Hebrew word · H3682

כְּסוּת

kesut

covering

Covering, clothing, especially the outer cloak that served as a blanket at night. From the root kāsâ, 'to cover, conceal'. Exod 22:26–27: a poor man's cloak taken as a pledge must be returned by sunset, 'for it is his only covering'. Job 24:7; 31:19 (the poor 'without covering').

Appears 8 times in 8 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

1) covering, clothing

1a) covering, clothing

1b) covering (for concealment)

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Job 26:6

Range of meaning

Covering, clothing, especially the outer cloak that served as a blanket at night. From the root kāsâ, 'to cover, conceal'. Exod 22:26–27: a poor man's cloak taken as a pledge must be returned by sunset, 'for it is his only covering'. Job 24:7; 31:19 (the poor 'without covering'). Gen 20:16 uses it figuratively ('a covering of the eyes', a vindication).

Against the English

English 'covering' is accurate but loses the concrete image of a garment or cloak. NIV and NLT ('lies uncovered', 'is uncovered') drop the noun altogether.

Used elsewhere in the period

Exod 22:26; Deut 22:12; Job 24:7; 31:19; Isa 50:3. The root kāsâ often means 'to hide' (Job 23:17 'nor has darkness covered my face').

Where it appears

Genesis · 1

  1. Genesis 20:16 כְּס֣וּת [is] a covering of

    And he said to Sarah, “See, I am giving your brother a thousand pieces of silver. It is your vindication before all who are with you; you are completely cleared.”

Exodus · 2

  1. Exodus 21:10 כְּסוּתָ֥הּ covering her

    If he takes another wife, he must not reduce the food, clothing, or marital rights of his first wife.

  2. Exodus 22:27 כְסוּתוֹ֙ [is] covering his

    because his cloak is the only covering he has for his body. What else will he sleep in? And if he cries out to Me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.

Deuteronomy · 1

  1. Deuteronomy 22:12 כְּסוּתְךָ֖ covering your

    You are to make tassels on the four corners of the cloak you wear.

Job · 3

  1. Job 24:7 כְּ֝ס֗וּת [is] covering

    Without clothing, they spend the night naked; they have no covering against the cold.

  2. Job 26:6 כְּ֝ס֗וּת a covering

    Sheol is naked before God, and Abaddon has no covering.

    Here: A covering, especially a garment or cloak, the thing a person wraps in to keep warm and decent. It keeps the nakedness picture going: Abaddon has nothing to throw over itself.

  3. Job 31:19 כְּ֝ס֗וּת covering

    if I have seen one perish for lack of clothing, or a needy man without a cloak,

Isaiah · 1

  1. Isaiah 50:3 כְּסוּתָֽם׃ ס covering their

    I clothe the heavens in black and make sackcloth their covering.”

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.