Topic
Wool
25 passages cited, from 4 classic reference works.
These works date from 1884–1915 and are in the public domain. They reflect the Protestant scholarship of their time: their history, archaeology and dates can be out of date, and where they interpret, other traditions read the text differently. The verses are shown in the King James Version, the wording these works were written against.
The verses
The passages the works cite, those cited by more of them first.
- Leviticus 19:19Easton · ISBE · Nave Mixing of, with other fabrics forbidden
¶ Ye shall keep my statutes. Thou shalt not let thy cattle gender with a diverse kind: thou shalt not sow thy field with mingled seed: neither shall a garment mingled of linen and woollen come upon thee.
- Deuteronomy 22:11Easton · Smith · Nave Mixing of, with other fabrics forbidden
¶ Thou shalt not wear a garment of divers sorts, as of woollen and linen together.
- Proverbs 31:13Smith · ISBE · Nave Used for clothing
She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.
- Ezekiel 34:3Smith · ISBE · Nave Used for clothing
Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock.
- Leviticus 13:47Easton · Smith
¶ The garment also that the plague of leprosy is in, whether it be a woollen garment, or a linen garment;
- Leviticus 13:48Easton · ISBE
Whether it be in the warp, or woof; of linen, or of woollen; whether in a skin, or in any thing made of skin;
- Leviticus 13:59Easton · Nave Used for clothing
This is the law of the plague of leprosy in a garment of woollen or linen, either in the warp, or woof, or any thing of skins, to pronounce it clean, or to pronounce it unclean.
- Deuteronomy 18:4Easton · Nave First fleece of, belonged to the priests
The firstfruit also of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the first of the fleece of thy sheep, shalt thou give him.
- Judges 6:37ISBE · Nave Fleece of
Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth beside, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said.
- Ezekiel 27:18Easton · Smith
Damascus was thy merchant in the multitude of the wares of thy making, for the multitude of all riches; in the wine of Helbon, and white wool.
- Ezekiel 44:17ISBE · Nave Used for clothing
¶ And it shall come to pass, that when they enter in at the gates of the inner court, they shall be clothed with linen garments; and no wool shall come upon them, whiles they minister in the gates of the inner court, and within.
- Hosea 2:5Smith · ISBE
For their mother hath played the harlot: she that conceived them hath done shamefully: for she said, I will go after my lovers, that give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, mine oil and my drink.
Show 13 more
- Leviticus 13:47–52 Nave Used for clothing
- Leviticus 13:52 Easton
- Numbers 19:6 ISBE
- Deuteronomy 2:11 ISBE
- 2 Kings 3:1 Smith
- 2 Kings 3:4 ISBE
- Job 31:20 Smith
- Psalms 147:16 ISBE
- Isaiah 1:18 ISBE
- Daniel 7:9 ISBE
- Hosea 2:9 ISBE
- Hebrews 9:19 ISBE
- Revelation 1:14 ISBE
In the reference works
Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897) · 8 references
One of the first material used for making woven cloth (Lev. 13:47, 48, 52, 59; 19:19). The first-fruit of wool was to be offered to the priests (Deut. 18:4). The law prohibiting the wearing of a garment “of divers sorts, as of woollen and linen together” (Deut. 22:11) may, like some other laws of a similar character, have been intended to express symbolically the separateness and simplicity of God’s covenant people. The wool of Damascus, famous for its whiteness, was of great repute in the Tyrian market (Ezek. 27:18).
Smith's Bible Dictionary (1884) · 8 references
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915) · 16 references
wool (tsemer; erion): Wool and flax were the fibers most used by the ancient weavers. Wool was used principally for the outside garments (Le 13:48 ff; Pr 31:13; Eze 34:3; Ho 2:5,9). Syrian wool is found on the world's markets today, but it is not rated as first quality, partly because it is so contaminated with thorns, straw and other foreign matter which become entangled with the wool while the sheep are wandering over the barren, rocky mountain sides in search of food. Extensive pastures are almost unknown.
Two kinds of wool are sold:
(1) That obtained by shearing. This is removed from the animal as far as possible in one piece or fleece usually without previous washing. The fleeces are gathered in bales and carried to a washing-place, which is usually one of the stony river beds, with but a small stream flowing through it during the summer. The river bed is chosen because the rocks are clean and free from little sticks or straw which would cling to the washed wool. The purchaser of this washed wool submits it to a further washing with soap, ishnan (alkali plant), "soapwort", or other cleansing agent (see FULLER), and then cards it before spinning and weaving. The wool thus obtained is nearly snow white.
(2) The second supply of wool is from the tanneries where the wool is removed from the skins with slaked lime (see TANNER). This is washed in many changes of water and used for stuffing mattresses, quilts, etc., but not for weaving.
Gideon used a fleece of wool to seek an omen from God (Jud 6:37). Mesha, king of Moab, sent a large quantity of wool as a tribute to the king of Israel (2Ki 3:4). Wool was forbidden to be woven with linen (De 2:11; compare Le 19:19). Priests could not wear woolen garments (Eze 44:17). Wool dyed scarlet with the qermes was used in the blood-covenant ceremony (Heb 9:19; compare Le 14; Nu 19:6).
The whiteness of wool was used for comparison
(1) with snow (Ps 147:16);
(2) with sins forgiven (Isa 1:18);
(3) with hair (Da 7:9; Re 1:14).
James A. Patch
In the topical indexes
Nave's Topical Bible (1896) · 10 references, grouped by sub-topic
Texts: Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897); Smith's Bible Dictionary (1884); International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915); Nave's Topical Bible (1896), from the CrossWire SWORD modules (public domain). Verse references were parsed from the works' own markup and checked against the KJV verse list.