The Train of His Robe

Introduction

Welcome to Torah Today Ministries and our continuing series The Hebrew Key, where I take a Hebrew word or concept and we look at how it’s used in the scriptures and what kind of insights are brought out only by looking into the Hebrew — things that do not find their way into our English translations.

The name of this episode is “The Train of His Robe,” and I’ll explain that title in a moment as we get a little bit further along. But I want us to look at a particular Hebrew word, and that word is the word shul (שׁוּל) — shin, vav, lamed — and it is usually translated as “hem” or “skirt,” which is the part of a robe or a skirt that is closest to the ground.

We find this term six times in the Torah (תּוֹרָה), all in the book of Exodus. This week I’ve been studying Torah (תּוֹרָה) portion Tetzaveh (תְּצַוֶּה), this week’s Torah (תּוֹרָה) portion, which describes different parts of the Tabernacle but also the clothing of the high priest.

Exodus 28:33–34 – The Shul (שׁוּל) of the High Priest’s Robe

And we find in chapter 28:33 to 34, we find the word shul (שׁוּל), translated “hem,” three times. This is the passage:

You shall make on its hem (shul / שׁוּל) pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet material all around on its hem (shul / שׁוּל), and bells of gold between them all around — a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, around the hem (shul / שׁוּל) of the robe. — Exodus 28:33–34

So three times here in this passage we find the word shul (שׁוּל).

Exodus 39:24–26 – The Garments Are Made

The other three times we find the word shul (שׁוּל) in the Torah (תּוֹרָה) are about 11 chapters later, in Exodus 39:24–26. This is almost identical to the previous passage — it’s just that in the previous passage, Moses is getting the instructions for making the garments, but in chapter 39, the garments are being made:

On the hem (shul / שׁוּל) of the robe they made pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. They also made bells of pure gold and put the bells between the pomegranates all around the hem (shul / שׁוּל) of the robe — between the pomegranates a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, around the hem (shul / שׁוּל) of the robe for ministering, as Adonai (אֲדֹנָי) had commanded Moses. — Exodus 39:24–26

Those are the six times we find this word in the Torah (תּוֹרָה). And if you ever visit the Temple Institute in Jerusalem, you can see these golden bells and these pomegranates made out of blue, red, and purple yarns and wools — and there you see them on the robe of the high priest’s clothing. The golden bell, a pomegranate, all the way around.

Bells and Pomegranates – Gifts and Fruits of the Spirit

So the next time we meet this word is way over in Isaiah, in a completely different context. But before we look at that context, I want us to see what’s going on here. God introduces this word in the Torah (תּוֹרָה) six times to get it into our minds that on the hem (shul / שׁוּל) of the high priest’s robe, there are golden bells and pomegranates — a bell, a pomegranate, a bell, a pomegranate. And he keeps reinforcing this. This is what the shul (שׁוּל) is — it’s the hem of the high priest’s garment.

And some people wonder: what do these bells and pomegranates represent?

Well, bells make sound. They draw attention. You hear a bell ringing and you go and answer the door. Or if you’re a butler, you go and find out what the master or mistress of the mansion want from you. Or if you just hear bells, you look up to see — “What is that?” Whether it’s a church bell or whatever kind of bell it is, it draws attention. It gets the attention of the people who are around.

Pomegranates don’t make sound, though. The thing that makes pomegranates so unique is that they are so filled with seeds. If you’ve ever cut open a pomegranate, there’s just hundreds of seeds inside. The entire contents are these red seeds, and of course they’re quite delicious too. But when you think of pomegranates, you think of fruitfulness. And that is always what pomegranates symbolize. So pomegranates are a symbol of fruitfulness, but bells are a symbol of getting attention.

Galatians 5:22–23 – Nine Fruits of the Spirit

Well, it’s interesting that in the Brit Chadashah (בְּרִית חֲדָשָׁה), we find the fruits of the Spirit listed, and these are found in Galatians 5:22 to 23. And when we count the number of fruit, we find there are nine of them. This is the passage:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control — against such things there is no law. — Galatians 5:22–23

In other words, there are no restrictions on these. Do these nine things as much as you can. Those are the nine fruits of the Spirit.

1 Corinthians 12:7–10 – Nine Gifts of the Spirit

But when we go to 1 Corinthians 12:7–10, we find the gifts of the Spirit, and when we count them we see that once again there are nine. Here’s what they are:

To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of languages, to another the interpretation of languages. — 1 Corinthians 12:7–10

And again, there are nine. And like the fruit — the pomegranates — and the bells, these two lists represent fruits of the Spirit and gifts of the Spirit. And like the bells, the gifts draw attention. They allow us to communicate with people better. But the gifts do not impart life. The fruits of the Spirit do, because one of the things about fruit is they contain seed. And the contents of a pomegranate is pretty much just all seed — these delicious, beautiful seeds. So it’s very fruitful, and we are to have these together.

Now, I could easily go off on a rabbit trail here of talking about the gifts of the Spirit and whether they happen today or not. I believe they do. But I believe also that a lot of what passes for the gifts of the Spirit aren’t of the Spirit — they’re emotion. And see, I’m already going down that rabbit trail.

But these are to be in balance. And if we have the gifts of the Spirit, we need to manifest the fruits of the Spirit. And this is why on the high priest’s robe it was a pomegranate and a bell, a pomegranate and a bell. They were in perfect balance. And they were at the bottom of his robe, close to where it’s near the earth. Because when we walk, these are the things we are to walk in. We should be walking in the fruit and in the gifts of the Spirit — exercising wisdom, exercising discernment, exercising faith, praying for people for their healing.

Unfortunately, because we are egotistical human beings, we desire the gifts of the Spirit unfortunately more than we desire the fruit — because gifts draw attention to us. Gifts make noise. Bells make noise. And it’s easy to tune into a television station or a YouTube channel where you see a lot of hoopla, a lot of bells, but very little fruit of God’s Spirit.

So anyways, getting back to what I believe is being taught here — God wants us to walk in the gifts and in the fruit of the Spirit in a way that’s humble, in a way that serves people.

I just happen to remember a teaching I did years ago at a community down in Georgia. And I was teaching about the high priest’s garments, and it occurred to me that some people like to put bells on their hats. And I found a picture of a court jester — you know, that funny spiky hat — and there are bells. And I thought, how often, instead of being like the priest, we’re like a court jester. We’re shaking our heads — “Look at all my gifts! Look at all the noise I can make!” But we’re just clowns when we do that.

Which reminds me of a quote I read recently — I may have shared it in a previous video — but Charles Spurgeon, about 150 years ago, and what turns out to be very prophetic, he said: “The day will come that instead of having shepherds that feed the sheep, the church will have clowns that entertain the goats.” And I think we live in that time. I do not want to be a clown that entertains the goats. I want to be a shepherd that feeds sheep.

So, if you desire the gifts of the Spirit — good. Paul says that’s a good thing. But desire the best gifts. And desire them not for your glory but for God’s. Not to draw attention to you but to draw attention to Messiah. Not to serve you but to serve people in humility. And like Yeshua (יֵשׁוּעַ), we should be telling people, “Now just be quiet about it. Don’t be talking about this. This is between you and me and God.” And we should be blessing people that way — quietly, and not drawing attention to ourselves.

So all of that to say — I believe that these bells and pomegranates around the shul (שׁוּל), around the hem of the high priest’s robe, are a picture of the fruits and the gifts of the Spirit.

Isaiah 6:1–4 – The Seventh Shul (שׁוּל)

Okay. Now, six times we’ve encountered this word. All six times are in the book of Exodus. All of them have to do with the hem of the high priest. And every time the shul (שׁוּל) is mentioned, it’s mentioned along with bells and pomegranates.

Now, the next time — the seventh time — we find this word in the Bible is in Isaiah. And Isaiah chapter 6. And here is the passage — we’ll look at the first four verses, Isaiah 6:1–4:

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord — — Isaiah 6:1a

And the word there for “Lord” is the word Adon (אָדוֹן) — you could say, “I saw my Master”:

— sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and the shul (שׁוּל) of his robe filled the temple. — Isaiah 6:1b

The word for “temple” in Hebrew is heikhal (הֵיכָל), which is sometimes translated “temple,” other times “palace.” And it would seem that this palace of God’s house is also the Temple — but it’s the heavenly Temple.

And I know that we’re used to hearing the King James rendering of this verse, where it says “the train of his robe.” But when I picture a train of someone’s robe, I think of a bride when she has all that real estate of fabric dragging behind her when she goes up the aisle. But this is referring to the shul (שׁוּל) of God’s robe.

So again — six times we’ve met this word. It’s like God’s saying, “Okay, get ready for number seven, and make sure you connect this with the next time.” The seventh time — seven, the number of fulfillment, perfection.

Seraphim (שְׂרָפִים) were stationed above him. — Isaiah 6:2a

Saraph (שָׂרָף) comes from a word for “burning” or “flaming,” so the seraphim (שְׂרָפִים) were the flaming ones — these are angels of fire.

Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. — Isaiah 6:2b

This is a very bizarre image. Two wings to cover the face — if it’s covering the face, it’s so that “I do not see.” There’s something here that is to be hidden. I’m not to look upon it. Yet covering the feet means “I’m not to be seen.” There are parts of me that should not be revealed.

So when I think of coming before God’s presence — I want to see him. I want to behold his glory. But no one can see God fully as he is and live. And yet there are parts of me that I also need to keep hidden. There are parts of me that need to be clothed, that should not be put on display. And I think these angels of flame are demonstrating this to us. And with the other two wings, they hovered — they just kind of fluttered in place.

And one called to another and said, “Holy, holy, holy is Adonai (אֲדֹנָי) of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.” — Isaiah 6:3

And that phrase there — “the whole earth is filled with his glory” — could also be translated “the whole earth is his glory,” or “the fullness of the earth is his glory.” You can translate it either way.

And the pillars of the threshold swayed at the voice of him who called out, while the house was filling with smoke. — Isaiah 6:4

The house — being God’s Temple, God’s palace, God’s throne room — is filled with smoke.

Now, I know the song that’s so popular — “The train of his robe filled the temple with glory.” But what it says here is that the shul (שׁוּל) of his robe filled the temple, and then it says the whole earth is full of his glory — but then the house is filling with smoke. And you can’t see through smoke. Smoke causes darkness. It’s almost like — yes, his train was filling the temple with glory, but it’s like you can’t see it yet. You just can’t see it yet.

Connecting the Six to the Seventh

Now let’s take the first six instances of shul (שׁוּל) and connect them to this seventh instance of the same word. The high priest’s shul (שׁוּל) — his hem — was adorned with pomegranates and golden bells. And let’s assume I’m correct that these represent the nine fruits and nine gifts of the Spirit, which add up to 18, which is the number chai (חַי), which means “life.”

And then let’s assume that the hem (shul / שׁוּל) of God’s robe also is something that impacts the earth, that impacts the world — and yet we’re not allowed to see it. We just can’t quite see it yet.

Exodus 33:18–19 – Glory and Goodness

You know, in Exodus 33:18 and 19, Moses is on Mount Sinai with God and he makes a request:

Moses said, “Please show me your glory.” — Exodus 33:18

But what did God say?

And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you.” — Exodus 33:19

We all want to see God’s glory. But God says, “Not yet. But you can see all my goodness.” And as the hem (shul / שׁוּל) of God’s robe filled the house and it was filled with smoke — God’s saying, “Not yet. You can’t see yet. But you can see my goodness.”

And as the high priest walked, you could see the pomegranates, you could see and hear the bells — which are an expression of God’s goodness. When you look at the fruit of the Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit, they’re not for your benefit — they’re for the benefit of everyone else. And as others walk in the fruit and the gifts of the Spirit, they’re walking in God’s goodness, which is for my benefit.

And if we are a kingdom of priests, we should be imitating and modeling our high priest — Yeshua (יֵשׁוּעַ) — who is full of gifts, who gives gifts to men, who is the source of fruitfulness in this world. And he wants us to be fruitful and multiply — and that doesn’t mean just having children, but also multiplying spiritually and making disciples, making spiritual children for our Father.

So — the glory is not seen yet, but the goodness is. And though God’s glory was filling the temple, it filled it with smoke. He says, “Not yet. You can’t see yet.” But my high priest Yeshua (יֵשׁוּעַ) walked in the earth and will walk in the earth again. In the meantime, as his ambassadors, we walk in the earth, and we are to walk in the fruits and in the gifts of the Spirit — not for our sake, not to draw attention to us, but in service to him by serving others.

Revelation 21:22–23 – The Glory Revealed

And I want to finish this teaching by going to the very end of the Bible, over to Revelation, where we find this wonderful passage in Revelation 21:22 and 23:

I saw no temple in the city — this is the New Jerusalem that has now come to earth — for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of the sun or moon to shine on it, because the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. — Revelation 21:22–23

In other words, the day is coming when we will be able to endure seeing God’s glory in all of its fullness. And when God’s glory will fill the earth in such a way that we can see it. We know the earth is filled with his glory now, but you just can’t quite see it without spiritual eyes. But someday our eyes will see him and in all of his glory. And then there will be no smoke. It’ll just be light — for the glory of God gives its light to the whole city, to the whole world.

What a day that will be. So until the day God’s glory is revealed, let’s help reveal his goodness to the world. Let’s see his goodness, let’s reflect his goodness, and share his goodness with the world. And in that way, we can serve as his priests in this earth.

So until next time, I wish you shalom (שָׁלוֹם) and may God bless.

Teaching Material

Hebrew Word Studies

• Shul (שׁוּל) — “Hem, skirt, train”; the part of a robe closest to the ground. Appears six times in the Torah (תּוֹרָה), all in Exodus, always referring to the hem of the high priest’s robe adorned with bells and pomegranates. The seventh occurrence in Isaiah 6:1 — “the shul (שׁוּל) of his robe filled the temple” — connects the high priest’s garment to God’s own robe in the heavenly Temple. — Strong’s H7757
• Tetzaveh (תְּצַוֶּה) — “You shall command”; the Torah (תּוֹרָה) portion (Exodus 27:20–30:10) that describes the Tabernacle furnishings and the high priest’s garments, including the bells and pomegranates on the shul (שׁוּל). — Sefaria: Tetzaveh
• Adon (אָדוֹן) — “Lord, Master”; the word used in Isaiah 6:1 — “I saw my Adon (אָדוֹן) sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up.” Not the divine name, but the title of sovereign authority. — Strong’s H113
• Heikhal (הֵיכָל) — “Temple, palace”; the space that the shul (שׁוּל) of God’s robe filled (Isaiah 6:1). Can mean either temple or palace — God’s heavenly throne room is both. — Strong’s H1964
• Seraphim (שְׂרָפִים) — “Burning ones, flaming ones”; from saraph (שָׂרָף), meaning “to burn.” Angels of fire stationed above God’s throne, each with six wings: two covering the face (what should not be seen), two covering the feet (what should not be revealed), two for flying. — Strong’s H8314
• Chai (חַי) — “Life, living”; the numerical value 18 (chet = 8 + yud = 10). Nine fruits of the Spirit plus nine gifts of the Spirit equal 18 — chai (חַי) — life. The bells and pomegranates together represent life. — Strong’s H2416
• Brit Chadashah (בְּרִית חֲדָשָׁה) — “New Covenant”; the New Testament scriptures where both the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23) and the gifts of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:7–10) are enumerated — nine of each, corresponding to the pomegranates and bells.
• Yeshua (יֵשׁוּעַ) — “Salvation”; our high priest who walked the earth in the fullness of both fruits and gifts of the Spirit. He told people to be quiet about his miracles — exercising gifts in humility. He will walk the earth again, and when he does, the glory will be visible. — Strong’s H3442
• Adonai (אֲדֹנָי) — “Lord”; used in Isaiah 6:3 — “Holy, holy, holy is Adonai (אֲדֹנָי) of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.” — Strong’s H136
• Shalom (שָׁלוֹם) — “Peace, wholeness, completeness.” — Strong’s H7965

Scripture References

Open All Scripture in Bible Gateway

• Exodus 28:33–34 — The instructions for the high priest’s robe: “On its hem (shul / שׁוּל) pomegranates… and bells of gold between them all around” — the first three occurrences of shul (שׁוּל)
• Exodus 39:24–26 — The construction of the garments: bells and pomegranates made and placed on the hem (shul / שׁוּל) “as Adonai (אֲדֹנָי) had commanded Moses” — the second three occurrences
• Isaiah 6:1–4 — The seventh shul (שׁוּל): “I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and the shul (שׁוּל) of his robe filled the temple” — seraphim (שְׂרָפִים), the trisagion, and smoke filling the house
• Galatians 5:22–23 — The nine fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control — the pomegranates, full of seed and life
• 1 Corinthians 12:7–10 — The nine gifts of the Spirit: wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, distinguishing spirits, languages, interpretation — the golden bells that draw attention
• Exodus 33:18–19 — Moses asks to see God’s glory; God responds: “I will make all my goodness pass before you” — glory is not yet visible, but goodness is
• Revelation 21:22–23 — No temple needed in the New Jerusalem: “the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb” — the day when the glory will finally be seen without smoke
• 1 Peter 2:9 — “You are a royal priesthood” — if we are a kingdom of priests, we should model our high priest Yeshua (יֵשׁוּעַ) by walking in the fruits and gifts of the Spirit

External References & Further Study

• Exodus 28: The High Priest’s Garments — Sefaria — Full Hebrew and English text describing the bells and pomegranates on the hem of the robe
• The Temple Institute: Priestly Garments — Jerusalem — Reconstructed high priestly vestments including the golden bells and pomegranates on the hem, viewable in Jerusalem
• Isaiah 6: The Vision in the Temple — Sefaria — The seventh shul (שׁוּל): God’s throne, the seraphim (שְׂרָפִים), and the temple filling with smoke
• Torah Today Ministries — Home of The Hebrew Key and other Torah-centered teachings