5307. huphantos

Lexical Summary

huphantos: Woven

Original Word: ὑφαντός
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: huphantos
Pronunciation: hoo-fan-TOS
Phonetic Spelling: (hoo-fan-tos')
KJV: woven
NASB: woven
Word Origin: [from huphaino to weave]

1. woven
2. (perhaps) knitted

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

woven.

From huphaino to weave; woven, i.e. (perhaps) knitted -- woven.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from huphainó; a prim. verb (to weave)
Definition
woven
NASB Translation
woven (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 5307: ὑφαντός

ὑφαντός, ὑφαντη, ὑφαντόν (ὑφαίνω, which see), from Homer down; woven: John 19:23. (For אֹרֵג, Exodus 36:30 (Exodus 39:22); Exodus 36:35 (Exodus 39:27; for חֹשֵׁב, Exodus 26:31, etc.)

Topical Lexicon

Overview

Strong’s Greek 5307 appears once in the New Testament, describing the seamless tunic worn by Jesus at His crucifixion (John 19:23). The term draws attention to a garment woven in one piece, without seam or joint. This single detail, set amid the passion narrative, carries rich historical, theological, and pastoral significance.

Biblical Occurrence

John 19:23: “When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they divided His garments into four parts, one for each soldier, with the tunic remaining. Now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.”

The evangelist pauses his account to note the manner of the tunic’s manufacture. In doing so, he links Christ’s passion to Psalm 22:18, underscores prophetic fulfillment, and offers an implicit contrast between earthly division and the spiritual unity Christ accomplishes.

Historical Background of Woven Garments

1. Weaving in the Ancient World
• Skilled artisans produced textiles on upright looms, interlacing warp and weft threads to form sturdy cloth.
• A single-piece weave required precise planning, often denoting higher craftsmanship and added value.

2. Seamless Garments in Israel’s Worship
• Priestly vestments featured expert weaving. “You are to make the robe of the ephod entirely of blue cloth, with an opening for the head in its center, and a woven binding around the opening… so that it will not tear” (Exodus 28:31-32).
• The integrity of the priestly robe paralleled the holiness and wholeness expected of the high priest who mediated between God and Israel.

The Seamless Tunic and Christological Significance

1. Royal and Priestly Echoes
• The note that Christ’s tunic was “woven in one piece” recalls the robe of the high priest, hinting that Jesus fulfills the role of ultimate Mediator (Hebrews 4:14).
• By portraying Jesus in a garment reminiscent of priestly attire, John identifies Him as both sacrifice and priest, offering Himself without blemish.

2. Prophetic Fulfillment
• The soldiers’ casting of lots answers to Psalm 22:18, sealing Scripture’s reliability: “They divide My garments among them and cast lots for My clothing” (Psalm 22:18).
• The untouched tunic stands as a tangible witness to the sovereignty of God over every detail of redemption.

3. Symbol of Unity
• A garment without seam suggests indivisibility. While the soldiers divide outer pieces, the tunic remains whole, symbolizing the unbroken unity Christ secures for His people (Ephesians 4:3-6).
• Patristic writers later invoked the seamless robe as a picture of the undivided Church.

Theological Implications

1. Integrity of Christ’s Person
• The seamless fabric analogously points to the inseparable union of Christ’s divine and human natures (Colossians 2:9).
• Just as men could not tear the tunic, no earthly force can sunder the hypostatic union or thwart God’s redemptive plan.

2. Fulfillment of the Law
• The high-priestly overtones highlight that Jesus embodies the Law’s rituals, bringing them to completion (Matthew 5:17).
• The garment’s preservation underlines that in His suffering, Christ remained wholly righteous, the perfect High Priest offering the perfect sacrifice.

Practical Application for Ministry

1. Preaching Christ-centered Prophecy
• The single occurrence of Strong’s 5307 furnishes a vivid illustration of how ostensibly minor details in Scripture reinforce prophetic cohesion.
• Teaching this passage encourages believers to trust every “jot and tittle” of the Word (Matthew 5:18).

2. Fostering Church Unity
• The seamless tunic invites exhortation toward relational wholeness within the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 1:10).
• Leaders may employ the image to combat division, reminding congregations that Christ’s garment was not torn and neither should His body be.

3. Modeling Integrity
• Just as the fabric lacked a seam, the Christian life is to be free of duplicity (James 1:22-25).
• Discipleship curricula can use the metaphor to call believers to holistic obedience—no isolated “seams” separating private and public conduct.

Related Biblical Motifs

• Garments of Salvation: Isaiah 61:10 portrays clothing imagery to express redemption, prefiguring Christ’s righteous robe.
• Casting Lots: Instances in Joshua 18:10 and Acts 1:26 illustrate divine sovereignty operating through seemingly random events.
• High Priesthood of Jesus: Hebrews 7:23-28 expounds the finality of Christ’s priestly work, harmonizing with the tunic’s symbolism.

Conclusion

Though Strong’s Greek 5307 surfaces only once, its occurrence in John 19:23 opens a doorway into profound truths: the craftsmanship of God’s providence, the continuity between Old Covenant symbolism and New Covenant fulfillment, and the call to unity and integrity in the community of faith.

Forms and Transliterations

υπέστη υπέστησαν υποστή υποστήναι υποστήσεται υποστήσομαι υποστώσιν υφαντά υφαντόν υφαντος υφαντός ὑφαντὸς ύφασμα υφάσματι υφάσματος υφίστασο υφίσταται υφίστατο υψηλοκάρδιος hyphantos hyphantòs uphantos

Englishman's Concordance

John 19:23 Adj-NMS
GRK: τῶν ἄνωθεν ὑφαντὸς δι' ὅλου
NAS: was seamless, woven in one piece.
KJV: was without seam, woven from the top
INT: the top woven throughout all

Strong's Greek 5307
1 Occurrence

ὑφαντὸς — 1 Occ.