Hebrew word · H3801

כֻּתֹּ֫נֶת

ketonet

tunic

Ketonet is the basic tunic worn next to the skin, generally linen and long. The same word is used for the skin garments God made for Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:21), Joseph's special tunic (Genesis 37:3), and Tamar's royal garment (2 Samuel 13:18). Tashbets occurs only here.

Appears 29 times in 26 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

1) tunic, under-garment

1a) a long shirt-like garment usually of linen

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 Exodus 28:4

Range of meaning

Ketonet is the basic tunic worn next to the skin, generally linen and long. The same word is used for the skin garments God made for Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:21), Joseph's special tunic (Genesis 37:3), and Tamar's royal garment (2 Samuel 13:18). Tashbets occurs only here. Its root shabats is used in 28:39 ("you shall weave the tunic in checker-work of fine linen") and in mishbetsot, the "settings" that hold gems (28:11). So it means a patterned weave, most likely checkered, diamond or cell-like.

Against the English

Renderings vary: KJV "broidered coat", BSB and NIV "woven tunic", ESV and NASB "coat/tunic of checker(ed) work", WEB "fitted tunic", YLT "embroidered coat", NLT "patterned tunic".

How it drifted

"Broidered/embroidered" implies a design stitched onto the cloth with a needle. The root points instead to a pattern woven into the cloth, or to cell-like settings. "Coat" makes modern readers think of outerwear, but this was the innermost main garment.

Used elsewhere in the period

The LXX has chitōn kosymbōtos, "fringed" or "tasselled tunic". This is a different guess at the rare word. The Greek chitōn itself is very likely a loanword from the Semitic ktn (compare Akkadian kitû, "linen").

From the study of Genesis 3:21

Range of meaning

A tunic: the basic long shirt-like garment, usually of wool or linen, worn directly over the body and reaching to the knee or ankle. It could be plain everyday wear or a mark of rank, depending on the fabric and decoration.

Against the English

KJV's 'coats' now suggests outerwear. 'Garments' (BSB, NIV, ESV, NASB) is accurate but general, and it hides the link to other tunics in the Bible. 'Clothing' (NLT) is more general still. 'Tunics' is the closest English word.

How it drifted

In 1611 English, 'coat' could mean a body garment like a tunic, which is why Joseph also has a 'coat of many colours' in the KJV. The word has since narrowed to something worn over other clothes.

Used elsewhere in the period

Joseph's tunic (Genesis 37:3); Tamar's, marking a king's daughter (2 Samuel 13:18); Hushai's, torn in grief (2 Samuel 15:32); taken off for bed in Song of Songs 5:3, which shows it was worn next to the body; priests' tunics (Exodus 28:4, 39-40; Leviticus 8:13). Related words appear in Ugaritic, Akkadian and Aramaic, and Greek chitōn is probably borrowed from the same Semitic word (BDB; HALOT).

From the study of Leviticus 16:4

Range of meaning

A tunic: a long shirt, usually with sleeves, worn as the basic garment by men and women. It can be plain or fine, from God's 'tunics of skin' (Gen 3:21) to Joseph's special tunic (Gen 37:3) and Tamar's royal tunic (2 Sam 13:18). For priests it was the main linen body garment (Exod 28:39–40).

Against the English

KJV and ESV say 'coat'. To a modern reader a coat is an outer layer put on over clothes for warmth. The kuttonet was the garment itself, worn directly over the drawers. NIV, NASB, BSB and WEB say 'tunic', which is closer.

How it drifted

In 1611 'coat' could mean any body garment, including a tunic. Modern English narrowed it to outerwear.

Used elsewhere in the period

The word is widespread in the ancient Semitic world: Akkadian kitû / kitinnû ('linen, linen garment'), Ugaritic ktn. Through Phoenician trade it became Greek chitōn. Josephus (Ant. 3.153) describes the priest's linen tunic as reaching the ankles and fitting close to the body.

Where it appears

Genesis · 9

  1. Genesis 3:21 כָּתְנ֥וֹת garments of

    And the LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and He clothed them.

    Here: The plural of the standard long shirt-like garment worn next to the body. It is far more than the waist-wraps of verse 7, and it is the same word used for Joseph's garment and for the tunics of Israel's priests.

  2. Genesis 37:3 כְּתֹ֥נֶת a long garment of

    Now Israel loved Joseph more than his other sons, because Joseph had been born to him in his old age; so he made him a robe of many colors.

  3. Genesis 37:23 כֻּתָּנְתּ֔וֹ כְּתֹ֥נֶת long garment his, [the] long garment of

    So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the robe of many colors he was wearing—

  4. Genesis 37:31 כְּתֹ֣נֶת הַכֻּתֹּ֖נֶת [the] long garment of, the long garment

    Then they took Joseph’s robe, slaughtered a young goat, and dipped the robe in its blood.

  5. Genesis 37:32 כְּתֹ֣נֶת הַכְּתֹ֧נֶת [the] long garment of, ¿ [the] long garment of

    They sent the robe of many colors to their father and said, “We found this. Examine it to see whether it is your son’s robe or not.”

  6. Genesis 37:33 כְּתֹ֣נֶת [it is] [the] long garment of

    His father recognized it and said, “It is my son’s robe! A vicious animal has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces!”

Exodus · 7

  1. Exodus 28:4 וּכְתֹ֥נֶת and a tunic of

    These are the garments that they shall make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a woven tunic, a turban, and a sash. They are to make these holy garments for your brother Aaron and his sons, so that they may serve Me as priests.

    Here: The basic long shirt worn next to the body. Here it is in the bound form "tunic of…", tied to the next word.

  2. Exodus 28:39 הַכְּתֹ֣נֶת the tunic

    You are to weave the tunic with fine linen, make the turban of fine linen, and fashion an embroidered sash.

  3. Exodus 28:40 כֻתֳּנֹ֔ת tunics

    Make tunics, sashes, and headbands for Aaron’s sons, to give them glory and splendor.

  4. Exodus 29:5 הַכֻּתֹּ֔נֶת the tunic

    Take the garments and clothe Aaron with the tunic, the robe of the ephod, the ephod itself, and the breastplate. Fasten the ephod on him with its woven waistband.

  5. Exodus 29:8 כֻּתֳּנֹֽת׃ tunics

    Present his sons as well and clothe them with tunics.

  6. Exodus 39:27 הַכָּתְנֹ֥ת the tunics

    For Aaron and his sons they made tunics of fine linen, the work of a weaver,

  7. Exodus 40:14 כֻּתֳּנֹֽת׃ tunics

    Bring his sons forward and clothe them with tunics.

Leviticus · 4

  1. Leviticus 8:7 הַכֻּתֹּ֗נֶת the tunic

    He put the tunic on Aaron, tied the sash around him, clothed him with the robe, and put the ephod on him. He tied the woven band of the ephod around him and fastened it to him.

  2. Leviticus 8:13 כֻּתֳּנֹת֙ tunics

    Then Moses presented Aaron’s sons, put tunics on them, wrapped sashes around them, and tied headbands on them, just as the LORD had commanded him.

  3. Leviticus 10:5 בְּכֻתֳּנֹתָ֔ם in tunics their

    So they came forward and carried them, still in their tunics, outside the camp, as Moses had directed.

  4. Leviticus 16:4 כְּתֹֽנֶת־ a tunic of

    He is to wear the sacred linen tunic, with linen undergarments. He must tie a linen sash around him and put on the linen turban. These are holy garments, and he must bathe himself with water before he wears them.

    Here: The long shirt-like garment worn next to the body (over the drawers), reaching toward the ankles; the main body garment. Placed first in the sentence, it opens the list of what the high priest must wear.

2 Samuel · 3

  1. 2 Samuel 13:18 כְּתֹ֣נֶת a long garment of

    So Amnon’s attendant threw her out and bolted the door behind her. Now Tamar was wearing a robe of many colors, because this is what the king’s virgin daughters wore.

  2. 2 Samuel 13:19 וּכְתֹ֧נֶת and [the] long garment of

    And Tamar put ashes on her head and tore her robe. And putting her hand on her head, she went away crying aloud.

  3. 2 Samuel 15:32 כֻּתָּנְתּ֔וֹ tunic his

    When David came to the summit, where he used to worship God, Hushai the Archite was there to meet him with his robe torn and dust on his head.

Ezra · 1

  1. Ezra 2:69 וְכָתְנֹ֥ת and tunics of

    According to their ability, they gave to the treasury for this work 61,000 darics of gold, 5,000 minas of silver, and 100 priestly garments.

Nehemiah · 2

  1. Nehemiah 7:70 כָּתְנוֹת֙ garments of

    Some of the heads of the families contributed to the project. The governor gave to the treasury 1,000 darics of gold, 50 bowls, and 530 priestly garments.

  2. Nehemiah 7:72 וְכָתְנֹ֥ת and tunics of

    The rest of the people gave a total of 20,000 darics of gold, 2,000 minas of silver, and 67 priestly garments.

    Here: The long tunic worn next to the body. For priests this was the linen tunic required for service at the altar (Exod 28:39–40).

Job · 1

  1. Job 30:18 כֻתָּנְתִּ֣י tunic my

    With great force He grasps my garment; He seizes me by the collar of my tunic.

Song of Songs · 1

  1. Song of Songs 5:3 כֻּתָּנְתִּ֔י tunic my

    I have taken off my robe—must I put it back on? I have washed my feet—must I soil them again?

Isaiah · 1

  1. Isaiah 22:21 כֻּתָּנְתֶּ֗ךָ tunic your

    I will clothe him with your robe and tie your sash around him. I will put your authority in his hand, and he will be a father to the dwellers of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah.

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