The Symbolic Meaning of Clothing in Tanakh

The Symbolic Meaning of Clothing in Tanakh, by Dr. Avigail Rock

This shiur was given during the 2016 Tanakh Study Days at Herzog College / Yeshivat Har Etzion.

The Tanakh generally minimizes in the description of detail. Therefore, when we are privy to extra details we always have to wonder why these details are given, as they are always significant to the story. However, when it comes to clothing, the Tanakh often goes into great detail. Why is this? Why does the Tanakh give so many descriptions of specific clothing? By closely examining specific Tanakh texts we can see that clothing plays many roles in the Tanakh narrative, besides being simply what people wore. Clothing has a significant metaphorical meaning as well, reflecting a person’s identity and character. Clothing transfers the identity and emotion of a character, and provides the reader with the much deeper subtext of a story. Therefore, understanding the nature of clothing in Tanakh on a much deeper level can help shed light on the Tanakh narrative as a whole.