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Mantle

Mantle [Heb. 'adderet, me'il, ma'atapah, semikah]. A cloth.

1. A large over-garment. The word 'adderet is used in reference to Elijah's mantle, which was likely a sheepskin (1 Kgs 19:13, 19; 2 Kgs 2:8, 13-14). In conjunction with the word "hairy," it denotes a robe of coarse hair (Gen 25:25; Zech 13:4). The term is also used for the Babylonian garment that Achan coveted (Josh 7:21).

2. An ephod robe (me'il, also translated as "cloak," "coat," "robe," or "tunic"), a seamlessly woven long tunic worn by priests (Exod 28:31-35), kings (Saul in 1 Sam 24:4), prophets (Samuel in 1 Sam.15:27), and rich men (e.g., Job and his friends in Job 1:20; 2:12).

3. Rug covering (semikah), appearing only in Judges 4:18 to describe the garment Jael threw over Sisera.

4. Large female dress (ma'atapah), appearing only in Isaiah 3:22 in the context of God's judgment over Judah, which involves the removal of luxurious clothing and adorning objects.

See also Garment.

C. Adelina Alexe

Citation

Footnote:

C. Adelina Alexe, “Mantle,“ Seventh-day Adventist International Biblical-Theological Dictionary (2026-), ed. Daniel K. Bediako and Keldie Paroschi, https://dictionary.adventist.org/mantle, accessed October 28, 2026

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