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Fringes

Boyd’s Bible Dictionary:

(fibers). The ornamental hem of the outer garment. Wearing enjoined (Num. 15:37-40³⁷And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, ³⁸Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue: ³⁹And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the Lord, and do them; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring: ⁴⁰That ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God. (Numbers 15:37‑40); Deut. 22:12¹²Thou shalt make thee fringes upon the four quarters of thy vesture, wherewith thou coverest thyself. (Deuteronomy 22:12); Matt. 9:20; 14:36²⁰And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment: (Matthew 9:20)
³⁶And besought him that they might only touch the hem of his garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole. (Matthew 14:36)).

From Manners and Customs of the Bible:

Matthew 9:20²⁰And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment: (Matthew 9:20). Came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment.

See also Luke 8:44⁴⁴Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched. (Luke 8:44).

According to the Mosaic law every Jew was obliged to wear a fringe or tassel at each of the four corners of the outer garment, one thread of each tassel to be deep blue. These tassels were to be to them a perpetual reminder of the law of God, and of their duty to keep it. See Numbers 15:38-39³⁸Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue: ³⁹And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the Lord, and do them; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring: (Numbers 15:38‑39); Deuteronomy 22:12¹²Thou shalt make thee fringes upon the four quarters of thy vesture, wherewith thou coverest thyself. (Deuteronomy 22:12). This was the “hem” which the poor woman touched, supposing there was some peculiar virtue in it. So the people of Gennesaret brought their sick to Christ for a similar purpose. See Mark 6: 56, where the same word in the original, κπισπεὀον is rendered “border.” The Pharisees prided themselves greatly on these tassels, considering them as marks of special sanctity in the wearers, and therefore sought to enlarge their size. See Matthew 23:5⁵But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, (Matthew 23:5).

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