What is so significant about the hem of Y‘shua‘s garment? At first reading, it seems like an odd practice.
However, once we understand the significance of the hem of one's garment, these passages will have much
more meaning.
The word translated ―hem‖ is actually referring to the fringes, called tzitzit in Hebrew of the tallit (prayer
shawl), as said earlier. The tzitzit is required to be on the four corners of the tallit, in accordance with
YHWH's instruction in Num 15:37-40:
(37) ―And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
(38) 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:
(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:
(40) That ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God‖.
The word translate ―hem‖ in Matt 9:20, is actually the Greek word kraspedon and means 'fringe‘. She was
reaching for the tzitzit on Y‘shua‘s tallit and not on his coat as the many pictures show. What she was
actually doing was reaching for the name of Yod-He-Vav-He! The name of Y-H-V-H is actually spelled out in
the way the knots are tied on each of the tassels, and how many strings are used. This is why the tallit is
such a precious garment!
―Jesus said, If you ask anything in my name, I will do it‖. (John 14:13)
Let's stop for a moment and discuss this incident. When she pressed through the crowd, she was not content
to just pat Y‘shua on the back. She was a desperate woman who had spent all of her money on cures that
did not work. It was a bold step for her to push through that crowd of people; for according to the Levitical
Law, it was forbidden for her to be out in public with her condition as she was considered unclean—that we
have already seen (Lev 15:25).
However, she was at the end of her rope. She had nothing to lose. She had heard of the Messiah who could
heal, and she anxiously sought Him out. But why did she want to touch the hem of his garment – the tzitzit of
his tallit?
These tzitzit were a point of contact she needed to help her release her faith to receive a miracle in her life.
What did the tzitzit represent? First, they represented the Word of YHWH, which is always the place we can
find healing for all the needs in our life.
These tzitzit can also be associated with a person's authority. In the case of king Saul and David, we find
that David humiliated him by sneaking up to him in a cave at the spring of Ein Gedi and cutting off Saul's
tzitzit, a symbol of his authority – David literally cut YHWH‘s name off Saul‘s garment, of which he was sorry
he did (will discuss YHWH‘s name in the tzitzit later). David's men said:
(4) ―And the men of David said unto him, Behold the day of which the LORD said unto thee, Behold, I
will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then
David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul's robe privily.
(5) And it came to pass afterward, that David's heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul's skirt.
(6) And he said unto his men, The LORD forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the LORD'S
anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the LORD‖. (1 Sam 24:4-6)
Why was David upset with himself? Because he understood that to steal someone's tzitzit was to steal his
authority. Even though David did this to prove to Saul that he was not trying to kill him, the symbol of taking
the corner fringe was humiliating to Saul. This bothered David. David immediately went out of the cave and
prostrated himself in humility before Saul to prove to Saul that he was not trying to kill him. David said:
(8)‖David also arose afterward, and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul, saying, My lord the king. And
when Saul looked behind him, David stooped with his face to the earth, and bowed himself.
(9) And David said to Saul, Wherefore hearest thou men's words, saying, Behold, David seeketh thy hurt?
(10) Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how that the LORD had delivered thee to day into mine hand in
the cave: and some bade me kill thee: but mine eye spared thee; and I said, I will not put forth mine hand
against my lord; for he is the LORD'S anointed.