תַּכְרִיךְ
a wrapper or robe
Definition
תַּכְרִיךְ (takrîyk) refers to a specific type of garment, best understood as a wrapper or robe. In its sole biblical occurrence, it describes the royal and costly attire Mordecai wore after being honored by King Ahasuerus (Esther 8:15). The term implies a garment of distinction, likely a long, outer robe that was wrapped around the body, signifying honor, authority, and a change in status. While the basic sense is a covering, the context elevates it beyond ordinary clothing to a symbol of royal favor.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the Old Testament, in Esther 8:15. It appears in a narrative context describing Mordecai's public transformation from mourning in sackcloth to appearing in 'royal apparel' (KJV) or 'robes of blue and white' (ESV) after the king's edict in his favor. The usage is specific to a context of honor, reversal of fortune, and public recognition within the Persian court.
Etymology
The noun תַּכְרִיךְ (takrîyk) is derived from an unused Hebrew root meaning 'to encompass' or 'to wrap around.' This etymological background directly informs its meaning as a wrapper or enveloping robe. It is a hapax legomenon (a word occurring only once) in the Hebrew Bible, with no clear direct cognates in other Semitic languages, making its precise nuance dependent on its single contextual use.
Semantic Range
While the word itself is a clothing term, its singular use carries theological weight in the narrative of Esther. Mordecai's donning of the תַּכְרִיךְ visually symbolizes God's providential reversal—exchanging mourning for joy, humiliation for honor, and threat for deliverance. It serves as a tangible sign of divine favor and vindication for the Jewish people, enriching the reader's understanding of how God works through seemingly ordinary items to signify profound spiritual truths.
In the ancient Near Eastern and specifically Persian context, distinctive robes and garments were powerful markers of social rank, office, and royal favor. Mordecai's תַּכְרִיךְ, described as royal, blue, white, and of fine linen, would have been immediately recognizable to the citizens of Susa as the attire of a high official. This public investiture was a formal, cultural act declaring his new authority and the king's endorsement, a concept more potent in that honor-shame society than in many modern settings.
בֶּגֶד (beged, H899) — a general term for garment or clothing. שִׂמְלָה (simlâh, H8008) — a cloak or outer garment, often for covering or protection. לְבוּשׁ (lᵉbûš, H3830) — apparel or clothing, often implying a full set of garments.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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