Hem
The theological analysis of the biblical term Hem, which in Portuguese refers to "margin," "extremity," "fringe," or "border" of a fabric or object, reveals deep layers of theological significance, especially when contextualized by the corresponding Hebrew and Greek words. In the biblical context, the Hem of a garment, in particular, takes on symbolic and doctrinal importance that transcends its mere lexical definition, pointing to concepts of holiness, authority, identity, and, crucially, the sovereignty and power of God manifested in Christ. From a conservative evangelical Protestant perspective, we will examine how this concept develops from the Mosaic ordinances to its culmination in the person and work of Jesus Christ, emphasizing biblical authority and the centrality of grace.
An understanding of the Hem leads us to explore the nuances of Law and Grace, the nature of faith, and the manifestation of divine power. It is not merely a sartorial detail, but a symbol laden with theology, which teaches us about obedience, the pursuit of purity, and the ultimate source of our healing and salvation. This analysis will seek to unfold the meaning of the Hem in its scriptural progression, revealing its continuous relevance for Christian faith and practice.
1. Etymology and Roots in the Old Testament
In the Old Testament, the concept of the Hem is often associated with the fringes or tassels of garments, primarily through the Hebrew word tzitzit (ציצית). This term, meaning "fringe" or "tassel," is central to the ordinances given by God to Israel. The first significant mention is found in Numbers 15:38-40, where the Lord instructs Moses:
"Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them to make for themselves fringes on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a blue cord on the fringe of each corner. And you shall have the fringe, that you may look at it and remember all the commandments of the Lord and do them, and that you may not follow the lusts of your own heart and your own eyes, after which you used to prostitute yourselves, so that you may remember and do all My commandments and be holy to your God."
This passage reveals the primary purpose of the Hem: to be a visual and tactile reminder of God's commandments. The tzitzit were not mere ornaments, but concrete symbols of the covenant and the holiness required of Israel. The blue cord (tekhelet) was particularly significant, as blue was associated with the sky, the throne of God, and royalty, connecting the people with divine sovereignty.
Another relevant Hebrew word is kanaph (כנף), which means "wing," "extremity," or "border of a garment." Although it does not refer directly to the commanded fringes, kanaph carries connotations of protection, shelter, and authority. A notable example is found in the story of Ruth, when she asks Boaz: "Spread your cloak over your servant, for you are a kinsman-redeemer" (Ruth 3:9). Here, the "border" or Hem of Boaz's garment symbolizes his protection and his legal right as a redeemer, a type of Christ who extends his covering over his people.
The use of the Hem in the Old Testament, therefore, transcends the legalistic aspect. It was a pedagogical instrument for memory and obedience, a symbol of Israel's identity as God's people, and an emblem of their separation for holiness. The Hem of the garment served as a visible boundary between the sacred and the profane, reminding the believer of their responsibility to fulfill the divine Law and to remain pure before the Lord.
The progressive development of revelation shows that, although the tzitzit were a specific ordinance for Israel under the Old Covenant, the principle behind them – the constant remembrance of God's Word and the pursuit of holiness – is a perennial theme. The Hem, as a physical reminder, pointed to a spiritual reality of submission and consecration to Yahweh. Calvin, in his commentaries on the Pentateuch, emphasizes that such ordinances, though ceremonial, had a moral and spiritual purpose, educating the people in piety and obedience.
2. The Hem in the New Testament and its Significance
In the New Testament, the Greek word that most directly corresponds to the Hem of a garment is kraspedon (κράσπεδον). This term is used in various contexts, but gains prominence in the Gospel narratives, especially in relation to Jesus. The most iconic use of kraspedon occurs in the healing stories, where people's faith is directed toward the Hem of Jesus' cloak.
The most famous of these narratives is that of the woman who had suffered from a hemorrhage for twelve years. She believed that if she only touched the Hem of Jesus' cloak, she would be healed. Matthew 9:20-22 relates: "And behold, a woman who had suffered from a hemorrhage for twelve years came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His cloak for she was saying to herself, 'If I only touch His garment, I will get well.' But Jesus, turning and seeing her, said, 'Daughter, take courage your faith has made you well.' And at once the woman was made well."
Parallel passages in Mark 5:27-34 and Luke 8:44-48 confirm this miraculous event. Here, the Hem of Jesus' cloak is not a mere object, but a point of contact for faith. The woman did not seek healing in the wool or linen of the fabric, but in the power that emanated from Christ, which she believed to be associated with His person and, symbolically, with His garment. The Hem, in this context, becomes a symbol of the proximity and accessibility of Christ's saving and healing power.
It is crucial to note that Jesus does not rebuke the woman for her action, but praises her faith. This demonstrates that the Hem of His garment, which probably included the tzitzit as was customary among observant Jews, functioned as a visible extension of His authority and holiness. It represented the Law that He came to fulfill (Matthew 5:17) and the divine power that He possessed.
In contrast, Jesus also uses the term kraspedon to criticize the hypocrisy of the Pharisees in Matthew 23:5: "They do all their deeds to be noticed by men for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments." The Pharisees, by lengthening the Hems of their garments, were distorting the original purpose of the tzitzit. Instead of a humble reminder of God's Law, they became a symbol of self-righteousness and religious ostentation, evidencing a faith based on external works and not on the sincerity of the heart.
The relationship of the Hem with the person and work of Christ is, therefore, multifaceted. He wore the tzitzit as an observant Jew, indicating His submission to the Law. At the same time, He was the source of life-transforming power, and the Hem of His garment served as a point of contact for genuine faith. There is a clear continuity with the Old Testament inasmuch as the Hem still points to holiness and the divine Law. However, there is a fundamental discontinuity: the power no longer resides in the symbol itself, but in the person who wears it – Jesus Christ, the incarnate Word, who is the fullness of the Law and the source of all healing and salvation.
3. The Hem in Pauline Theology: The Basis of Salvation
Although the apostle Paul does not explicitly use the term kraspedon or make direct reference to the Hems of garments in his epistles, the theological principles he addresses regarding Law, works, and faith provide a crucial context for understanding the significance of the Hem in the theology of salvation. For Paul, the Hem, as a symbol of Law observance and external practices of piety, would be a perfect example of what he contrasts with justification by faith.
In Romans and Galatians, Paul vehemently argues that salvation is not attained through observance of the Law or by any human works, but solely through faith in Jesus Christ. The Hem, as a legal commandment and a marker of religious identity in Judaism, could easily be misinterpreted as a means to gain merit or righteousness before God. Paul refutes this idea, stating in Romans 3:28: "For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the Law."
Pauline theology emphasizes that the Law, with all its precepts and symbols like the Hem, was given to reveal sin and humanity's inability to achieve self-righteousness. Galatians 3:24 declares: "So the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith." Thus, the Hem, in its original function as a reminder of the Law, indirectly points to the need for a Savior, for the Law itself cannot impart life (Galatians 3:21).
The Hem symbolizes the external righteousness that the Pharisees sought to display, a "righteousness based on the Law" that Paul rejects in favor of the "righteousness from God that depends on faith in Christ" (Philippians 3:9). The doctrine of sola fide (faith alone) is central here. It is not the touch of the Hem of a sacred garment, nor the public display of its length, that saves, but genuine faith in the power and person of Jesus Christ. The healing of the woman with the flow of blood, through faith in Jesus' Hem, serves as a powerful pre-Pauline illustration of sola fide, where her faith is the agent, and the Hem is merely the object of contact with the source of power.
In the ordo salutis (order of salvation), justification is the act of God that declares the sinner righteous based on the imputed righteousness of Christ, received by faith. The Hem, as a symbol of the Law, does not contribute to this justification. On the contrary, sanctification, which is the continuous process of being transformed into the image of Christ, is a result of saving grace, not a condition for it. Obedience to God's commandments, which the tzitzit were intended to recall, is now motivated by love and gratitude for the salvation already received, and not by the desire to earn divine favor.
Glorification, the final stage of salvation, is the complete redemption of body and soul in the presence of God. This process is not aided by rituals or external symbols, but is guaranteed by the finished work of Christ on the cross. Therefore, for Paul, the Hem, in its connotation of legal observance, is fundamentally eclipsed by the glory of Christ and the sufficiency of His work. The apostle John Calvin, in his Institutes of the Christian Religion, reiterates that any attempt to add works or rituals to faith for salvation is an affront to God's grace and the perfection of Christ's work.
4. Aspects and Types of the Hem
The analysis of the Hem reveals different aspects and types of its theological significance. We can distinguish the Hem as a symbol of the divine Law, the Hem as a point of contact for faith, and the Hem as an object of Pharisaic ostentation. Each of these aspects offers a distinct nuance for our understanding.
First, the Hem as a symbol of the divine Law (the tzitzit of Numbers 15) represents the common grace of God, in the sense that the Law was revealed to an entire nation, offering a path to righteousness and a remembrance of His sovereignty. However, it also points to special grace, for the Law reveals the need for a Savior, preparing the ground for Christ's work. The Hem served as a constant reminder that the believer's life should be guided by God's commandments, a manifestation of the holiness required by the Lord.
Second, the Hem of Jesus' cloak (the kraspedon) represents the healing and saving power of Christ, accessible by faith. This is a type of special grace, where divine power is manifested through a physical point of contact, but activated by the individual's saving faith. The woman with the hemorrhage did not touch the Hem as an act of magic, but as an act of faith in the Messiah. The reformer Charles Spurgeon often preached about the simplicity of faith, illustrating how the touch of Jesus' Hem was a vivid example of reaching Christ by faith, not by complex works or rituals.
Third, the lengthened Hem of the Pharisees (Matthew 23:5) illustrates a serious doctrinal error: legalism and hypocrisy. Here, the Hem, which ought to be a humble reminder of obedience to God, is perverted into a symbol of self-righteousness and religious vanity. This is an error that Reformed theology consistently combats, for it shifts the focus from God's grace to human merit, emptying the cross of its power. Martin Luther, in his struggle against indulgences and the legalism of the medieval church, would have seen in the ostentation of the Hems a parallel to the practices that obscured the truth of the gospel.
The history of Reformed theology has always defended the balance between Law and Gospel. The Law (symbolized by the Hem) reveals sin and our need for Christ, while the Gospel offers salvation by grace through faith. The theologian Martyn Lloyd-Jones, in his expositions on the Sermon on the Mount, often warned against religious superficiality and the pursuit of external righteousness, which the Pharisees exemplified with their lengthened Hems.
Doctrinal errors to be avoided include superstition, where inherent power is attributed to the physical object (the Hem) instead of to the divine source of power (Christ). Another error is legalism, which transforms symbols of obedience into means of salvation or ostentation. The Hem reminds us that God values purity of heart and genuine faith, not the external display of religiosity. True holiness does not reside in external conformity to rituals, but in the internal transformation wrought by the Holy Spirit.
5. The Hem and the Practical Life of the Believer
The practical application of the concept of the Hem in the life of the believer is rich and multifaceted, even though there is no literal ordinance for Christians to wear fringes on their garments today. The Hem, as a symbol, invites us to reflect on perennial principles of the evangelical Protestant Christian faith: obedience, holiness, faith, and the centrality of Christ.
Firstly, the Hem, in its original function as a reminder of God's commandments, exhorts us to personal responsibility and obedience. Although we are not under the Mosaic Law for salvation, we are called to obey God's moral Law, expressed in the Ten Commandments and summarized in love for God and neighbor. This obedience, however, is not a means to gain favor, but a response of gratitude to God's saving grace (Romans 12:1-2). The Hem, figuratively, reminds us to keep God's Word always before our eyes and in our hearts, so that we may live in a manner that pleases Him.
The relationship with saving faith is evident in the woman who touched Jesus' Hem. Her faith was not in a ritual, but in the power of Christ. For the believer today, this means that our trust should not be in external symbols, religious practices, or our own works, but solely in the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ. Jesus' Hem reminds us that He is the source of all healing, deliverance, and eternal life, and that His accessibility is universal for those who come to Him with faith (John 6:37).
The Hem also shapes our piety, worship, and service. Genuine piety avoids the ostentation and hypocrisy of the Pharisees. We do not seek to "lengthen the Hems" of our religiosity to be seen by men, but cultivate a sincere faith and a humble heart before God (Matthew 6:1-6). Our worship must be in spirit and in truth, not in empty rituals. Our service must be motivated by love for Christ and neighbor, seeking God's glory, not human recognition.
For the contemporary church, the concept of the Hem serves as a warning against legalism and formalism. We must be vigilant not to transform the Christian faith into a series of external rules or a culture of religious exhibitionism. True spirituality resides in the inner transformation by the Holy Spirit, which manifests in fruits of righteousness and love, and not in mere symbols or external practices without substance (Galatians 5:22-23). The church must always point to Christ as the sole source of salvation and power.
Pastoral exhortations based on the term Hem include: first, the exhortation to constant memory of God's Word, just as the tzitzit were a reminder (Psalm 119:11). Second, the exhortation to unwavering faith in Christ, seeking in Him healing and the fullness of life, like the woman with the flow of blood. Third, the exhortation to humility and authenticity, avoiding the hypocrisy and religious ostentation that Jesus condemned in the Pharisees.
The balance between doctrine and practice is essential. The doctrine of the Hem, although derived from an apparently simple concept, teaches us about the complex relationship between Law and Grace, faith and works, the holiness of God and human responsibility. It reminds us that, although symbols and ordinances may have their pedagogical function, true life and power come from a personal and transformative relationship with Jesus Christ, the incarnate Word, who is the true Hem of our salvation and the fullness of all divine revelation.