Bible Encyclopedia: Breeches

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International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

BREECHES

brich'-iz, brech'-iz: A garment, extending from the waist to or just below the knee or to the ankle, and covering each leg separately. Breeches are not listed among the garments of an ordinary wardrobe, but the priests in later times (Exodus 20:26) wore a garment resembling modern trousers. These priestly linen breeches, mikhnece bhadh, were worn along with the linen coat, the linen girdle and the linen turban by Aaron on the Day of Atonement, when he entered the "holy place." (The word mikhnece is derived from a root, kanac = ganaz, "to cover up," "hide.") Ordinary priests also wore them on sacrificial occasions (Exodus 28:42; Exodus 39:28 Leviticus 6:10 Ezekiel 44:18). Apart from the breeches just referred to, the only reference to a similar garment among the Israelites is found in Daniel 3:21, where the carbal, the Revised Version (British and American) "hosen," is mentioned. (The King James Version translates "coats.") The rendering of the King James Version is the more likely, though the meaning of the Aramaic sarbal is obscure (compare the thorough discussion in Ges., Thesaurus). In Targum and Talmud (compare Levy, NHWB, under the word), and is so taken by the rabbinical commentators. Still, Aquila and Theodotion (sarabara), Septuagint in Daniel 3:27, Symmachus (anaxurides), Peshitta, express the meaning "trousers" (of a looser kind than those worn by us), a garment known (from Herodotus and other sources) to have been worn by the ancient Scythians and Persians, and to have been called by them sarabara. The word, with the same connotation, was brought into the Arabic in the form sirwal. In both these senses the word may be originally Persian: in that of mantle, meaning properly (according to Andreas) a "head-covering" (sarabara), for which in Persia the peasants often use their mantle; in that of "trousers," corresponding to the modern Persian shalwar, "under-breeches." Cook has pointed out that "mantles, long-flowing robes, and therefore extremely liable to catch the flames," are more likely to be especially mentioned in this chapter than trousers, or (Revised Version) "hosen."

The word paTish (Daniel 3:21), is also uncertain. The Septuagint and Theodotion render tiarai, "turbans"; Peshitta has the same word, which is variously taken by Syrian lexicographers as "tunic," "trousers," or a kind of "gaiter" (Payne Smith, Thes. Syriac., col. 3098). (For further discussion of these words, compare commentaries on Daniel of Jour. Phil., XXVI, 307 if.)

In general, we must remember that a thorough discussion of Israelite "dress" is impossible, because of the limitations of our sources.

H. J. Wolf

Strong's Hebrew

4370. miknas -- an undergarment
... undergarments. Word Origin from kanas Definition an undergarment NASB Word
Usage breeches (2), undergarments (3). breeches. From kamac ...
/hebrew/4370.htm - 6k

Library

Whether the Vestments of the Ministers are Fittingly Instituted in ...
... the Old Testament. Now among the vestments of the Old Testament there were
the breeches as a sign of chastity. Much more therefore ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether the vestments of the.htm

His Arrival in Apulia, Venice, Ferrara, and Genoa --He is ...
... Although the winter had set in with intense cold and a heavy fall of snow, Ignatius
had no garments save a pair of knee-breeches of a very rough texture ...
/.../loyola/the autobiography of st ignatius/chapter v his arrival in.htm

The Day of Atonement
... You read in the 4th verse, "He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have
the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with a linen girdle ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 2 1856/the day of atonement.htm

On the Different Functions of Modesty. ...
... The priests, also, under the old law, as we read in Exodus, wore breeches, as it
was told Moses by the Lord: "And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover ...
/.../ambrose/works and letters of st ambrose/chapter xviii on the different.htm

The Day of Atonement
... with a young bullock for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering.4. He shall
put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/the day of atonement.htm

Concerning Theudas and the Sons of Judas the Galilean; as Also ...
... But on the fourth day of the feast, a certain soldier let down his breeches, and
exposed his privy members to the multitude, which put those that saw him into ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 5 concerning theudas and.htm

Concerning the Garments of the Priests, and of the High Priest.
... It is a girdle, composed of fine twined linen, and is put about the privy parts,
the feet being to be inserted into them in the nature of breeches, but above ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 7 concerning the garments.htm

Wesley Clothes French Prisoners
... the next day. With this we bought linen and woolen cloth, which were made
up into shirts, waistcoats, and breeches. Some dozen of ...
/.../wesley/the journal of john wesley/wesley clothes french prisoners.htm

On a Piece of Chalk. A Lecture to Working Men.
... words well when I assert, that the man who should know the true history of the bit
of chalk which every carpenter carries about in his breeches-pocket, though ...
/.../huxley/lay sermons addresses and reviews/ix on a piece of.htm

Whether There Can be any Suitable Cause for the Sacraments of the ...
... name. Eighthly, there were "the linen breeches to cover the flesh of their
nakedness," when they went up to the sanctuary or altar. ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether there can be any 2.htm

Easton's Bible Dictionary

(Exodus 28:42), rather linen drawers, reaching from the waist to a little above the knee, worn by the priests (Ezek. 44:17, 18).

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary

1. (n. pl.) A garment worn by men, covering the hips and thighs; smallclothes.

2. (n. pl.) Trousers; pantaloons.

Thesaurus

Breeches (6 Occurrences)
...BREECHES. brich'-iz, brech'-iz: A garment, extending from the waist to or just below
the knee or to the ankle, and covering each leg separately. ...
/b/breeches.htm - 12k

Undergarments (6 Occurrences)
... Exodus 28:42 You shall make them linen breeches to cover the flesh of their nakedness;
from the waist even to the thighs they shall reach: (See NIV). ...
/u/undergarments.htm - 8k

Turban (13 Occurrences)
... Exodus 39:28 and the turban of fine linen, and the linen headbands of fine linen,
and the linen breeches of fine twined linen, (WEB DBY NAS RSV NIV). ...
/t/turban.htm - 11k

Miter (9 Occurrences)
... (WBS). Exodus 39:28 And a miter of fine linen, and goodly bonnets of fine linen,
and linen breeches of fine twined linen, (WBS). Exodus ...
/m/miter.htm - 9k

Bonnets (7 Occurrences)
... (KJV WBS YLT). Exodus 39:28 And a mitre of fine linen, and goodly bonnets of fine
linen, and linen breeches of fine twined linen, (KJV WBS YLT). ...
/b/bonnets.htm - 8k

Mitre (10 Occurrences)
... (KJV JPS ASV YLT). Exodus 39:28 And a mitre of fine linen, and goodly bonnets of
fine linen, and linen breeches of fine twined linen, (KJV JPS ASV YLT). ...
/m/mitre.htm - 12k

Sweat (3 Occurrences)
... shall have linen tires upon their heads, and shall have linen breeches upon their
loins; they shall not gird themselves with anything that causeth sweat ...
/s/sweat.htm - 14k

Breed (6 Occurrences)

/b/breed.htm - 10k

Bred (7 Occurrences)

/b/bred.htm - 8k

Linen (111 Occurrences)
... Exodus 28:42 You shall make them linen breeches to cover the flesh of their nakedness;
from the waist even to the thighs they shall reach: (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE ...
/l/linen.htm - 50k

Bible Concordance

Breeches (6 Occurrences)

Exodus 28:42 You shall make them linen breeches to cover the flesh of their nakedness; from the waist even to the thighs they shall reach:
(WEB KJV JPS ASV WBS NAS RSV)

Exodus 39:28 and the turban of fine linen, and the linen headbands of fine linen, and the linen breeches of fine twined linen,
(WEB KJV JPS ASV WBS NAS RSV)

Leviticus 6:10 The priest shall put on his linen garment, and he shall put on his linen breeches upon his body; and he shall remove the ashes from where the fire has consumed the burnt offering on the altar, and he shall put them beside the altar.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS RSV)

Leviticus 16:4 He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches on his body, and shall put on the linen sash, and he shall be dressed with the linen turban. They are the holy garments. He shall bathe his body in water, and put them on.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV WBS RSV)

Nehemiah 4:7 And it cometh to pass, when Sanballat hath heard, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, that lengthening hath gone up to the walls of Jerusalem, that the breeches have begun to be stopped, then it is very displeasing to them,
(YLT)

Ezekiel 44:18 They shall have linen tires on their heads, and shall have linen breeches on their waists; they shall not gird themselves with anything that causes sweat.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS RSV)

Subtopics

Breeches

Breeches for the Priests

Related Terms

Undergarments (6 Occurrences)

Turban (13 Occurrences)

Miter (9 Occurrences)

Bonnets (7 Occurrences)

Mitre (10 Occurrences)

Sweat (3 Occurrences)

Breed (6 Occurrences)

Bred (7 Occurrences)