Seam
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In biblical times, clothing was an essential aspect of daily life, serving both practical and symbolic purposes. The term "seam" refers to the line where two pieces of fabric are sewn together. In the context of the Bible, the concept of a seam is most notably mentioned in relation to the garments of Jesus Christ during His crucifixion.

Biblical Reference:

The most significant mention of a seam in the Bible is found in the account of Jesus' crucifixion. In the Gospel of John, the soldiers who crucified Jesus divided His garments among themselves. However, His tunic was unique:

"Now the tunic was seamless, woven from top to bottom as a single piece. So they said to one another, 'Let us not tear it. Instead, let us cast lots to see who will get it.' This was to fulfill the Scripture: 'They divided My garments among them, and cast lots for My clothing.' So this is what the soldiers did." (John 19:23-24)

Symbolism and Significance:

1. Unity and Wholeness: The seamless tunic of Jesus is often interpreted as a symbol of unity and wholeness. The fact that it was woven in one piece from top to bottom signifies the completeness and perfection of Christ's ministry and His role as the High Priest. In the Old Testament, the high priest's garments were also made with great care and precision, symbolizing holiness and dedication to God.

2. Fulfillment of Prophecy: The soldiers' decision not to tear the tunic but to cast lots for it fulfilled the prophecy found in Psalm 22:18: "They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing." This connection underscores the divine orchestration of events surrounding Jesus' death, highlighting the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies in the New Testament narrative.

3. Christ's Sacrifice: The seamless garment can also be seen as a representation of Christ's unbroken and perfect sacrifice. Just as the garment was not torn, Christ's sacrifice was complete and sufficient for the atonement of sin. This imagery reinforces the belief in the sufficiency of Christ's atonement for humanity's sins.

Cultural Context:

In the ancient Near East, clothing was a valuable commodity, often reflecting one's social status and identity. A seamless garment would have been considered a high-quality item, indicating the skill and care involved in its creation. The decision of the soldiers to cast lots for Jesus' tunic rather than divide it further emphasizes its value and uniqueness.

Theological Implications:

The seamless nature of Jesus' tunic invites reflection on the unity of the body of Christ, the Church. Just as the garment was whole and undivided, believers are called to maintain unity and harmony within the Church. The Apostle Paul echoes this sentiment in his letters, urging Christians to be united in spirit and purpose (e.g., Ephesians 4:3-6).

In summary, the mention of a seam, or rather the absence of one, in the context of Jesus' crucifixion carries deep theological and symbolic meaning. It points to the fulfillment of prophecy, the perfection of Christ's sacrifice, and the call for unity among His followers.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (n.) Grease; tallow; lard.

2. (n.) The fold or line formed by sewing together two pieces of cloth or leather.

3. (n.) Hence, a line of junction; a joint; a suture, as on a ship, a floor, or other structure; the line of union, or joint, of two boards, planks, metal plates, etc.

4. (n.) A thin layer or stratum; a narrow vein between two thicker strata; as, a seam of coal.

5. (n.) A line or depression left by a cut or wound; a scar; a cicatrix.

6. (v. t.) To form a seam upon or of; to join by sewing together; to unite.

7. (v. t.) To mark with something resembling a seam; to line; to scar.

8. (v. t.) To make the appearance of a seam in, as in knitting a stocking; hence, to knit with a certain stitch, like that in such knitting.

9. (v. i.) To become ridgy; to crack open.

10. (n.) A denomination of weight or measure.

11. (n.) The quantity of eight bushels of grain.

12. (n.) The quantity of 120 pounds of glass.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
SEAM; SEAMLESS

sem, sem'-les: The coat or inner garment (chiton) of Jesus is described in John 19:23 as "without seam" (arrhaphos), i.e. woven in one piece.

Greek
729. arraphos -- without seam, of a single piece
... without seam, of a single piece. Part of Speech: Adjective Transliteration: arraphos
Phonetic Spelling: (ar'-hhraf-os) Short Definition: not sewed, seamless ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/729.htm - 6k

690a. araphos -- unsewn, ie without seam
... 690, 690a. araphos. 690b . unsewn, ie without seam. Transliteration: araphos
Short Definition: seamless. Word Origin from a comp. of alpha (as a neg. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/690a.htm - 5k

690. Araps -- unsewn, ie without seam
... unsewn, ie without seam. Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration: Araps
Phonetic Spelling: (ar'-aps) Short Definition: an Arabian Definition: an Arabian ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/690.htm - 5k

Strong's Hebrew
4225. machbereth -- something joined, place of joining
... coupling. From chabar; a junction, ie Seam or sewed piece -- coupling. see HEBREW
chabar. 4224b, 4225. machbereth. 4226 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/4225.htm - 6k
Library

John Chapter xix. 23, 24
... when they had crucified Him, took His garments, and made four parts, to every soldier
a part; and also His coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the ...
/.../augustine/homilies on the gospel of john/tractate cxviii john chapter xix.htm

The Crucifixion.
... robe, head-dress, etc., of Jesus were divided into four parts and lots were cast
of the parts.] ^d and also the coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/cxxxiii the crucifixion 2.htm

The Crucifixion.
... when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments, and made four parts, to every
soldier a part; and also the coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from ...
/.../dods/the expositors bible the gospel of st john vol ii/xxi the crucifixion.htm

Mary at the Cross.
... when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments, and made four parts, to every
soldier a part; and also the coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from ...
/.../dods/the expositors bible the gospel of st john vol ii/xx mary at the cross.htm

An Eye-Witness's Account of the Crucifixion
... when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments, and made four parts, to every
soldier a part; and also His coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from ...
/.../an eye-witnesss account of the.htm

The Heart-Road to the Head.
... But the Third Morning came. And the bars of darkness were broken, as a
woman breaks the sewing-cotton at the end of the seam. The ...
/.../gordon/quiet talks on johns gospel/the heart-road to the head.htm

Knots.
... IV Closer Wooing (Chapters xiii.-xvii.) Knots. The knot tied on the end
of the thread holds the seam. The clinching of the nail ...
//christianbookshelf.org/gordon/quiet talks on johns gospel/knots.htm

Of the Testimony of John to Jesus in Matthew's Gospel,
... Who can suppose that He can understand the meaning contained in His tunic which
is without seam from the top because it is woven throughout? ...
/.../origen/origens commentary on the gospel of john/17 of the testimony of.htm

"My Little Children, These Things Write I unto You, that Ye Sin ...
... it are interwoven through other, and interchangeably knit together, so that there
can be no dividing of it any more than of Christ's coat that was without seam ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/sermon xxi my little children.htm

Of the Concord Preserved among all the Four Evangelists on the ...
... when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments, and made four parts, to every
soldier a part; and also His coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from ...
/.../augustine/the harmony of the gospels/chapter xii of the concord preserved.htm

Thesaurus
Seam (3 Occurrences)
... metal plates, etc. 4. (n.) A thin layer or stratum; a narrow vein between
two thicker strata; as, a seam of coal. 5. (n.) A line ...
/s/seam.htm - 8k

Seamless (1 Occurrence)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (a.) Without a seam. Int. Standard Bible
Encyclopedia. SEAM; SEAMLESS. sem, sem'-les: The coat or inner ...
/s/seamless.htm - 7k

Coat (54 Occurrences)
... This tunic was sometimes woven entire without a seam (John 19:23); it was also
sometimes of "many colours" (Genesis 37:3; RV marg., "a long garment with sleeves ...
/c/coat.htm - 25k

Seamen (6 Occurrences)

/s/seamen.htm - 8k

Dress (38 Occurrences)
... It was this garment of Jesus that is said by John (John 19:23) to have been "without
seam, woven from the top throughout." (2) The word himation, here rendered ...
/d/dress.htm - 53k

Undergarment (1 Occurrence)
... four parts, to every soldier a part; and also the coat. Now the coat was
without seam, woven from the top throughout. (See NIV). ...
/u/undergarment.htm - 6k

Overcast (1 Occurrence)
... 2. (vt) To compute or rate too high. 3. (vt) To take long, loose stitches over
(the raw edges of a seam) to prevent raveling. Multi-Version Concordance ...
/o/overcast.htm - 7k

Whip (7 Occurrences)
... 8. (vt) To overlay (a cord, rope, or the like) with other cords going round and
round it; to overcast, as the edge of a seam; to wrap; -- often with about ...
/w/whip.htm - 11k

Woven (40 Occurrences)
... also the coat. Now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV). Exodus 28 ...
/w/woven.htm - 19k

Including (90 Occurrences)
... four parts--one part for each soldier. The tunic was without seam, woven
from the top in one piece. (WEY). Acts 5:14 and more and ...
/i/including.htm - 33k

Resources
Seam: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible ConcordanceBible DictionaryBible EncyclopediaTopical BibleBible Thesuarus
Concordance
Seam (3 Occurrences)

John 19:23
Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also the coat. Now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Exodus 28:27
You shall make two rings of gold, and shall put them on the two shoulder straps of the ephod underneath, in its forepart, close by its coupling, above the skillfully woven band of the ephod.
(See NIV)

Exodus 39:20
They made two rings of gold, and put them on the two shoulder straps of the ephod underneath, in its front, close by its coupling, above the skillfully woven band of the ephod.
(See NIV)

Subtopics

Seam

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Jehoshaphat (79 Occurrences)

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Sealskins
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