Topical Encyclopedia
Definition and Description:A sandal is a type of footwear that consists of a sole fastened to the foot by straps or thongs. In biblical times, sandals were the most common form of footwear in the ancient Near East, including Israel. They were typically made from leather or other durable materials and were designed to protect the feet from the rough terrain and hot climate.
Biblical References:Sandals are mentioned numerous times throughout the Bible, often symbolizing various cultural and religious practices. In the Old Testament, sandals are frequently associated with daily life and travel. For instance, in
Exodus 3:5, God instructs Moses to remove his sandals at the burning bush: "Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." This act of removing sandals signifies reverence and respect in the presence of the divine.
In the New Testament, sandals continue to hold practical and symbolic significance. In
Mark 6:9, Jesus instructs His disciples to wear sandals during their missionary journeys: "Wear sandals, but not a second tunic." This directive emphasizes simplicity and readiness for service.
Cultural and Religious Significance:Sandals in biblical times were more than just practical footwear; they held cultural and religious importance. The act of removing sandals was a sign of humility and respect, as seen in the encounter between Moses and God. Additionally, the exchange or removal of sandals could signify the transfer of property or the sealing of a covenant, as illustrated in
Ruth 4:7: "Now in earlier times in Israel, for the redemption and transfer of property to become final, one party took off his sandal and gave it to the other. This was the method of legalizing transactions in Israel."
Symbolism:Sandals can symbolize various spiritual truths in the Bible. They represent the readiness to follow God's call, as seen in the instructions given to the Israelites during the Passover in
Exodus 12:11: "This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the LORD’s Passover." Here, sandals signify preparedness for the journey of faith and obedience to God's commands.
Conclusion:While sandals are a simple and practical item, their presence in the Bible carries deep cultural, religious, and symbolic meanings. They remind believers of the importance of humility, readiness, and the sacredness of God's presence.
Smith's Bible Dictionary
Sandalwas the article ordinarily used by the Hebrews for protecting the feet. It consisted simply of a sole attached to the foot by thongs. We have express notice of the thong (Authorized Version "shoe latchet") in several passages, notably (Genesis 14:23;Isaiah 5:27;Mark 1:7) Sandals were worn by all classes of society in Palestine, even by the very poor; and both the sandal and the thong or shoe-latchet were so cheap and common that they passed into a proverb for the most insignificant thing. (Genesis 14:23) Ecclus. 46;13, They were dispensed with in-doors, and were only put on by persons about to undertake some business away from their homes. During mealtimes the feet were uncovered. (Luke 7:38;John 13:5,6) It was a mark of reverence to cast off the shoes in approaching a place or person of eminent sanctity. (Exodus 3:5;Joshua 5:15) It was also an indication of violent emotion, or of mourning, if a person appeared barefoot in public. (2 Samuel 15:30) To carry or to unloose a person's sandal was a menial office, betokening great inferiority on the part of the person performing it. (Matthew 3:11)
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
n.) Same as Sendal.
2. (n.) Sandalwood.
3. (n.) A kind of shoe consisting of a sole strapped to the foot; a protection for the foot, covering its lower surface, but not its upper.
4. (n.) A kind of slipper.
5. (n.) An overshoe with parallel openings across the instep.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
SANDALsan'-dal.
SeeDRESS sec. 6; SHOE; SHOE-LATCHET.
Greek
4547. sandalion -- asandal... a
sandal. Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter Transliteration: sandalion Phonetic Spelling:
(san-dal'-ee-on) Short Definition: a
sandal Definition: a
sandal.
...5266. hupodema -- a sole bound under (the foot), asandal
... a sole bound under (the foot), asandal. Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter Transliteration:
hupodema Phonetic Spelling: (hoop-od'-ay-mah) Short Definition: asandal...
2438. himas -- a thong, strap
... Spelling: (hee-mas') Short Definition: a thong, strap Definition: a thong, strap,
(a) for binding a man who is to be flogged, (b) for fastening asandal or shoe...
Strong's Hebrew
5275. naal -- asandal, shoenaal or naalah. 5274b, 5275. naal or naalah. 5276 . a
sandal, shoe.
Transliteration: naal or naalah Phonetic Spelling: (nah'-al) Short Definition: sandals.
...5430. seon --sandal, boot (of a soldier)
... 5429, 5430. seon. 5431 .sandal, boot (of a soldier). Transliteration:
seon Phonetic Spelling: (seh-own') Short Definition: boot....
8288. serok -- (sandal) thong
... 8287, 8288. serok. 8289 . (sandal) thong. Transliteration: serok Phonetic
Spelling: (ser-oke') Short Definition: strap. Word Origin...
5274. na'al -- to bar, bolt, lock
... A primitive root; properly, to fasten up, ie With a bar or cord; hence (denominative
from na'al), tosandal, ie Furnish with slippers -- bolt, inclose, lock...
Library
The Testament of Zebulun Concerning Compassion and Mercy.
... Therefore is it written in the writing of the law of Enoch, that whosoever will
not raise up seed to his brother, hissandal shall be unloosed, and they shall...
Observations on the Words of John the Baptist John I. ...
... Now these words are so fully intended of the Incarnation, that Scripture hath given
us, in an earlier book, a human counterpart of the mysticsandal....
The Tomb of the Pharaoh
... Even the soft whetting of hissandal, as he walked, made echoes that shouted at
him.... Kenkenes'sandal grated on the sandy dust that lay thick on the floor....
Matt. xiv. 13
... pray thee? For this same cause thesandal-makers too, and the weavers, should
have great retrenchments made in their art. For most...
Missed Ends
... His was the spirit of fragrance like the scentedsandal-wood; his was the
arm of strength like the lock that barred the door. Gone...
Solomon
... outward pomp and show"would talk and dream of the lost glories of Solomon's court;
of his gilded and jewelled temple, with its pillars ofsandal-wood from...
Imperial Caesar
... Time and again the sweet invitation of the rare grass along the marsh invited the
way-weary to halt to tie asandal, to bind up a wound, to eat a crust spread...
A Mystery! Saints Sorrowing and Jesus Glad!
... "Man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward;" if the fuel be a log of
sweet-smellingsandal wood, yet the sparks must rise, and even so the best of...
The Image of Jealousy
... in her exedra, her slim white arms crossed back of her head, her tiring-woman, summoned
for a casual attention, busy with a parted ribbon on thesandal of the...
The Foot-Washing.
... shoes were not universally worn, and were not worn at all within doors; and where
some protection to the foot was worn, it was commonly a meresandal, a sole...
Thesaurus
Sandal (14 Occurrences)... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia.
SANDAL. san'-dal. See DRESS sec. 6; SHOE;
SHOE-LATCHET. Multi-Version Concordance
Sandal (14 Occurrences).
...Sandal-strap (3 Occurrences)
Sandal-strap. Sandals,Sandal-strap.Sandal-thong . Multi-Version
ConcordanceSandal-strap (3 Occurrences). Mark 1:7...
Sandal-thong (2 Occurrences)
Sandal-thong.Sandal-strap,Sandal-thong.Sandal-wood . Multi-Version
ConcordanceSandal-thong (2 Occurrences). Genesis 14:23 if...
Sandal-wood (5 Occurrences)
Sandal-wood.Sandal-thong,Sandal-wood. Sandbar . Multi-Version
ConcordanceSandal-wood (5 Occurrences). 1 Kings 10:11...
Unfasten (4 Occurrences)
... Mark 1:7 His announcement was, "There is One coming after me mightier than I--One
whosesandal-strap I am unworthy to stoop down and unfasten. (WEY)....
Shoe (13 Occurrences)
... Of various forms, from the meresandal (qv) to the complete covering of the foot....
But in Matthew 3:11 and parallel's, only thesandal can be meant....
Sandals (30 Occurrences)
... Mentioned only in Mark 6:9 and Acts 12:8. Thesandal was simply a sole, made
of wood or palm-bark, fastened to the foot by leathern straps....
Lutes (16 Occurrences)
... (DBY). 1 Kings 10:12 And the king made of thesandal-wood a balustrade for the house
of Jehovah, and for the king's house, and harps and lutes for the singers....
Musicians (6 Occurrences)
... 1 Kings 10:12 And from thesandal-wood the king made pillars for the house of the
Lord, and for the king's house, and instruments of music for the makers of...
Makers (20 Occurrences)
... 1 Kings 10:12 And from thesandal-wood the king made pillars for the house of the
Lord, and for the king's house, and instruments of music for the makers of...
Resources
Did John the Baptist lose his faith in Jesus as the Messiah (Matthew 11:3; Luke 7:19)? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is the meaning of the ankh symbol? | GotQuestions.orgSandal: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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