Strong’s Greek 2440. ἱμάτιον
Definition
Coat, cloak, mantle, outer garment. It was a rectangular piece of heavier fabric worn over the tunic. When used in the plural term, it can refer to the himation & the tunic. The word can also refer to garments or clothing, generally.
In the Septuagint (ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament), it is used to translate the Hebrew beged (clothing) & simlah.
- Matt 5:40 (Shirt = chiton; coat = himation)
- Matt 9:20,21
- Matt 14:36
- Matt 21:7,8
- Matt 24:18 (Implies the cloak is not worn when working in the fields)
- Luke 22:36
- John 19:2
- John 19:23,24 (Here himatia refers to a number of garments, not including the chiton, but likely including a himation)
- Acts 7:58
- Acts 9:39
- Acts 12:8
- Heb 1:11,12
Tassels on Jewish Himatia
Since the Israelites were commanded to wear tassels on their clothing (Num 15:38; Deut 22:12), it is assumed that Jesus wore these tassels on his himation (Matt 9:20, 14:36, 17:2, John 13:4). These are also the tassels that Jesus points out as being overly elongated on the Pharisees’ clothing (Matt 23:5). The Greek word referring to the tassels is kraspedon (G2899), which can refer to a fringe or border.