In one of your articles, you mentioned that\u00a0Exodus 28:42\u00a0means from the waist to and including the thighs. What is your source for this interpretation?<\/p>\n\t
“And you shall make for them linen trousers to cover their nakedness; they shall reach from the waist to the thighs<\/i>” (Exodus 28:42).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
This verse was discussed in the following articles:<\/p>\n
\n
- What is Wrong with Mixed Swimming?<\/a><\/li>\n
- Is it okay for boys and girls to swim together?<\/a><\/li>\n
- Clothing<\/a><\/li>\n
- Modest Apparel<\/a><\/li>\n
- Proper Attire: Growing Up in the Lord (Boys)<\/a><\/li>\n
- Proper Attire: Growing Up in the Lord (Girls)<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Just how long were the priest’s breeches? Did they reach from the waist (or hips) to the top of the thighs, making them equivalent to modern-day briefs? Or, did they go from the waist to the knees, covering the thighs and thus being equivalent to modern-day long shorts? Or, were they something in between, such as modern-day boxer shorts?<\/p>\n
Why do we care? One point consistently made in the Scriptures is that clothing is meant to cover a person’s nakedness. Nakedness is the exposure, directly or indirectly, of a person’s sexual organs. People often want to know how short is too short, especially when it comes to swimming outfits.<\/p>\n
Exodus 28:42\u00a0is often cited because even though the priests were fully clothed in tunics (long shirts that reached to the knees or below), they were to wear\u00a0miknac<\/i>\u00a0under their tunics. The article of clothing is described as reaching from the waist to the thighs. The word for “to”,\u00a0adh<\/i> in Hebrew, can either include or exclude the endpoint. For example, in Genesis 11:31, traveling to Haran meant that Haran was included in the journey, serving as the endpoint. In Joshua 12:3, when describing the extent of a tribe’s territory, it is described as going from the Sea of Chinneroth\u00a0to the Mediterranean Sea. Here, the endpoints are the limits and are not included. Hence, the definition of “to” does not solve the question of whether the thighs were included in the coverage. Therefore, we turn to the definition of miknac<\/i>.<\/p>\n
Josephus (AD 37 to 101), in\u00a0Antiquities of the Jews<\/i>, III:vii:1, said, “and, in the first place, he puts on that which is called\u00a0Machanase<\/i>, which means somewhat that is fast tied. It is a girdle, composed of fine twined linen, and is put about the privy parts, the feet being inserted into them, like breeches; but above half of it is cut off, and it ends at the thighs and is there tied off.” In other words, Josephus is saying they were half-length pants that were tied both around the waist and at the lower end of the thighs.<\/p>\n
In the\u00a0Complete Biblical Library<\/i>, under entry 4507\u00a0mikhnas<\/i>, in the Hebrew dictionary, it is stated, “Of the priestly garments, the underwear was primarily functional rather than symbolic. They extended from the waist to a little above the knees and were worn as an undergarment for reasons of propriety.”<\/p>\n
In the\u00a0Illustrated Bible Dictionary<\/i>, published by Tyndale, under Dress: Dress of priests, it says, “The ordinary priests wore during the liturgical service a cloth which covered the hips and thighs.”<\/p>\n
An interesting passage to include in our consideration is\u00a0Isaiah 47:2-3: “Take the millstones and grind meal. Remove your veil, take off the skirt, uncover the thigh, pass through the rivers. Your nakedness shall be uncovered, Yes, your shame will be seen; I will take vengeance, and I will not arbitrate with a man<\/i>.” Uncovering the thigh is equated to exposing a person’s nakedness. The thigh is the upper portion of the leg from the knee to the hip.<\/p>\n
There is a Hebrew word for a garment that only covers the loins, the pubic region from the waist to the hips, but not including the thighs. The word\u00a0“chagorah”<\/em>\u00a0is used in\u00a0Genesis 3:7. Adam and Eve, even though wearing these garments, hid from God because they were naked (Genesis 3:10).<\/p>\n
Just in case anyone wants to argue that covering the front side of the body is the primary concern, a passage from Isaiah tells us that exposure of the backside is equally shameful. “So shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptians as prisoners and the Ethiopians as captives, young and old, naked and barefoot, with their buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt<\/i>” (Isaiah 20:4).<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Question: In one of your articles, you mentioned that\u00a0Exodus 28:42\u00a0means from the waist to and including the thighs. What is your source for this interpretation? Answer: “And you shall make for them linen trousers to cover their nakedness; they shall reach from the waist to the thighs” (Exodus 28:42). This verse was discussed in the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[208,366,484,365,206,268,277],"class_list":["post-2742","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-answer","tag-clothing","tag-dress","tag-exodus","tag-modesty","tag-nakedness","tag-old-testament","tag-priests"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":91734,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/should-we-use-the-old-testament-to-bind-covering-our-thighs\/","url_meta":{"origin":2742,"position":0},"title":"Should we use the Old Testament to bind covering our thighs?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 1, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Good evening, Should we use Exodus 28:42 to bind covering our thighs all the way down to the knees? There has recently been controversy over whether the context of this verse provides a clear indication of what the Hebrew word yarek refers to. I've heard sermons from both sides,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":61941,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-length-pants-or-shorts-should-men-wear\/","url_meta":{"origin":2742,"position":1},"title":"What length pants or shorts should men wear?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 18, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hello, I attend a church of Christ here in a small town. I had a question regarding modesty. I've studied tremendously on this topic and am still left with questions. Your articles are very sound and accurate so I figured you could help: Are shorts ok to wear that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":7415,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-does-the-bible-say-about-wearing-pants-low\/","url_meta":{"origin":2742,"position":2},"title":"What does the Bible say about wearing pants low?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 9, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: What do the Scriptures say about guys and girls wearing pants below their backside? Answer: You won't find a direct passage because the style of dress in biblical days is quite different from modern times. However, you can find numerous guidelines which help us understand what is and is\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/09\/sagging-300x225.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4692,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-does-uncover-the-nakedness-mean\/","url_meta":{"origin":2742,"position":3},"title":"What does “uncover the nakedness” mean?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 25, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: In Leviticus 18:6-19, the phrase \"uncover the nakedness\" is used repeatedly. What is meant by this phrase? Answer: There are three sets of words in the Hebrew that are translated as naked or nakedness. The Hebrew adjective 'arom\u00a0refers to being without clothing. It can mean without any clothes or\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":20155,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-is-the-difference-between-principle-and-standard-and-how-does-this-apply-to-modesty\/","url_meta":{"origin":2742,"position":4},"title":"What is the difference between principle and standard and how does this apply to modesty?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 13, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Could you\u00a0explain\u00a0the following for me, please? Basically, I would like for you to tell me what the difference between a \"principle\" and a \"standard\" is and give me your take on a sermon. The preacher is basically saying that Christians can't use the Old Testament to bind standards of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2745,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-is-wrong-with-mixed-swimming\/","url_meta":{"origin":2742,"position":5},"title":"What is Wrong with Mixed Swimming?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 7, 2005","format":false,"excerpt":"Text: Ephesians 4:17-24 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Let\u2019s first define the issue. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a01.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0It is not whether boys and girls can participate in the same activity. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0a.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0There are plenty of sports and other activities where both men and women participate. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0b.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Often, as adolescence is reached, boys and girls will separate, mostly because men and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sermon"","block_context":{"text":"Sermon","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/sermon\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2742","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2742"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2742\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2742"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2742"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2742"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}