of the importance of humility, readiness, and the sacredness of God's presence.
Smith's Bible Dictionary
Sandal

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 (Genesis 14:23; Isaiah 5:27; Mark 1:7) 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. (Genesis 14:23) 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. (Luke 7:38; John 13:5,6) It was a mark of reverence to cast off the shoes in approaching a place or person of eminent sanctity. (Exodus 3:5; Joshua 5:15) It was also an indication of violent emotion, or of mourning, if a person appeared barefoot in public. (2 Samuel 15:30) To carry or to unloose a person's sandal was a menial office, betokening great inferiority on the part of the person performing it. (Matthew 3:11)

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (n.) Same as Sendal.

2. (n.) Sandalwood.

3. (n.) A kind of shoe consisting of a sole strapped to the foot; a protection for the foot, covering its lower surface, but not its upper.

4. (n.) A kind of slipper.

5. (n.) An overshoe with parallel openings across the instep.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
SANDAL

san'-dal.

See DRESS sec. 6; SHOE; SHOE-LATCHET.

Greek
4547. sandalion -- a sandal
... a sandal. Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter Transliteration: sandalion Phonetic Spelling:
(san-dal'-ee-on) Short Definition: a sandal Definition: a sandal. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4547.htm - 6k

5266. hupodema -- a sole bound under (the foot), a sandal
... a sole bound under (the foot), a sandal. Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter Transliteration:
hupodema Phonetic Spelling: (hoop-od'-ay-mah) Short Definition: a sandal ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5266.htm - 6k

2438. himas -- a thong, strap
... Spelling: (hee-mas') Short Definition: a thong, strap Definition: a thong, strap,
(a) for binding a man who is to be flogged, (b) for fastening a sandal or shoe ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2438.htm - 6k

Strong's Hebrew
5275. naal -- a sandal, shoe
naal or naalah. 5274b, 5275. naal or naalah. 5276 . a sandal, shoe.
Transliteration: naal or naalah Phonetic Spelling: (nah'-al) Short Definition: sandals. ...
/hebrew/5275.htm - 6k

5430. seon -- sandal, boot (of a soldier)
... 5429, 5430. seon. 5431 . sandal, boot (of a soldier). Transliteration:
seon Phonetic Spelling: (seh-own') Short Definition: boot. ...
/hebrew/5430.htm - 6k

8288. serok -- (sandal) thong
... 8287, 8288. serok. 8289 . (sandal) thong. Transliteration: serok Phonetic
Spelling: (ser-oke') Short Definition: strap. Word Origin ...
/hebrew/8288.htm - 6k

5274. na'al -- to bar, bolt, lock
... A primitive root; properly, to fasten up, ie With a bar or cord; hence (denominative
from na'al), to sandal, ie Furnish with slippers -- bolt, inclose, lock ...
/hebrew/5274.htm - 5k

Library

The Testament of Zebulun Concerning Compassion and Mercy.
... Therefore is it written in the writing of the law of Enoch, that whosoever will
not raise up seed to his brother, his sandal shall be unloosed, and they shall ...
/.../vi the testament of zebulun concerning.htm

Observations on the Words of John the Baptist John I. ...
... Now these words are so fully intended of the Incarnation, that Scripture hath given
us, in an earlier book, a human counterpart of the mystic sandal. ...
/.../ambrose/works and letters of st ambrose/chapter x observations on the.htm

The Tomb of the Pharaoh
... Even the soft whetting of his sandal, as he walked, made echoes that shouted at
him. ... Kenkenes' sandal grated on the sandy dust that lay thick on the floor. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/miller/the yoke/chapter xxiii the tomb of.htm

Matt. xiv. 13
... pray thee? For this same cause the sandal-makers too, and the weavers, should
have great retrenchments made in their art. For most ...
/.../chrysostom/homilies on the gospel of saint matthew/homily xlix matt xiv 13.htm

Missed Ends
... His was the spirit of fragrance like the scented sandal-wood; his was the
arm of strength like the lock that barred the door. Gone ...
/.../wilson-carmichael/things as they are/chapter vi missed ends.htm

Solomon
... outward pomp and show"would talk and dream of the lost glories of Solomon's court;
of his gilded and jewelled temple, with its pillars of sandal-wood from ...
/.../kingsley/the water of life and other sermons/sermon xi solomon.htm

Imperial Caesar
... Time and again the sweet invitation of the rare grass along the marsh invited the
way-weary to halt to tie a sandal, to bind up a wound, to eat a crust spread ...
/.../miller/the city of delight/chapter vii imperial caesar.htm

A Mystery! Saints Sorrowing and Jesus Glad!
... "Man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward;" if the fuel be a log of
sweet-smelling sandal wood, yet the sparks must rise, and even so the best of ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 10 1864/a mystery saints sorrowing and.htm

The Image of Jealousy
... in her exedra, her slim white arms crossed back of her head, her tiring-woman, summoned
for a casual attention, busy with a parted ribbon on the sandal of the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/miller/the city of delight/chapter xv the image of.htm

The Foot-Washing.
... shoes were not universally worn, and were not worn at all within doors; and where
some protection to the foot was worn, it was commonly a mere sandal, a sole ...
/.../dods/the expositors bible the gospel of st john vol ii/vi the foot-washing.htm

Thesaurus
Sandal (14 Occurrences)
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. SANDAL. san'-dal. See DRESS sec. 6; SHOE;
SHOE-LATCHET. Multi-Version Concordance Sandal (14 Occurrences). ...
/s/sandal.htm - 11k

Sandal-strap (3 Occurrences)
Sandal-strap. Sandals, Sandal-strap. Sandal-thong . Multi-Version
Concordance Sandal-strap (3 Occurrences). Mark 1:7 ...
/s/sandal-strap.htm - 7k

Sandal-thong (2 Occurrences)
Sandal-thong. Sandal-strap, Sandal-thong. Sandal-wood . Multi-Version
Concordance Sandal-thong (2 Occurrences). Genesis 14:23 if ...
/s/sandal-thong.htm - 7k

Sandal-wood (5 Occurrences)
Sandal-wood. Sandal-thong, Sandal-wood. Sandbar . Multi-Version
Concordance Sandal-wood (5 Occurrences). 1 Kings 10:11 ...
/s/sandal-wood.htm - 8k

Unfasten (4 Occurrences)
... Mark 1:7 His announcement was, "There is One coming after me mightier than I--One
whose sandal-strap I am unworthy to stoop down and unfasten. (WEY). ...
/u/unfasten.htm - 7k

Shoe (13 Occurrences)
... Of various forms, from the mere sandal (qv) to the complete covering of the foot. ...
But in Matthew 3:11 and parallel's, only the sandal can be meant. ...
/s/shoe.htm - 18k

Sandals (30 Occurrences)
... Mentioned only in Mark 6:9 and Acts 12:8. The sandal was simply a sole, made
of wood or palm-bark, fastened to the foot by leathern straps. ...
/s/sandals.htm - 16k

Lutes (16 Occurrences)
... (DBY). 1 Kings 10:12 And the king made of the sandal-wood a balustrade for the house
of Jehovah, and for the king's house, and harps and lutes for the singers. ...
/l/lutes.htm - 11k

Musicians (6 Occurrences)
... 1 Kings 10:12 And from the sandal-wood the king made pillars for the house of the
Lord, and for the king's house, and instruments of music for the makers of ...
/m/musicians.htm - 8k

Makers (20 Occurrences)
... 1 Kings 10:12 And from the sandal-wood the king made pillars for the house of the
Lord, and for the king's house, and instruments of music for the makers of ...
/m/makers.htm - 13k

Resources
Did John the Baptist lose his faith in Jesus as the Messiah (Matthew 11:3; Luke 7:19)? | GotQuestions.org

What is the meaning of the ankh symbol? | GotQuestions.org

Sandal: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible ConcordanceBible DictionaryBible EncyclopediaTopical BibleBible Thesuarus
Concordance
Sandal (14 Occurrences)

John 1:27
He is the one who comes after me, who is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I'm not worthy to loosen."
(WEB WEY DBY YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Acts 7:33
The Lord said to him,'Take your sandals off of your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.
(Root in WEB DBY YLT NAS NIV)

Acts 13:25
As John was fulfilling his course, he said,'What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. But behold, one comes after me the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.'
(Root in WEB WEY DBY YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Genesis 14:23
that I will not take a thread nor a sandal strap nor anything that is yours, lest you should say,'I have made Abram rich.'
(WEB DBY NAS RSV NIV)

Deuteronomy 25:9
then shall his brother's wife come near to him before the eyes of the elders, and draw his sandal from his foot, and spit in his face, and shall answer and say, So shall it be done unto the man that will not build up his brother's house.
(DBY NAS RSV NIV)

Deuteronomy 25:10
His name shall be called in Israel, The house of him who has his shoe untied.
(See NAS RSV NIV)

Deuteronomy 29:5
And I have led you forty years in the wilderness; your clothes are not grown old upon you, and thy sandal is not grown old upon thy foot;
(DBY NAS RSV NIV)

Joshua 5:15
And the captain of Jehovah's army said to Joshua, Loose thy sandal from off thy foot: for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.
(DBY NAS NIV)

Ruth 4:7
Now this was the custom in former time in Israel concerning redemption and concerning exchange, to confirm the whole matter: a man drew off his sandal, and gave it to his neighbour, and this was the mode of attestation in Israel.
(DBY YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Ruth 4:8
And he that had the right of redemption said to Boaz, Buy for thyself; and he drew off his sandal.
(DBY YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Psalms 60:8
Moab is my wash-pot; upon Edom will I cast my sandal; Philistia, shout aloud because of me.
(DBY NIV)

Psalms 108:9
Moab is my wash pot. I will toss my sandal on Edom. I will shout over Philistia."
(WEB DBY NIV)

Isaiah 5:27
None among them is weary, none stumbleth; they slumber not, nor sleep; none hath the girdle of his loins loosed, nor the thong of his sandals broken;
(Root in DBY YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Isaiah 20:2
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.
(DBY YLT NIV)

Subtopics

Sandal

Related Terms

Sandal (14 Occurrences)

Sandals (30 Occurrences)

Sand of the Seashore
Top of Page
Top of Page