Deuteronomy 22:12 kjv
Thou shalt make thee fringes upon the four quarters of thy vesture, wherewith thou coverest thyself.
Deuteronomy 22:12 nkjv
"You shall make tassels on the four corners of the clothing with which you cover yourself.
Deuteronomy 22:12 niv
Make tassels on the four corners of the cloak you wear.
Deuteronomy 22:12 esv
"You shall make yourself tassels on the four corners of the garment with which you cover yourself.
Deuteronomy 22:12 nlt
"You must put four tassels on the hem of the cloak with which you cover yourself ? on the front, back, and sides.
Deuteronomy 22 12 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Num 15:37-41 | The LORD said to Moses, "Speak to the people of Israel, and tell them to make tassels... that you may look at it and remember all the commandments..." | Primary command and explicit purpose of tzitzit. |
| Ex 22:26-27 | If you take your neighbor’s cloak as a pledge, you shall restore it to him... for it is his only covering... | Illustrates the common use of the garment. |
| Lev 19:2 | You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy. | Connects obedience to God's commands with holiness. |
| Lev 11:44-45 | For I am the LORD your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy... | Emphasizes holiness as a divine expectation. |
| Deut 6:6-9 | And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart... Bind them as a sign on your hand... write them on the doorposts... | Broader theme of constantly remembering God's law. |
| Deut 8:11 | Take care lest you forget the LORD your God by not keeping His commandments. | Warning against forgetting divine instructions. |
| Ps 119:4 | You have commanded Your precepts to be kept diligently. | Praising God's precepts and human duty. |
| Prov 6:20-22 | My son, keep your father's commandment... They will lead you when you walk; they will guard you when you sleep... | Wisdom's call to remember teaching, similar to tzitzit's function. |
| Isa 30:21 | And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, "This is the way, walk in it..." | God's guidance for walking in His commands. |
| Jer 31:33 | I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. | Prophecy of internalizing God's law, a spiritual fulfillment. |
| Ezek 36:26-27 | I will give you a new heart... and I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes. | God empowering obedience from within. |
| Mal 4:2 | But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. | Prophetic imagery using "wings/corners" (כנפים) metaphorically for divine help. |
| Zech 8:23 | ...ten men from nations of every tongue shall take hold of the cloak of a Jew, saying, "Let us go with you..." | Symbolic imagery of gentiles recognizing and seeking God through Israel. |
| Matt 9:20-21 | And behold, a woman who had suffered... came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment... | Jesus, an observant Jew, wore tzitzit; faith touching it for healing. |
| Mk 5:27-28 | She came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment, for she said, "If I but touch his garments, I will be made well." | Parallel account of the woman touching Jesus' garment's fringe. |
| Lk 8:43-44 | And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood... She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment. | Another parallel account. |
| Matt 23:5 | They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long. | Jesus condemns hypocritical display of tzitzit for outward show. |
| Rom 2:28-29 | For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly... True circumcision is a matter of the heart... | Emphasizes the inward spirit of the law over outward forms alone. |
| Rom 13:8-10 | Love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law... Love is the fulfillment of the law. | New Covenant principle embodying the spirit of the commands. |
| Jas 1:22-25 | But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves... | Reinforces that hearing/remembering must lead to doing. |
| 1 Pet 1:15-16 | But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct... | Echoes Lev 19:2; call to holiness in all aspects of life. |
| Col 2:16-17 | Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink... These are a shadow of the things to come... | Outward observances point to a deeper spiritual reality in Christ. |
| Col 2:20-23 | If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why... do you submit to regulations... which perish with use...? | Warns against reliance on human rules or external practices apart from Christ. |
Deuteronomy 22 verses
Deuteronomy 22 12 Meaning
Deuteronomy 22:12 commands the Israelites to make and attach tassels to the four corners of their outer garment. This law served as a constant visual and tactile reminder for the wearer of their identity as God's covenant people and their obligation to remember and obey His commandments daily, promoting holiness and distinction from surrounding cultures.
Deuteronomy 22 12 Context
Deuteronomy 22 is part of a series of laws presented by Moses, re-emphasizing the covenant between God and Israel as they prepare to enter the Promised Land. This chapter contains a diverse collection of statutes concerning moral conduct, social responsibility, and maintaining the distinctiveness of God's people. Laws include protecting lost property (Deut 22:1-4), proper treatment of animals (Deut 22:6-7), safety in homes (Deut 22:8), and various prohibitions against forbidden mixtures—like sowing two kinds of seed together, plowing with an ox and a donkey, or wearing clothing woven of two different kinds of material (Deut 22:9-11). The command to make tassels immediately follows these "mixed kind" prohibitions, highlighting Israel's call to wholeness and separation for God. Historically, these laws provided a framework for a holy nation, distinct from the surrounding idolatrous cultures, aiming to establish proper conduct in everyday life as an expression of their covenant relationship with God.
Deuteronomy 22 12 Word analysis
- You shall make (עָשָׂה - asah): This verb means "to do," "to make," or "to perform." It indicates a direct divine command that requires active participation and personal responsibility from each Israelite. It is not an optional suggestion but an imperative action.
- for yourself (לְךָ - lekha): The dative pronominal suffix indicates personal application. This was not a command for priests or specific groups, but for every Israelite, underscoring the personal responsibility to adhere to God's law in their daily lives.
- tassels (צִיצִת - tzitzit): This Hebrew term refers to distinctive fringes or tassels. While common ancient Near Eastern garments sometimes had fringes, Israel's tzitzit had specific requirements, most notably the blue thread (tekhelet) as clarified in Num 15:38. The word root suggests "to blossom" or "to flower," potentially linking the tzitzit to the blooming of one's life under God's law. They served as a constant visual and tactile reminder.
- on the four corners (אַרְבַּע כַּנְפוֹת - arba' kanfot): Literally meaning "four wings" or "four extremities." This refers to the four corners or edges of the garment. The number four often denotes universality or comprehensiveness, implying that this reminder applied to all aspects of one's daily life, wherever they went and whatever they did.
- of your cloak (כְּסוּתְךָ - kesuthekha): This term denotes a general outer garment or covering, often a square-shaped mantle that could be used as a coat during the day and a blanket at night (Ex 22:26-27). This indicates that the tzitzit was to be worn on an everyday, functional garment, integrating the reminder into ordinary life rather than being limited to ceremonial occasions.
- with which you cover yourself (תְּכַסֶּה בָּהּ - tekhasseh bah): This phrase clarifies the purpose and constant use of the garment. It emphasizes that the tzitzit were to be on clothing worn regularly, constantly in sight and touch, thereby reinforcing their function as a pervasive reminder of divine precepts.
Deuteronomy 22 12 Bonus section
- The Significance of Tekhelet (Blue Thread): While Deut 22:12 simply mentions "tassels," Num 15:38 specifies that a thread of blue (tekhelet) must be included in each tzitzit. This blue thread was incredibly significant, believed to represent the color of the heavens, the sea, and God's throne (Ex 24:10). Its presence visually connected the wearer to the divine presence, implying that the observation of God's commands brings one into closer communion with the Holy One.
- Holistic Remembrance: The tzitzit engaged multiple senses—sight and touch—to ensure constant remembrance. By having them on an ordinary garment, the command ingrained the spiritual reality into daily, mundane life, blurring the lines between the sacred and the secular. This underscored the comprehensive nature of God's demands on every aspect of an Israelite's existence.
- Contrast to Pagan Practices: In the Ancient Near East, garments often had fringes or borders, sometimes inscribed with magical incantations or associated with deities. Israel's tzitzit with its specific divine origin and purpose of remembrance served as a deliberate counter-cultural statement, differentiating their worship and practice as solely focused on the One true God.
Deuteronomy 22 12 Commentary
Deuteronomy 22:12 provides a tangible commandment that reinforced Israel's identity and calling to holiness. The command to wear tzitzit was not a mere fashion statement but a deeply symbolic act. Its primary purpose, explicitly detailed in Num 15:39-40, was to serve as a perpetual reminder of "all the commandments of the LORD, that you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves by going after the lusts of your own hearts and eyes. Then you will remember to obey all my commands and will be holy to your God." This revealed the spiritual intent: to counter human forgetfulness and the temptation to follow desires that lead away from God. The tzitzit served as a 'portable sermon,' a personal, constant prompt to live righteously. Jesus, as a faithful Jew, also wore tzitzit, as seen when the woman with the hemorrhage touched the "fringe" of His garment and was healed—an act demonstrating faith in His divine power. The rebuke Jesus gave to the Pharisees for making their tzitzit exceptionally long (Matt 23:5) was not against the wearing of the tzitzit itself, but against the hypocritical motivation of performing religious acts for outward show rather than sincere devotion and obedience. The principle extends beyond the literal garment to encourage an inward disposition of obedience where visible actions flow from a heart committed to God's law and distinguished by holiness.