בֶּ֫גֶד

From the study of 1 Samuel 19:13

Range of meaning

Garment of any kind, especially the outer wrap or cloak, which also served as a blanket at night (Exod 22:26–27; Deut 24:13). Also covers cloth in general.

Against the English

KJV has 'cloth', ESV and WEB 'the clothes', BSB 'a garment', NLT 'blankets'. All are acceptable, but 'blankets' hides that a beged is clothing, possibly David's own cloak.

Used elsewhere in the period

Very common across the Hebrew Bible. In the laws on garments taken as pledges, the poor man's outer wrap is his night covering.

From the study of Proverbs 6:27

Range of meaning

Garment, robe, clothing in general. Elsewhere it can also mean a covering or blanket.

Against the English

'Clothes' and 'garments' are both accurate.

Used elsewhere in the period

Common. Hebrew has a verb spelled with the same consonants, bagad, 'to act treacherously,' which is used for marital unfaithfulness (Malachi 2:14–16; Jeremiah 3:20). Whether the noun and verb are really related, and whether a pun is intended here, is disputed.

From the study of Exodus 28:2

Range of meaning

Garment, clothing, covering, in the most general sense. It is used for ordinary clothes, torn clothes in mourning, and priestly vestments.

Against the English

'Garments' in all major versions. The ordinary word matters: Hebrew has no special term for 'vestments'. What makes these clothes special is the qualifier 'of holiness'.

Used elsewhere in the period

It is common throughout the Hebrew Bible (e.g. Gen 39:12; Lev 13:47). In priestly texts it appears as bigdei qodesh and 'the garments of service' (bigdei ha-serad, Exod 31:10; 39:1). There is a separate verb bagad, 'to act treacherously', which looks the same. Later preachers sometimes played on the two, but the verse itself makes no such connection.