Lexical Summary
simlah: Garment, clothing, robe, outer garment
Original Word:שִׂמְלָה
Part of Speech:Noun Feminine
Transliteration:simlah
Pronunciation:sim-LAH
Phonetic Spelling:(sim-law')
KJV: apparel, cloth(-es, -ing), garment, raiment
NASB:clothes, clothing, garment, garments, cloak, cloth
Word Origin:[perhaps by permutation for the feminine ofH5566 (סֶמֶל סֵמֶל - idol) (through the idea of a cover assuming the shape of the object beneath)]
1. a dress, especially a mantle
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
apparel, clothes garment, raiment
Perhaps by permutation for the feminine ofcemel (through the idea of a cover assuming the shape of the object beneath); a dress, especially a mantle -- apparel, cloth(-es, -ing), garment, raiment. Comparesalmah.
see HEBREWcemel
see HEBREWsalmah
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom an unused word
Definitiona wrapper, mantle
NASB Translationcloak (4), cloth (1), clothes (9), clothing (5), garment (5), garments (5).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
; — absolute
Genesis 9:23 +, construct
Deuteronomy 21:13;
Deuteronomy 22:5; suffix
Deuteronomy 8:4, etc.; plural
Genesis 45:22 (twice in verse) +, suffix
Genesis 44:13 +, etc.; —
wrapper, mantle (of man or [Ruth 3:3 +] woman), usually square piece of cloth worn as
outer garment (see Mackie
Hast. DB. i. 625; Benz
Ency. Bib. iii. 2932),
Genesis 35:2;
Exodus 22:26 (both E),
Deuteronomy 8:4;
Deuteronomy 10:18;
Deuteronomy 21:13;
Deuteronomy 22:3;
Isaiah 3:6,7;
Isaiah 9:4;
2 Samuel 12:20 Kt,
Ruth 3:3 Kt (Qr in both plural); as
covering in sleep
Genesis 9:23 (J; compare
Exodus 22:26), bed-covering
Deuteronomy 22:17; covering or receptacle for articles
Exodus 12:34 (E),
Judges 8:25;
1 Samuel 21:10, compare
Proverbs 30:4; more Generally
garment,
Deuteronomy 22:5,
clothes (plural)
Genesis 37:34;
Genesis 44:13 (J),
Genesis 41:14;
Exodus 19:10,14 (all E),
Joshua 7:6 (JE); as costly gifts
Genesis 45:22 (twice in verse);
Exodus 3:22;
Exodus 12:35 (all E).
Topical Lexicon
Overviewשִׂמְלָה (simlah) denotes an outer garment, mantle, or cloak. Worn by men and women alike, it functioned as a means of warmth, modesty, social identity, and—even more importantly in Scripture—an object lesson in covenant faithfulness, mercy, and redemption. Roughly twenty-nine Old Testament verses employ the word, spanning narrative, law, poetry, and prophecy.
Everyday Clothing and Provision
The simlah appears first in domestic scenes that highlight God’s common grace. In the wilderness the LORD told Israel, “Your clothing has not worn out on you” (Deuteronomy 8:4; 29:5). For forty years an ordinary cloak became a tangible testimony of extraordinary preservation. Likewise, He “gives… food and clothing” to the vulnerable (Deuteronomy 10:18), revealing a Father who meets material needs.
Covering Shame
Garments were vital whenever human shame was exposed. After Noah’s drunkenness, “Shem and Japheth… covered their father’s nakedness” (Genesis 9:23). The simlah shielded dishonor without ridiculing the sinner—an early portrait of gracious covering that foreshadows the atonement. Similar imagery appears when Jacob instructs his household to “change your garments” while purging foreign gods (Genesis 35:2); the external change mirrors inward repentance.
Change of Status and Commission
New assignments often came with fresh garments. Joseph “shaved, changed his clothes, and came before Pharaoh” (Genesis 41:14), a transition from prisoner to prime minister. Before Sinai, Israel washed their garments (Exodus 19:10, 14) to meet the Holy One. Such acts dramatize sanctification: the LORD outfits His servants for new roles.
Legal and Social Justice
The simlah frequently surfaces in Israel’s civil law as collateral for loans. “If you take your neighbor’s cloak as a pledge, return it to him by sunset” (Exodus 22:26). To withhold a cloak overnight was to endanger a poor man’s warmth and life. Moses repeats the principle (Deuteronomy 24:13, 17), extending it to widows and sojourners. The garment becomes a test case for compassion; righteous people value persons above possessions.
Tokens in Marriage and Family Law
Deuteronomy 22:17 requires that, if a husband accuses his new bride of impropriety, the elders examine “the cloth” (simlah) for evidence of virginity. The common cloak thus guards a woman’s honor and the covenant integrity of marriage. When an Israelite soldier wished to marry a captive woman, she must first “discard the clothing of her captivity” (Deuteronomy 21:13), marking a respectful break with her past.
Acts of Sorrow and Supplication
Tearing a simlah expresses grief and penitence. Joshua “tore his clothes and fell facedown before the ark” after Israel’s defeat at Ai (Joshua 7:6). Later, Job laments, “You would plunge me into the pit, and my own clothes would abhor me” (Job 9:31). The garment becomes almost animate, reflecting the sufferer’s agony before God.
Hospitality and Redemption in Ruth
At the threshing floor Ruth is told, “Wash, put on perfume, and put on your best clothes” (Ruth 3:3). When Boaz fills her cloak with barley (Ruth 3:15), the simlah turns into a vessel of provision and a pledge of redemption. The narrative anticipates the Kinsman-Redeemer who will one day clothe His people with righteousness.
Prophetic Imagery
Prophets press the symbol further. Isaiah warns of social chaos when people plead, “You have a cloak—you be our leader!” (Isaiah 3:6). The simlah, once a pledge of warmth, becomes a desperate badge of authority amid judgment. Conversely, Isaiah pictures salvation using clothing motifs, though a different term is often employed; the foundation laid by simlah imagery allows readers to grasp God’s promise of a renewed covering.
Foreshadowing Messianic Fulfillment
While the Hebrew term itself is absent from the New Testament, its themes echo strongly. The Gospels present Jesus’ garments divided by lot (John 19:24 citingPsalm 22:18), and believers are commanded to “clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 13:14). The simlah’s Old Testament testimony prepares hearts to understand the robe of righteousness provided through the Messiah.
Ministry Applications
1. Compassionate Lending: Churches can embodyExodus 22:26 by refusing to exploit the vulnerable, ensuring that any benevolence policies protect dignity.
2. Discipleship and Repentance: Encouraging believers to “change garments” metaphorically—turning from sin and donning Christlike character—mirrorsGenesis 35:2 andEphesians 4:24.
3. Worship Preparation: Just as Israel washed their garments before Sinai, congregations today prepare hearts through confession and reverence when approaching the Lord’s Table.
4. Pastoral Care in Grief: Recognizing the biblical practice of tearing garments can guide compassionate responses to loss, validating lament while pointing to God’s ultimate covering.
Summary
שִׂמְלָה threads through Scripture as more than fabric. It covers shame, signifies new beginnings, safeguards justice, and resonates with covenant grace. From Noah’s tent to Ruth’s threshing floor, from Sinai’s foot to Isaiah’s warnings, the humble cloak consistently directs attention to the God who clothes His people—temporally in compassion and eternally in salvation.
Forms and Transliterations
בְּשִׂמְלֹתָ֖ם בַּשִּׂמְלָ֗ה בַשִּׂמְלָה֮ בשמלה בשמלתם הַשִּׂמְלָ֔ה הַשִּׂמְלָ֗ה השמלה וְשִׂמְלָ֖ה וְשִׂמְלָֽה׃ וְשִׂמְלָתֵ֖נוּ וּשְׂמָלֹ֑ת וּשְׂמָלֹֽת׃ ושמלה ושמלה׃ ושמלת ושמלת׃ ושמלתנו לְשִׂמְלָתוֹ֒ לשמלתו שְׂמָלֹ֑ת שְׂמָלֹֽת׃ שִׂמְלַ֣ת שִׂמְלַ֨ת שִׂמְלָ֑ה שִׂמְלָ֣ה שִׂמְלָ֨תְךָ֜ שִׂמְלָת֖וֹ שִׂמְלֹתֵיכֶֽם׃ שִׂמְלֹתָ֑ם שִׂמְלֹתָ֔יו שִׂמְלֹתָ֗יו שִׂמְלֹתָֽם׃ שִׂמְלֹתַ֛יִךְ שִׂמְלֹתָ֔יו שמלה שמלת שמלת׃ שמלתו שמלתיו שמלתיך שמלתיכם׃ שמלתך שמלתם שמלתם׃ baś·śim·lāh ḇaś·śim·lāh bassimLah baśśimlāh ḇaśśimlāh bə·śim·lō·ṯām besimloTam bəśimlōṯām haś·śim·lāh hassimLah haśśimlāh lə·śim·lā·ṯōw lesimlaTo ləśimlāṯōw śə·mā·lōṯ semaLot śəmālōṯ śim·lā·ṯə·ḵā śim·lā·ṯōw śim·lāh śim·laṯ śim·lō·ṯa·yiḵ śim·lō·ṯām śim·lō·ṯāw śim·lō·ṯê·ḵem simLah śimlāh simLat śimlaṯ simLatecha śimlāṯəḵā simlaTo śimlāṯōw simloTam śimlōṯām simloTav śimlōṯāw simloTayich śimlōṯayiḵ simloteiChem śimlōṯêḵem ū·śə·mā·lōṯ usemaLot ūśəmālōṯ vassimLah vesimLah vesimlaTenu wə·śim·lā·ṯê·nū wə·śim·lāh wəśimlāh wəśimlāṯênū
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