Previous parts of this series:
In part 1, we saw that Israel were commanded to make fringes on the borders (Hebr. kanaph) of their garments with blue ribband. This would be established as a common practice among faithful Israelites. These served as reminders of the protection that comes with remembering the commandments of God. But it also meant that they were to partake of the rights and blessings that were usually reserved for the priests. As Lord Wilmore discusses here, the blue ribband emulates the lace used to attach the headplate of the high priest, with the inscription, "Holiness to the Lord". Every Israelite was reminded that they had some measure of priesthood, some holiness in them. They were to be "a kingdom of priests and a holy nation" (Exodus 19:6). They were all asked to "be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy" (Leviticus 19:2).
It is reasonable to believe that Jesus also followed this commandment and wore fringes on the borders of his garments, whatever form that had at his time. (This has been modified several times and become the prayer shawls that orthodox Jews use today). The God of Israel who gave these commandments and asked them to be holy, came to them as a mortal man and wore a garment with fringes on the kanaph himself. He was one of them, a mortal man, but also the great high priest.
This background adds significance and context to a well-known story in the Gospel of Matthew
20 And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an of twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment:
21 For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be . (Matthew 9)
I used to think that the power of Jesus was so strong that only the hem would do. Learning of this context, it is clear that it was specifically the hem she was after. The Greek language in which the Gospels are written do not contain the same wing/border duality that the Hebrew language has. The Greek translated into hem in this verse can also mean fringe, edge, corner or tassel. It is likely the kind of fringe that Israelites had been commanded to make and the Jews certainly knew the symbolic significance of that. This was the kanaph with healing power, a physical sign of the spiritual healing in the wings of the risen Lord. Another example in Matthew:
35 And when the men of that place , they sent out into all that country round about, and brought unto him all that were diseased;
36 And besought him that they might only touch the of his garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly . (Matthew 14)
An interesting twist is found in Jeremiah 2:34
34 Also in thy skirts (Hebr. kanaph) is found the of the souls of the poor innocents: I have not found it by secret search, but upon all .
These skirts or fringes were supposed to protect Israel and remind them of their holiness. Instead, in this case, they were stained with the blood of the innocents. Healing had been replaced by murder, the royal and heavenly blue had become red and filthy.
This reminds me of the story in Helaman 9, where Nephi-II by inspiration told the Nephites about the death of their chief judge. He later told them, again by inspiration, who the murderer was
29 And ye shall say unto him: Have ye murdered your brother?
30 And he shall stand with fear, and wist not what to say. And behold, he shall deny unto you; and he shall make as if he were astonished; nevertheless, he shall declare unto you that he is innocent.
31 But behold, ye shall examine him, and ye shall find blood upon the skirts of his cloak.
32 And when ye have seen this, ye shall say: From whence cometh this blood? Do we not know that it is the blood of your brother?
33 And then shall he tremble, and shall look pale, even as if death had come upon him.
I am not sure if the Nephites would have any writings of Jeremiah, since he was a contemporary with Lehi. I also don't know if the Nephites would keep the tradition of fringes on the skirts/kanaph of their garments. But at least there is the same pattern to be seen both in Helaman 9 and Jeremiah 2. The ultimate sign of covenant infidelity is blood-stains from murder on the very reminder of God's commandments.
