WG: Linen
Overview
Hebrew Scripture uses four distinct words for linen textiles, each carrying different connotations of quality, context, and cultic function. Together they cover the spectrum from raw flax thread to priestly vestments to fine court fabric.
Word Group Members
| Strong's |
Word |
Transliteration |
POS |
Occurrences |
Role in Concept |
Library Entry |
| H906 |
בַּד |
bad |
masc noun |
19 |
Priestly/liturgical linen — the white garments of ordinary priests and Day of Atonement vestments |
H906 |
| H8336 |
שֵׁשׁ |
shesh |
masc noun |
37 |
Fine bleached linen — tabernacle curtains, hangings, and high priestly glory garments |
TODO(need H8336 study) |
| H6593 |
פִּשְׁתֶּה |
pishteh |
fem noun |
15 |
Flax thread/fiber — the raw material; used for common and eschatological priestly garments |
TODO(need H6593 study) |
| H948 |
בּוּץ |
buwts |
masc noun |
8 |
Fine white fabric — post-exilic/Chronicles term for Levitical and court garments |
TODO(need H948 study) |
| H646 |
אֵפוֹד |
ephod |
masc noun |
39 |
The ephod garment — often qualified as "linen ephod" with bad |
TODO(need H646 study) |
| H4370 |
מִכְנָס |
miknas |
masc noun |
5 |
Breeches/drawers — always linen, covering priestly nakedness |
TODO(need H4370 study) |
| H2353 |
חוּר |
chuwr |
masc noun |
2 |
White linen — Persian court white fabric; decorative hangings and royal apparel in Esther |
H2353-chuwr.md |
| H899 |
בֶּגֶד |
beged |
masc noun |
190 |
Generic garment/clothing — qualified by bad in Lev 16 as "linen garments" |
H899-beged.md |
Relationships
Co-occurrence (appear in same verses)
| Word A |
Word B |
Shared Verses |
Typical Context |
| bad (H906) |
ephod (H646) |
4 |
"linen ephod" — Samuel, David, Nob priests (1Sa 2:18, 22:18, 2Sa 6:14, 1Ch 15:27) |
| bad (H906) |
miknas (H4370) |
4 |
"linen breeches" — priestly undergarment (Exo 28:42, 39:28, Lev 16:4) |
| bad (H906) |
beged (H899) |
3 |
"linen garments" — Day of Atonement vestments (Lev 16:4, 23, 32) |
| ephod (H646) |
shesh (H8336) |
4 |
Ephod made of fine linen (Exo 28:6, 39:2) — these are the glory garments |
| beged (H899) |
pishteh (H6593) |
4 |
Garment of flax — leprous garment laws (Lev 13:47-59) |
| bad (H906) |
shesh (H8336) |
1 |
Both appear in Exo 39:28 — bad breeches made of shesh thread |
| bad (H906) |
buwts (H948) |
1 |
David's robe (buwts) and ephod (bad) in 1Ch 15:27 |
LXX Overlaps
| Hebrew Words |
Shared Greek |
Notes |
| bad + beged |
ἐνδύω (G1746) |
Both → "clothe/put on" in LXX (bad 14×, beged 26×) |
| bad + beged |
στολή (G4749) |
Both → "robe/stole" (bad 7×, beged 34×) — Greek conflates what Hebrew distinguishes |
| beged + pishteh |
ἱμάτιον (G2440) |
Both → "garment" (beged 130×, pishteh 5×) |
Roles in the Concept
- Priestly liturgical fabric: bad (בַּד) — the specific linen of priestly service and Day of Atonement; always white, always sacred
- Fine woven fabric: shesh (שֵׁשׁ) — bleached linen for tabernacle furnishings and the glory garments; associated with skilled workmanship and color embroidery
- Raw textile material: pishteh (פִּשְׁתֶּה) — flax as fiber/thread; the agricultural product before it becomes a garment
- Fine court/worship fabric: buwts (בּוּץ) — white linen in post-exilic usage; Levitical singers and Persian court
- Garment types: ephod (H646) and miknas (H4370) are specific garment forms often made from bad; beged (H899) is the generic garment word qualified by bad
Key Passages Where Multiple Group Words Appear Together
- Exo 39:28 — [bad + miknas + shesh] "And a mitre of fine linen (shesh), and goodly bonnets of fine linen (shesh), and linen (bad) breeches (miknas) of fine twined linen (shesh)"
- Lev 16:4 — [bad + miknas + beged] "He shall put on the holy linen (bad) coat, and he shall have the linen (bad) breeches (miknas) upon his flesh, and shall be girded with a linen (bad) girdle"
- 1Ch 15:27 — [bad + ephod + buwts] "And David was clothed with a robe of fine linen (buwts), and all the Levites... and David also had upon him an ephod of linen (bad)"
Generated from: gather_word_group_data.py, search_strongs.py
Last updated: 2026-05-05