Understanding the Difficult Words of Jesus�

“The Hem of His Garment”�By Dr. Richard Booker�

Modern scholars have greater access to documents and research developments�relating to first-century Judaism than at any other time in history. Many scholars, who�only a few years ago were trying to disprove the Bible, are now working together to�gain a better understanding of the ancient culture in which Jesus lived. Archaeological�finds have become so plentiful that some have hailed these times as the beginning of�a golden age of biblical archaeology.�

All of these discoveries have not only given us further proof of the veracity of the�Bible, but have given us a greater understanding of the period in which Jesus lived�out His life on the earth and further evidence of the Jewishness of His teaching. He�was Jewish and His teachings reflect His Jewishness.�

The church at Rome was admonished by Paul that the Christian faith was never�intended to be a repudiation of its Jewish roots, but rather, the engrafted Gentile�Church was actually a branch that grew out of these roots (Rom. 11:18). The essence�of these teachings is that without Judaism there would be no Christianity.�

Perhaps the most convincing evidence of the thorough-going Jewishness of Jesus is�His method of teaching Over the past fifty years, studies of the Jewish nature of the�early Church have brought to light many new insights into the first century docu-�ments, especially concerning the idioms and Galilean teaching methods of Jesus. In�these articles we will study some of the more common idioms in the life of Jesus and�His disciples.�

The Tzitzit and Prophecy�

One important Jewish concept, which is often missed in English translations of the�Bible, concerns the story of a woman with an issue of blood, recorded in Matthew�9:20-21. Having heard that the Messiah was near, the woman said within herself, "If�I may but touch His garment, I shall be whole." The text indicates that it was�specifically the hem of His garment that she touched, an important detail from an�Hebraic viewpoint.�

The English word hem is a translation of a Greek word meaning a tassel of twisted�wool. The woman was, in fact, reaching for the tassels on Jesus prayer shawl. In�

Hebrew, these tassels, which are attached to the corners of the prayer shawl, are�called tzitzit. They were, and still are, worn by observant Jews in fulfillment of the�biblical commandments found in Numbers 15:37-41 and Deuteronomy 22:12 and�are intended to remind the people of God s commandments.�

In Numbers 15:38 the word translated border or corner is a Hebrew word which can�also be translated wings as it is some seventy-six times in the biblical text. For this�reason, the corners of the prayer shawl are often called wings. Each tzitzit consists�of five double knots and eight threads, a total of thirteen elements. This number�added to six hundred, the Hebraic numerical value of the word tzitzit points to the�six hundred and thirteen commandments of the Torah.�

The Tzitzit and Jesus�

In Jesus' day, Jewish men wore a simple tunic both at home and at work. When�appearing in public, they would cover their tunic with a large rectangular cloth which�draped over the shoulder and fell to the ankles. This cloth was called a tallit and�served as protection from cold and rain. Hanging from the end of each of its four�corners (wings) was a tzitzit in obedience to the biblical command.�

Through the centuries, during times of persecution, Jews were often forbidden to�wear the tzitzit on the outside of their garments. This forced them to wear a small�four-cornered tallit under their shirts. Today the prayer shawl is called a tallit.�

During the first century there were several traditions associated with the tzitzit�concerning Messiah. One was that these knotted fringes possessed healing powers.�This tradition has its roots in the prophecy of Malachi 4:2 where the Messiah is said�to be coming with healing in His wings.�

The Sun of Righteousness�

Certainly the woman with the issue of blood knew of these traditions, which would�explain why she sought to touch the corner (the wings) of Jesus' prayer garment.�The same word used in Numbers 15:38 for corner is used in Malachi 4:2 for wings.�With this understanding in mind, an ancient Jew under the prayer shawl could be�said to be dwelling in the secret place of the Most High and under His wings (Ps.�91:1-4). When one realized the significance of this concept to the first-century�Hebraic mind, it becomes clear why this woman was instantly healed. She was�expressing her faith in Jesus as the Son of Righteousness with healing in His wings�and declaring her faith in God's prophetic Word.�

Personal Application�

Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. He is still able to heal, in every way,�those who will press in to touch the hem of His garment. He is still the Son of�Righteousness with Healing in His Wings. As we seek Him with our whole heart, let�us expect His healing power to make us whole in every area of our life.�

About Dr. Richard Booker�

Richard Booker, MBA, Ph.D., is an ordained Christian minister, President of Sounds of the�Trumpet, Inc., and the Founder/Director of the Institute for Hebraic-Christian Studies.�

He is the author of thirty books which are used by churches and Bible schools around the�world. He has also developed many seminars and Bible college level courses and writes regu-�larly for Christian magazines.�

Dr. Booker has traveled extensively for over thirty years teaching in churches and at confer-�ences on various aspects of the Christian life as well as Israel and the Hebraic roots of Christianity.�

Dr. Booker and his wife, Peggy, lead yearly tour groups to Israel where, for eighteen years, Dr. Booker was a�speaker at the International Christian Celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem attended by over�5,000 believers from 100 nations.�

Dr. Booker’s teachings are designed to help believers better understand the Bible and their covenant God. He�has a God-given ability to communicate the Scriptures in clear, easy-to-understand language with practical ap-�plication for everyday Christians that brings life out of the Bible and into people’s hearts.�

Dr. Booker and Peggy founded the Institute for Hebraic-Christian Studies (IHCS) in 1997 as a ministry to edu-�cate Christians in the Hebraic culture and background of the Bible, build relationships between Christians and�Jews, and give comfort and support to the people of Israel.�

Their tireless work on behalf of Christians and Jews has been recognized around the world as well as being rep-�resented at the Knesset Christian Allies Caucus.�Dr. Booker has a daily television program which can be seen on the internet at www.godslearningchannel.com�and around the world via satellite. He has produced over 350 programs.�

 Dr. Booker is a spiritual father to many believers around the world.�

Visit Dr. Richard Booker online:�www.drrichardbooker.com or www.rbooker.com�

Sounds of the Trumpet, Inc.�Institute for Hebraic-Christian Studies�

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