In biblical times, the hem of a garment held significant cultural and religious importance. The term "hem" refers to the edge or border of a piece of clothing, often elaborately decorated or fringed. In the context of the Bible, hems are mentioned in various passages, symbolizing authority, identity, and divine connection.

Old Testament Context

The concept of the hem is first introduced in the Old Testament, where it is often associated with the garments of priests and individuals of high status. In Numbers 15:38-39 , God commands the Israelites to make tassels on the corners of their garments, with a blue cord on each tassel, as a reminder of His commandments: "Speak to the Israelites and tell them that throughout the generations to come, you are to make tassels for the corners of your garments, with a blue cord on each tassel. These will serve as tassels for you to look at, so that you may remember all the commandments of the LORD, that you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves by following your own hearts and eyes."

The hem, therefore, served as a physical reminder of the covenant between God and His people, symbolizing obedience and dedication to His laws. The blue cord, in particular, is thought to represent the divine, as blue was a color associated with the heavens and the presence of God.

New Testament Context

In the New Testament, the hem of a garment takes on a more personal and miraculous significance. One of the most notable references is found in the account of the woman with the issue of blood. In Matthew 9:20-22 , the woman believes that touching the hem of Jesus' garment will heal her: "Just then a woman who had suffered from bleeding for twelve years came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His cloak. She said to herself, 'If only I touch His cloak, I will be healed.' Jesus turned and saw her. 'Take courage, daughter,' He said, 'your faith has healed you.' And the woman was cured from that very hour."

This passage highlights the belief in the power and authority vested in Jesus, even extending to the fringes of His clothing. The act of touching the hem signifies faith and recognition of Jesus' divine authority and ability to heal.

Symbolism and Significance

The hem of a garment in biblical times was not merely a decorative element but a symbol of identity and authority. In 1 Samuel 24:4-5 , David cuts off a corner of Saul's robe, an act that later causes him great remorse: "So David crept forward and cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. Afterward, David’s conscience was stricken because he had cut off a corner of Saul’s robe." This act of cutting the hem was symbolic of challenging Saul's authority as king, and David's subsequent guilt reflects the deep respect for the anointed king's position.

In the broader biblical narrative, the hem serves as a reminder of God's commandments, a symbol of faith, and a representation of authority. Whether in the context of the Old Testament laws or the New Testament miracles, the hem of a garment carries profound spiritual and cultural significance, reflecting the relationship between God and His people.2347. thlipsis -- tribulation
... 2347 -- properly, (what constricts or rubs together), used of a narrow place that
"hems someone in"; , especially that causes someone to feel confined ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2347.htm - 7k

Abgar Comes into the East, Maintains Ardaches Upon the Throne of ...
... Ardach??s therefore hems them in on all sides, hangs the sword of death over their
heads; distractions and dissension were between their troops and their other ...
//christianbookshelf.org/unknown/the decretals/iii abgar comes into the.htm

Elucidations.
... and literature than did the cities of Syria proper; but circumstances were not
altogether of a different nature in this regard in Haleb, Hems, and Damascus ...
//christianbookshelf.org/unknown/the decretals/elucidations 2.htm

The vision of God.
... Whom now the dead in God behold,. Let me stand when the power. Of Death irresistibly
hems me around! Arise, O my soul, above this mortality,. ...
/.../winkworth/christian singers of germany/the vision of god.htm

By what virtues the Ancient Romans Merited that the True God ...
... "Porsenna there, with pride elate,. Bids Rome to Tarquin ope her gate; With arms
he hems the city in,. ??neas' sons stand firm to win." [200]. ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/augustine/city of god/chapter 12 by what virtues the.htm

The Power of Meditation
... Where Truth abides in fulness; and around,. Wall upon wall, the gross flesh
hems it in; This perfect, clear perception, which is Truth,. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/allen/the way of peace/the power of meditation.htm

Discourse viii. The Help of Religion.
... that city which good men seek, and which in the Apocalypse of Faith they see; whose
splendors glitter through the solemn twilight; nay, which hems them around ...
/.../chapin/humanity in the city/discourse viii the help of.htm

The God of the Rain
... and the Pharisees, in their zeal to carry out the letter of the law, went about
with texts of Scripture on their foreheads, and wrists, and the hems of their ...
/.../kingsley/the gospel of the pentateuch/sermon xvii the god of.htm

Valentine Weigel and Nature Mysticism
... There is an inmost centre in us all, Where truth abides in fulness; and around,
Wall upon wall, the gross flesh hems it in, This perfect, clear perception ...
/.../chapter viii valentine weigel and.htm

Life and Conduct of the Holy Women, Xanthippe, Polyxena, and ...
... the hem of his garments, that I may behold his kindness and readiness to receive
and sweet odour; for the servant had told her this also, that the hems of his ...
/.../unknown/the acts of xanthippe and polyxena/life and conduct of the.htm

The Woman Taken in Adultery.
... Our sin, no doubt, hems us round with a thousand disabilities, and fears, and anxieties
in this world, often dreadful to bear as the shame of this woman; there ...
/.../the expositors bible the gospel of st john vol i/xvii the woman taken in.htm

Upper (99 Occurrences)
... Exodus 28:34 a bell of gold and a pomegranate, a bell of gold and a pomegranate
'are' on the hems of the upper robe round about. (YLT). ...
/u/upper.htm - 39k

Hems (4 Occurrences)
...Hems (4 Occurrences). Exodus 28:34 a bell of gold and a pomegranate, a bell of gold
and a pomegranate 'are' on the hems of the upper robe round about. (YLT). ...
/h/hems.htm - 7k

Table (125 Occurrences)
... 29. (vt) To make board hems in the skirts and bottoms of (sails) in order
to strengthen them in the part attached to the boltrope. 30. ...
/t/table.htm - 62k

Hemorrhoids (5 Occurrences)

/h/hemorrhoids.htm - 8k

Hen (7 Occurrences)

/h/hen.htm - 9k

Hem (14 Occurrences)
... (WEB KJV WBS YLT NAS NIV). Exodus 39:24 And they made upon the hems of the robe
pomegranates of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and twined linen. ...
/h/hem.htm - 12k

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