רָדִיד
𐤓𐤃𐤉𐤃
râdîyd
H7289 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A light, wide covering, typically a shawl, cloak, or veil, worn over the head and/or shoulders, often used by women for protection, modesty, or ceremonial purposes. The word primarily denotes an article of clothing used for draping or spreading over the body, without specific religious or ritual connotations in its biblical usage.
Semantic Range
garment, shawl, cloak, veil, wrap, draped fabric accessory
Root / Etymology
From the root רָדַד (radad), meaning 'to spread out, lay flat, level.' רָדִיד (rādīd) is formed as a noun indicating something that is spread out (i.e., a garment, covering, or veil). The root's basic sense of expanding or stretching provides the semantic foundation for the garment as something laid over the body.
Historical & Contextual Notes
רָדִיד occurs only in Isaiah 3:23, where it appears among a list of luxurious or decorative garments and accessories associated with the women of Jerusalem. Its exact form (veil, shawl, cloak, wrap) is debated, as the text gives limited context. In later Hebrew, the word evolved to mean various types of elegant scarves or veils, but in the biblical context, it denotes a general garment draped or spread out, likely for modesty or style. English 'veil' captures part of the meaning but can imply a more specifically face-covering garment than רָדִיד necessarily did. Unlike other terms (such as צָעִיף or מִטְפַּחַת), רָדִיד does not connote a particular placement (face, head, shoulders) or use (worship, mourning), but simply a spreading garment. Its cultural significance in the biblical period was as a status symbol or adornment rather than a marker of religious identity or function. Later translations sometimes render the word as 'veil' or 'mantle' based on the broader semantic domain of coverings in ancient Near Eastern attire.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from רָדַד in the sense of spreading; a veil (as expanded); vail, veil.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.
Root Family
רדד (r-d-d) — to spread out, lay flat, level
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H7286 | רָדַד | the treading-down one |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7289-02 |
וְ/הָ/רְדִידִֽים | veharedidim | HC/Td/Ncmpa |
and the veils | and the spread-cloaks | and the veils | 1 |
H7289-01 |
רְדִידִ/י֙ | redidi | HNcmsc/Sp1cs |
my veil | my spread-out wrap | my veil | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7289-02 |
Isaiah 3:23 | וְ/הָ/רְדִידִֽים | veharedidim | HC/Td/Ncmpa |
and the veils | and the spread-cloaks | and the veils |
H7289-01 |
Song of Songs 5:7 | רְדִידִ/י֙ | redidi | HNcmsc/Sp1cs |
my veil | my spread-out wrap | my veil |