Hebrew word · H4370

מִכְנָס

umikhnesei-

undergarment

A technical word for the priests' linen drawers. It appears only five times: Exod 28:42; 39:28; Lev 6:10 (6:3 in Hebrew); 16:4; Ezek 44:18. The dual ending ('a pair of') fits a garment with two leg-holes.

Appears 5 times in 5 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

1) underwear, drawers, trousers

1a) a priestly undergarment 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 28:42

Range of meaning

A technical word for the priests' linen drawers. It appears only five times: Exod 28:42; 39:28; Lev 6:10 (6:3 in Hebrew); 16:4; Ezek 44:18. The dual ending ('a pair of') fits a garment with two leg-holes. Lexicons usually link it to the root k-n-s, 'to gather in, enclose', so it is a garment that encloses the lower body.

Against the English

KJV 'breeches' and BSB/NIV/ESV 'undergarments' are reasonable. WEB 'pants' and YLT 'trousers' suggest a full-length outer garment to a modern ear, but this was a short undergarment ending on the thigh.

How it drifted

'Trousers' and 'pants' have come to mean full-length legwear in modern English (in American English 'pants' means trousers, not underwear), so those renderings now give the wrong length and the wrong layer.

Used elsewhere in the period

The Greek translation of the Old Testament, the Septuagint (LXX), uses periskelē, 'leg-coverings'. The Latin Vulgate has feminalia, 'thigh-coverings'. Josephus (Antiquities 3.152) describes the priest's undergarment, which he calls by a Hebrew name rendered manachasēs, as a linen covering round the private parts that the priest stepped into like trousers. He says it was cut off at the thighs and tied tight there. The Mishnah (Yoma 7:5) counts the breeches among the four garments of an ordinary priest: tunic, breeches, turban and sash.

From the study of Leviticus 16:4

Range of meaning

Drawers or breeches: linen undershorts. The word appears only for priests (Exod 28:42; 39:28; Lev 6:10; 16:4; Ezek 44:18). Exod 28:42 gives their purpose and length: 'to cover the flesh of nakedness; from the loins to the thighs they shall reach.' The root k-n-s means 'gather, enclose'.

Against the English

KJV 'breeches' and WEB 'trousers' both suggest longer legwear than the text describes, and 'trousers' especially suggests full-length legs. ESV, NIV, NASB and BSB 'undergarment(s)' is accurate about function but vague about shape.

How it drifted

'Breeches' (knee-length) and 'trousers' (ankle-length) are later European garment types laid over a short Near Eastern undergarment.

Used elsewhere in the period

Exod 20:26 forbids steps up to the altar so that the priest's nakedness will not be exposed. The drawers serve the same concern. The Vulgate's paraphrase here says the linen drawers will 'hide his shameful parts'. Josephus (Ant. 3.152) describes the priestly drawers and transliterates their name.

From the study of Leviticus 6:10

Range of meaning

Drawers or breeches. The word is always plural (or dual) and probably comes from a root meaning 'to gather, enclose.' It appears only five times (Exod 28:42; 39:28; Lev 6:10; 16:4; Ezek 44:18), always for priests' linen undergarments.

Against the English

KJV 'breeches' suggests knee-length trousers. BSB 'undergarments' is closer. Exodus 28:42 defines them as reaching 'from the hips to the thighs' to 'cover the flesh of nakedness,' so they were linen shorts or a loincloth-style garment.

How it drifted

'Breeches' was ordinary 1611 English for men's lower garments and now sounds like riding trousers.

Used elsewhere in the period

Exodus 28:42–43 says priests must wear them 'so that they do not incur guilt and die' when approaching the altar. Exodus 20:26 forbids altar steps 'so that your nakedness is not exposed on it.' Josephus describes the priestly undergarment (Antiquities 3.152).

Where it appears

Exodus · 2

  1. Exodus 28:42 מִכְנְסֵי־ undergarments of

    Make linen undergarments to cover their bare flesh, extending from waist to thigh.

    Here: A two-legged garment worn next to the skin, a 'pair' of drawers (the Hebrew form is a dual, used for things that come in twos). Here it is joined to the next word: 'drawers of linen'.

  2. Exodus 39:28 מִכְנְסֵ֥י [the] undergarments of

    as well as the turban of fine linen, the ornate headbands and undergarments of finely spun linen,

    Here: Linen drawers reaching from waist to thigh (Exod 28:42), probably from a root meaning 'to gather in, enclose'. The word normally comes in a 'pair' form, like English 'trousers'. They kept the priest's genitals covered while he served at the altar.

Leviticus · 2

  1. Leviticus 6:10 וּמִֽכְנְסֵי־ and undergarments of

    And the priest shall put on his linen robe and linen undergarments, and he shall remove from the altar the ashes of the burnt offering that the fire has consumed and place them beside it.

    Here: "And drawers of." A garment always named in the plural, like English "trousers." Exodus 28:42 defines them as linen shorts reaching from the waist to the thighs, to cover the priest's private parts.

  2. Leviticus 16:4 וּמִֽכְנְסֵי־ and undergarments 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: "And drawers of": short linen underpants reaching from the waist to the thighs (Exod 28:42). They existed to keep the priest's nakedness covered in the sanctuary. The word is plural/dual, like English "pants".

Ezekiel · 1

  1. Ezekiel 44:18 וּמִכְנְסֵ֣י and undergarments of

    They are to wear linen turbans on their heads and linen undergarments around their waists. They must not wear anything that makes them perspire.

    Here: 'And breeches of', the short linen drawers that covered a priest from waist to thigh. In Exodus 28:42 they exist so that a priest's 'nakedness' is never exposed at the altar.

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