Easton's Bible Dictionary Of a garment, the fringe of a garment. The Jews attached much importance to these, because of the regulations in Numbers 15:38, 39. These borders or fringes were in process of time enlarged so as to attract special notice (Matthew 23:5). The hem of Christ's garment touched (9:20; 14:36; Luke 8:44). Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (pron.) Them 2. (interj.) An onomatopoetic word used as an expression of hesitation, doubt, etc. It is often a sort of voluntary half cough, loud or subdued, and would perhaps be better expressed by hm. 3. (n.) An utterance or sound of the voice, hem or hm, often indicative of hesitation or doubt, sometimes used to call attention. 4. (v. i.) To make the sound expressed by the word hem; hence, to hesitate in speaking. 5. (n.) The edge or border of a garment or cloth, doubled over and sewed, to strengthen raveling. 6. (n.) Border; edge; margin. 7. (n.) A border made on sheet-metal ware by doubling over the edge of the sheet, to stiffen it and remove the sharp edge. 8. (v. t.) To form a hem or border to; to fold and sew down the edge of. 9. (v. t.) To border; to edge Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia HEM (kraspedon): The classic instance of the use of "hem" in the New Testament is Matthew 9:20 the King James Version (compare Matthew 14:36), where the woman "touched the hem of his (Christ's) garment." The reference is to the fringe or tassel with its traditional blue thread which the faithful Israelite was directed to wear on the corners of the outer garment (Numbers 15:37 Deuteronomy 22:12). Great importance came to be attached to it, the ostentatious Pharisees making it very broad or large (Matthew 23:5). Here the woman clearly thought there might be peculiar virtue in touching the tassel or fringe of Jesus' garment. Elsewhere the word is rendered BORDER (which see). See also DRESS; FRINGES. George B. Eager

Multi-Version Concordance Hem (14 Occurrences) Matthew 9:20 And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment: (KJV DBY WBS NAS RSV) Matthew 14:36 And besought him that they might only touch the hem of his garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole. (KJV DBY WBS) Luke 8:44 coming up behind, touched the hem of his garment, and immediately her flux of blood stopped. (DBY NAS) Luke 19:43 For the days will come on you, when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, surround you, hem you in on every side, (WEB WEY NAS RSV NIV) Exodus 28:33 On its hem you shall make pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, around its hem; and bells of gold between and around them: (WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Exodus 28:34 a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, around the hem of the robe. (WEB KJV WBS YLT NAS NIV) Exodus 39:24 And they made upon the hems of the robe pomegranates of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and twined linen. (Root in KJV WBS YLT NAS NIV) Exodus 39:25 And they made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates upon the hem of the robe, round about between the pomegranates; (KJV WBS YLT NAS NIV) Exodus 39:26 A bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, round about the hem of the robe to minister in; as the LORD commanded Moses. (KJV WBS YLT NAS NIV) 1 Samuel 15:27 As Samuel turned about to go away, Saul grabbed the skirt of his robe, and it tore. (See NIV) Psalms 133:2 Like the precious oil upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, upon Aaron's beard, that ran down to the hem of his garments; (DBY) Psalms 139:5 You hem me in behind and before. You laid your hand on me. (WEB JPS NIV) Habakkuk 1:4 Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth; for the wicked surround the righteous; therefore justice goes forth perverted. (See NIV) Zechariah 8:23 Thus says Yahweh of Armies: "In those days, ten men will take hold, out of all the languages of the nations, they will take hold of the skirt of him who is a Jew, saying,'We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.'" (See NIV)