Hebrew Word Study: Swaddling Clothes
Luke 2:7, “And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.”
Ezekiel 16:3-4, “And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto Jerusalem; Thy birth and thy nativity [is] of the land of Canaan; thy father [was] an Amorite, and thy mother a Hittite. And [as for] thy nativity, in the day thou wast born thy navel was not cut, neither wast thou washed in water to supple [thee]; thou wast not salted at all, nor swaddled at all.”
Only Luke talks about Jesus being wrapped in swaddling clothes. Had it not been for this passage in Luke most of us would never have heard of the practice of wrapping a baby in swaddling clothes. This was a practice that would eventually die away around the sixteenth century as it was considered either too barbaric or that it really served no practical purpose at all. It was just a tradition that continued for no other reason than the fact it was tradition. It is even believed by many medical specialists to be harmful to the child.
I know as a child I would hear this utterly strange expression, swaddling clothes. It was an expression that was never used at any time except when we would hear the Christmas story and I would wonder what the blazes are swaddling clothes. The usual answer was that it was just a Bible term for blankets or diapers. Swaddling clothes in the Aramaic is azrura which really means a bandage. The Greek word that is used is esparganosen which is the Greek word for a bandage. We have the word swaddling used in Ezekiel 16:3. The Hebrew word used here is chatal which is the Hebrew word for a bandage. I believe it is safe to say that this was more than just a diaper or a blanket.
The practice of swaddling is a very ancient practice. It is believed to have been devised around the Paleolithic times about 4500 years ago during the Bronze Age around 2600 BC. Archaeologists have uncovered little models of babies wrapped in swaddling clothes dating back to this period. After an infant was born the umbilical cord was cut and tied. In this case, as there was no midwife, either Mary or Joseph would have had to do this. They would then sprinkle the baby with a powder made of dried myrtle leaves. Then they would gently rub the baby’s skin with a very small amount of salt that has been finely grounded into a sort of mortar. It was believed this would make his or her flesh firm. For young Jewish parents, this represented a testimony that the parents would raise the child to be truthful and faithful.
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The swaddling clothes were a square yard of cloth that had a narrow band attached at one corner. The mother would wrap the child in this swaddle with its arms close to its body and its legs stretched out. She would then wind the narrow band around the body from the shoulders to the ankles until the poor little beggar looked like an Egyptian mummy. This little ritual was performed as often as we would change a diaper today and would be done until the child was potty trained. In a practical sense, it was meant to help the bodies grow strong and firm. It is interesting that today medical science has learned that it is best to just leave the poor chap alone, that he will develop naturally without artificial help. It took four thousand years for man to realize that God did a perfectly fine job creating the human creature without artificial intervention. To the Jewish parent, however, this practice carried symbolic meaning, of course, every practice in Judaism carries some symbolism. This was a sign to the parents that they would teach the child to become honest, straightforward, and freed from crookedness.
This brings up the question as to why Luke felt it was important to mention this, not once, but two times, again in verse 12 where the angel tells the shepherds that the child will be found wrapped in swaddling clothes. I mean, big whip, if every baby is wrapped in swaddling clothes just how were the shepherds able to use that to distinguish Jesus from any other baby coming down the pike. That is like going into an Amish community and asking to speak to Mr. Miller. Odds are every other male is a Mr. Miller.
Some say that Luke mentioned this because he was a physician and thus concerned for these details. Obvious, he was nothing close to the skills, education, and training of a physician today and it is a very poor comparison indeed. Colossians 4:14 called him the beloved physician in our English versions. The Greek word used is iatros which most your lexicons will say, means physician. Although the practice of medicine existed in the first century it was not the skill, education nor training of a physician we have and think of today. The Aramaic word used in Colossians 4:14 is assia which is really a healer. An assia is not a surgeon, physician nor dispenser of medicine as was practiced during this time among the Greeks and Romans. An assia was more of a chiropractor who adjusted joints and dislocated bones. He would have been a practitioner of a holistic form of healing. Such practices were professions that were handed down from father to son with no formal medical training nor did they depend upon the practice for a living. So I doubt very much that Luke mentioned the swaddling from a professional standpoint.
More likely he mentioned it from the standpoint of a practitioner of spiritual values rather than medical skills. Luke would have been familiar with the passage in Ezekiel 16:4 where the prophet refers to this custom in his prophecy. In Ezekiel 16 the prophet is speaking out against the citizens of Jerusalem who were unfaithful to God and His commandments and uses the symbolic reference of washing, salting, and swaddling. The failure to perform this tradition was symbolic of disloyalty and unfaithfulness to God. The term swaddling clothes to the Semitic mind was expressing the idea of loyalty and faithfulness to God. Thus, Luke wanted to make sure that this child that was born was not only the Son of God but a Son who would be loyal and faithful to Heavenly Father. So loyal and faithful in fact that He would be one with the Heavenly Father.
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Thanks & Blessings, it means a lot to me!
Very beautiful you guys. Even the comments and glad you mentioned that Diane and looking forward to tomorrows tower of the flock. Marry Christmas.
Thinking about the true reality of the Creator of the Universe coming to earth as a baby so that He could walk among us and show us the true nature of His Father, well, it’s mind-boggling. What an expression of love!
Merry Christmas Celebration, Chaim and Laura, and all who gather here to study more about this amazing love of God.
Thank you & Merry Christmas!
At one time, I had read the the swaddling clothes had something to do with a dead person’s clothes. Rather odd… is there any connection to be made there? Why would someone write that?
In the bok “The Rock, the Road, and the Rabbi”, by Kathie Lee Gifford and Rabbi Jason Sobel, they talk about Jesus’ swaddling clothes and that they could have come from old and worn garments used by the High Priests, and thus Maria could have “inherited” some of Zechariah’s old garments to use for swaddling clothes
Thank you for this exposition. It makes more meaning to me now.
Also in Ezekiel it says the navel was not cut, meaning the umbilical cord.
Swaddling babies is a common and ordinary practice right here and now. Haven’t any of you had babies in a hospital? Swaddling is one of those things you learn about in childbearing classes and may be demonstrated by the nurse at the hospital. It’s not always recommended due to risks of not doing it correctly, but when performed with care it can help the baby sleep better and provide a comforting environment. Your attitude here is kind of flippant and slightly disrespectful to the knowledge some people had in ancient times, Chaim. Luke had a fairly good understanding of the childbearing process because he referred to the movement of the baby inside the mother’s womb.
Blessings and happy holidays. I hope I haven’t been rude. I really value your perspective.
Thank you this beautiful teaching on “swaddling”
May I please share I believe these shepherds tending the fields where not just any shepherds. They knew how to prepare the baby lambs for sacrifice in the Temple. The lambs were wrapped with strips of cloth (perhaps linen) to keep their little hooves from cutting the skin, thus making them a lamb without spot or blemish, fit for sacrifice.
With all my being I believe Yeshua, Jesus was wrapped in like fashion…A portrait of Him who would become our living sacrifice years later. He is our lamb with spot or blemish. God made into human flesh!
John 1:29 says, “Behold the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”
PS my son was born on the back side of the Arabian Desert
March 6th, 1970’. This ancient practice was alive and well then, and also done now in modern times in remote areas and in large towns in the Middle East besides Israel.
You are right. Check out tomorrow’s study on the Tower of the Flock. Not everyone practiced swaddling as cloth was very expensive. Mary and Joseph certainly could not afford to swaddle the baby Jesus, but the elite shepherds guarding the temple lambs which were bred for temple sacrifice had the resources to swaddle the baby because every lamb that was born was swaddled to keep it from acquiring any blemish or spot. Recognizing Jesus as the lamb of God who would be sacrificed for our sins, makes sense he would be swaddled like the sacrificial lambs.
I am looking forward to your teaching on the Tower of the Flock mentioned in Micah. I had never heard of this until recently when I was listening to a well respected pastor on the practice of swaddling the sacrificial lambs.
Spot on Diane. That is exactly the point.
Thank you also son of the way
Thanks for asking…your question was the same as mine, and I was delighted with the reply from CB….tomorrow!
i read that the swaddling clothes were old garments used by the priests in the Temple that were stained with blood and could no longer be used… and that JESUS was wrapped in Priestly garments as a Babe… that the garments, or rags, were given to the poor or sold for a small amt… and if so the reason the practice was discontinued is because there were no more sacrifices in the Temple…
i truly enjoy you Brother, but sometimes your sarcasm is a little sour… i had 5 babies, and little babies love being wrapped in a blanket .. and there are now on the market little sweater like things called swaddling clothes… babies just came from a warm tight place… the swaddling makes them feel more secure… (next time ask a grma) HUGS
Thank you for this nugget! I recieved your book on Aramaic Words and I wonder whats going on that so few admit that Jesus spoke this language but I see the connection in the book of Daniel. Maybe archologist will soon uncover the whole truth and reveal why the New Testament disciples and Jesus spoke in this language. Thank you for all the time and care you put into finding the whole Truth of our Loving God and Savior. Bre bruce; peace in Jesus to all and Happy Birthday to our KING ❤
I have heard the sheperds,who would raise the sheep for passover outside of Bethlehem, were given the white clothes of the High Priest after the day of atonement. They shepaerds used the clothes ro swaddle the new born sheep so they would be unblamished for Passover. What a sight to see Yeshua. Immanel, God with us, wrapped in the High Priest garments used for the sacrificial lamb for Passover.
Teacher,
I have heard many weird and wonderful sermons explaining the swaddling clothes but never this.
Thank you