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    Biblical Dress Standards for Men and Women

    Posted by Lev/Christopher on July 14, 2008 at 12:40am
    in Torah Studies

    Biblical Dress Standards for Men and Women

    What does the Bible teach about dress standards for men and women? Should women be allowed to wear trousers/pants? How long should skirts be?`What are supposed to be the actual gender differences? In this short article we examine the Torah teaching about dress standards. And the first principle of dress standards is that the Israelite nation should have a standard set-apart or different from the surrounding worldly nations:

    "You must not do as they do in Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. Do not follow their practices" (Lev.18:3, NIV cp. 2 Ki.17:13-15).

    This general principle of not imitating the cultural normals of pagan societies definitely extended to clothing too:

    "On the day of Yahweh's sacrifice I will punish the princes and the king's sons and all those clad in foreign clothes" (Zeph.1:8, NIV).

    If the wrath of Yahweh was upon those "clad in foreign clothes", then what were the 'foreign clothes'? What was Yahweh's dress standard?

    To begin with, Yahweh caused that men's clothing should be especially distinguished from the men's clothing of the surrounding pagan nations. He has commanded men to wear tzitzit or tassels (see Num.15:38-39; Dt.22:12; http://groups.msn.com/MLTReceptionGroup/messianicfaq30.msnw). Today the only people who follow this instruction are Jews, Messianic Jews and Messianic Israelites. No other people in the world follow this practice. And what distinguishes these three categories is that non-Messianic Jews do not obey the commandment to wear a blue thread in their tassels and Messianic Jews and Israelites do. Members of MLT also include a black thread alongside the white and mandatory blue to distinguish themselves from the other categories, black white and blue being the MLT assembly colours. Evangelical Christian Bible commentator Matthew Henry writes:

    "The Jews [sic. Israelites] being a peculiar people, they were thus distinguished from their neighbours in their dress, as well as in their diet, and taught by such little instances of singularity not to be conformed to the way of the heathen in greater things. Thus likewise they proclaimed themselves Jews wherever they were, as those that were not ashamed of God and his law. Our Saviour, being made under the law, wore these fringes; hence we read of the hem or border, of his garment" (Matt. ix. 20).

    Trousers or pants were not worn by either men or women in the ancient biblical world, being associated with the northern Barbarians who invented them for greater warmth and protection. Only in the extreme northernmost lands were trousers/pants worn by women too, again presumably for warmth. However, trousers/pants are not actually necessary for warmth. When Scandinavia became Christianised, dresses did not pose a problem for these robust women of the sub-artic - they simply wore warm clothing under their dresses, and the use of trousers disappeared.

    Torah further says:

    "A woman must not wear men's clothing, nor a man wear women's clothing, for Yahweh your Elohim detests anyone who does this" (Deut.22:5, NIV).

    Cross-dressing is destable or "an abomination" (KJV) to Yahweh. It means that to Him this is a matter of extreme disgust or hatred. If this is so, we need to get the matter of correct clothing correct because those things termed an 'abomination' in Torah always carried for the offenders the death sentence. Yah'shua has taken our death sentence upon Himself for such sins in the New Covenant but this does not make these sins any less serious. It simply means that we heap these abominations upon Yah'shua when we disobey Yahweh's mitzvot and recrucify Him anew.

    But what is 'male' and what is 'female' dress biblically-speaking?

    Male Dress

    The Bible plainly teaches this principle: while taking account the customs and climate of each land, men must be decently dressed in clothing that covers the body and is not tight-fitting, for there is also grerat shame in the uncovering of a man (Gen.9:23; 2 Sam.10:4-5; 1 Chr.19:4-5; Rev.16:15). For this reason Yahweh commanded Moses to make linen breaches for Aaron and his sons, which were a form of trousers worn under the main robe, to cover the body from the waiste to a little above the knee. Yahweh appointed priests' trousers in these words:

    "Make linen undergarments (breeches - KJV) as a covering for the body, reaching from the waist to the thigh. Aaron and his sons must wear them whenever they enter the Tent of Meeting or approach the altar to minister in the Holy Place, so that they will not incur guilt and die. This is to be a lasting ordinance for Aaron and his descendants" (Ex.28:42-43, NIV).

    The Aaronic priesthood has now been superceeded by the Melchizedek in the New Covenant and all male believers are now called to be priests (1 Pet.2:9). Because of the climate, men wear, for the most part, breeches or trousers down to the ankles. In Bible times men wore a tunic or outer garment on top much as we wear coats and jackets (1 Sam.2:19; 24:4; 28:14; Mt.10:10; Lk.9:3). These breeches or trousers were given to cover the priests' nakedness (Ex.28:42). The nearest comparison would be to sailors' trousers. The priests were told to keep their hair cut (Ezek.44:20) which Paul confirmed was the true Christian order too because long hair for a man was effeminate (1 Cor.11:14). As we look at men's dress in the West in recent history, we see all the basic elements in place as required by Yahweh of His priests: loose, baggy trousers.

    (For more detailed information, see http://boston.server101.com/christian_clothing_men.htm)

    Female Dress

    As co-heirs of the of the grace of life and joint-heirs with Messiah (1 Pet.3:7; Rom.8:17), women in particular are enjoined to be discreet and chaste (Tit.2:9). Young men are to be sober-minded (v.6) and to guard against the lusts of youth (2 Tim.2:22). Yahweh's revelationdoes emphasise the need for women to be modestly covered and careful to ensure that their attire is in every way agreeable to the will of Elohim:

    "I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety (HRV, "reverence and modesty"; RSTNE, "with decency and sensitive understanding"; KJV, ASV, "with shamefacedness and sobriety"), not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship Elohim" (1 Tim.2:9-10, NIV).

    It is a well-known and indisputable historical fact, confirmed by scripture, that godly women wore full-length dresses which covered them down to their ankles or feet (Is.47:2; Jer.13:22,26). They were often richly embroidered amongst the upper classes (2 Sam.13:18; Ps.45:13; Exek.16:10). Such garments served as remidners of the perfect righteousness of Messiah, as did the long robes worn by men at weddings and other special cocasions (Mt.22:11).

    One great difference between a nobleman's long robe and the ordinary dress of women was that the woman's dress was the guardian of her modesty. In public she wore a full length dress on every occasion. Her outer garment terminated in in an ample fringe or border, hiding her feet (Is.47:2; Jer.13:22). Smith's Bible dictionary states:

    "it was strictly forbidden to a woman to wear the appendages, such as the staff, signet-ring, and other ornaments, of a man; as well as to a man to wear the outer robe of a woman. Deut. 22:5 . . . The dress of the women differed from that of the men in regard to the outer garment . . . Among their distinctive robes we find a kind of shawl, Ruth 3:15; Isa. 3:22, light summer dresses of handsome appearance and ample dimensions, and gay holiday dresses. Isa. 3:24"

    There is a parallel between the comliness of long hair for a woman and a long skirt (1 Cor.11:15) which was regarded as modest, ladylike and attractive. Trousers are never mentioned in the Bible as part of a woman's wardrobe; they were never worn by woman as an outer garment. In Scripture the uncovering of a woman's skirt is a euphamism for adultery. The Torah has this interesting commandment which is obscured by modern translations:

    "A man shall not take his father's wife, nor discover his father's skirt" (Dt.22:30, KJV).

    Bible commentator Matthew Poole remarks:

    "His father’s skirt, i.e. the skirt of the mother’s garment, i.e. the nakedness, which is here called his father’s skirt, because his father and mother were one flesh, or because his father alone had the right to uncover it. The phrase is taken from the ancient custom or ceremony of the bridegroom’s spreading the skirt of his garment over the bride, to signify his right to her, and authority over her, and his obligation to the marriage duty. See Ruth 3.9; Ezek. 16.8"

    There are numerous references to women's skirts in Scripture too many to list here. Exposing a bare leg of a woman is indicative of great shame (Is.47:1-4) unlike men where this is natural in physical labour (Ps.147:10) and which represents the strength of one who girds himself up for battle. Women's skirts are meant to be long and spacious, but not tight (Is.3:16). Even the exposure of a woman's heels is said in scripture to be a sin (but watch out for mdoern translations like the NIV which obscure the original Hebrew):

    "And if you say in your heart, "Why have these things come upon me?" For the greatness of your iniquity. Your skirts have been uncovered, Your heels made bare ... Therefore I will uncover your skirts over your face, That your shame may appear" (Jer 13:22, 26, NKJV; cp. Nahum 3:5; Dt.22:20; Is.47:2; Ezek.16:37).

    So what do we conclude from all of this? What is the biblical revelation on women's dress? The whole outfit of a godly woman should be long, relatively loose and flowing, be composed of opaque material, and not indecently thin or adhesive. It should be completely differenjt from the attire of the woman in Proverbs 7:10 who was dressed either like an Athenian whore or wore short ones like the Romans. Paintings of such reveal that their attire was tightly fitted to their body - in other words, crafted to reveal and enhance her shape - i.e. the dress of the godly woman should not be form-fitting but graceful and flowing. The fact that Rachel was able to sit on and conceal Laban's stolen family gods demonstrates that her dress was commodious or spacious (Gen.31:34-35).

    The New Testament precisely confirms this mode of dress. When Paul instructs Timothy to ensure that women "adorn themselves in modest apparel" (1 Tim.2:9), the word translated as "apparel" is katastole , the common New Testament word for a dignified, long robe (Mk.12:38; 16:5; Lk.15:22; 20:46; Rev.6:11; 7:9). Modesty, therefore, requires women to wear long robes.

    So the argument that that women in modern, Western-style trousers may be as biblically modest and distinctly feminine as the godly women of the New Testament era is bunkum. Indeed, Eastern women's dress was always full-length and feminine and similar to traditional Western women's dresses before they were tightened, lifted, and eventually supplanted by form-fitting trousers.

    Thus the Scriptures give us a clear picture as to what true female modesty in respect of clothing consists of. This includes not exposing the neckline or breasts (Ezek.23:3,21) . Where does this true modesty spring from? From a heart that consents to Yahweh's rule as to what defines holiness or set-apartness. How do we get this right heart? "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by his own glory and goodness" (2 Peter 1:3-4, NIV). From a knowledge of, and submission to, His Word - His Torah - we are empowered to have a right mind and heart about Yahweh's standards of dress. What if our attitudes are wrong about this divine Word? Then we are " nearsighted and blind" and have forgotten our cleansing from past sins (2 Peter 1:9, NIV).

    (For more detailed information, see http://boston.server101.com/christian_clothing_women.htm)

    Continued in Part 2:



    Biblical Dress Standards for Men and Women Part 2

    Part 2

    Worldly Dress

    Whatever contradicts Yahweh's standard of dress for men and women is of the world, of which the Word says:

    "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what Elohim's will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will" (Rom.12:2, NIV).

    Modernists argue that Paul became like the people he witnessed amongst and try to extrapolate this to mean that he dressed as they did and ate as they did - but how the modern versions twist the original sense to justify worldliness, for Paul actually said:

    "To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law; to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of Elohim but under the law of Messiah, so that I might win those who are without law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some" (1 Cor.20-22, NASU).

    In other words, Paul didn't sit down with some Greek half nude and eat a ham sandwich with them! He lived amongst them, shared their lives, but did not cease to be without the law (Torah) of Elohim which was the law (Torah) of Messiah. How deceptive our modern translators can be!

    Another argument is that because Deuteronomy 22:5 doesn't elaborate in the differences in garments that the Bible doesn't teach anything specific about men's and women's apparel and so we can look to modern fashion. That's nonsense, as we have seen and is just an excuse to be worldly. The fact is, women are being allowed to wear men's clothes only of a "different style". Where did the notion that women could wear trousers like the men come from? From the Illuminati-inspired bloody French revolution where many of the women called for "rivalry with men" and to demonstrate that donned men's trousers and other articles of men's clothing. It was a deliberate revolt against patriarchal authority that paved the way for modern feminism. How do we know that this is the case olf anti-patriarchal revolt? Simply because society has retained an aversion against men wearing women's clothing - how many men do you see walking the streets wearing women's skirts and blouses? Women who wear trousers, or at least the trend-setters of such behaviour, do so in defliance of Yahweh-Elohim who ordained for all women a domestic rôle.

    By the evidence of history it is abundanly plain that the new "dress code" did not come about out of a faithful study of biblical or Christian history, and that it is a code to be avoided by those who have been called out of the world: "For Elohim did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy (set-apart) life. Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but Elohim, who gives you his Ruach haQodesh (Holy Spirit)" (1 Thess.4:7-8, NIV).

    (For more information, see http://boston.server101.com/christian_clothing_worldliness.htm)

    Also see: http://www.ancient-hebrew.org/33_clothing.html



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