Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue:

NUMBERS 15:38KJV
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Numbers 15:38 (KJV)

What does Numbers 15:38 mean?

Numbers 15:38 commands the Israelites to make fringes, or tassels, on the edges of their garments for all generations, and to attach a blue cord to each fringe. This instruction is meant to be a lasting practice for the people of Israel, marking them out in a visible way.

In this verse, God is speaking to Moses, telling him to instruct ("bid") the people of Israel about a specific way to modify their clothing. The setting is during the Israelites’ journey in the wilderness, as God gives them laws to shape their identity and daily life. The command is not just about clothing style, but about creating a physical reminder for the Israelites, setting them apart and helping them remember their relationship with God.

The Hebrew behind Numbers 15:38

  • The word for "fringes" is צִיצִת (tsitsit), which refers to tassels or decorative threads. This is a specific kind of fringe, not just any border decoration, and it becomes a symbol for the Israelites.
  • "Borders" uses the word כָּנָף (kanaph), which means "corner" or "edge." This shows the tassels were to be placed at the four corners or edges of their garments, not just anywhere.
  • The "ribband of blue" is פְּתִיל תְּכֵלֶת (p'til techelet). "P'til" means cord or thread, and "techelet" is a blue dye, often understood as a deep blue or violet color. This blue thread was distinctive and had special significance, possibly symbolizing holiness or a connection to God.

Why Numbers 15:38 matters

  • Numbers 15:38 clarifies that the tassels and blue cord were not just decorative, but commanded by God as a sign for all generations of Israelites, giving the practice deep meaning beyond fashion or tradition.
  • The verse highlights how God gave physical reminders to help the Israelites remember His commandments, showing a practical way that faith and daily life were connected.
  • This instruction connects to the verses that follow, which explain the purpose: so the people would look at the tassels and remember to obey God’s laws, making this a key example of how outward symbols can serve an inward purpose.

Where else these words appear

“fringes” Hebrew H6734 · used in 3 verses

  • Numbers 15:39 And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the LORD, and do them; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring:
  • Ezekiel 8:3 And he put forth the form of an hand, and took me by a lock of mine head; and the spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heaven, and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the inner gate that looketh toward the north; where was the seat of the image of jealousy, which provoketh to jealousy.

“ribband” Hebrew H6616 · used in 11 verses

  • Genesis 38:18 And he said, What pledge shall I give thee? And she said, Thy signet, and thy bracelets, and thy staff that is in thine hand. And he gave it her, and came in unto her, and she conceived by him.
  • Exodus 28:37 And thou shalt put it on a blue lace, that it may be upon the mitre; upon the forefront of the mitre it shall be.
  • Exodus 39:31 And they tied unto it a lace of blue, to fasten it on high upon the mitre; as the LORD commanded Moses.

“blue” Hebrew H8504 · used in 49 verses

  • Exodus 25:4 And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair,
  • Exodus 35:25 And all the women that were wise hearted did spin with their hands, and brought that which they had spun, both of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine linen.
  • Exodus 39:29 And a girdle of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, of needlework; as the LORD commanded Moses.

“borders” Hebrew H3671 · used in 85 verses

  • Genesis 1:21 And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
  • Job 38:13 That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, that the wicked might be shaken out of it?
  • Ezekiel 1:8 And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings.