Deuteronomy 22:11 · Bible study
Deuteronomy 22:11 Commentary: Why No Mixed Wool and Linen?
Hebrew · 7 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore the purpose behind the Old Testament law against mixing wool and linen. Commentators weigh in on holiness, creation order, and pagan practices.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The prohibition against wearing a garment made of woven wool and linen together is part of a larger biblical teaching that honors the distinct categories God created.
- Key words: sha.‘at.Nez (mixed stuff), tse.mer (wool), pish.teh (flax/linen), yach.Dav (together). The composite word sha.‘at.Nez appears only here and in Leviticus 19:19 and is linked to “linsey-woolsey.”
- Main debate: Whether this law was primarily a symbol of creation order (Cambridge), a guard against pagan superstition (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown), or a general holiness rule (Gill).
- Theological theme: Holy distinctiveness, God’s people reflect His character by respecting the boundaries He placed in creation.
- Best use: As a case study in how Old Testament laws communicated God’s order; it points forward to the New Testament call to live as a distinct people without imposing the specific regulation.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Do not wear clothes of wool and linen woven together.
WEB World English Bible 2000
You shall not wear clothes of wool and linen woven together.
KJV King James Version 1769
Thou shalt not wear a garment of divers sorts, as of woollen and linen together.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Thou shalt not wear a mingled stuff, wool and linen together.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
`Thou dost not put on a mixed cloth, wool and linen together.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Thou shalt not wear a garment of mixed material, [woven] of wool and linen together.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Thou shalt not wear a garment that is woven of woollen and linen together.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
No te vestirás de mistura, de lana y lino juntamente.
Não te vestirás de mistura, de lã e linho juntamente.
Tu ne porteras point un vêtement tissé de diverses espèces de fils, de laine et de lin réunis ensemble.
Du sollst nicht anziehen ein gemengtes Kleid, von Wolle und Leinen zugleich.
Gij zult geen kleed van gemengde stof aantrekken, wollen en linnen te gelijk.
Non porterai vestito di tessuto misto, fatto di lana e di lino.
Nie obleczesz szaty utkanej z wełny i ze lnu pospołu.
Не надевай одежды, сделанной из разных веществ, из шерсти и льна вместе.
不可 穿 羊毛、細麻 兩樣 攙雜料做的衣服。
Do not have clothing made of two sorts of thread, wool and linen together.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Deuteronomy 22:11
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators broadly agree that this prohibition belongs to a set of laws in Deuteronomy 22:9, 11 and Leviticus 19:19 forbidding mixtures of different kinds. The surrounding context, seeds, animals, fabrics, reinforces a consistent principle: God created each species and kind distinct, and Israel was to honor that order. The Cambridge Bible notes the attention to “the distinctness of species as created by God” (Genesis 1). Gill and Barnes point out practical and symbolic layers, including the idea that mixing wool and linen might imitate idolatrous practices. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown specifically links it to “a favorite superstition of ancient idolaters.” The shared core is that Israel, as a holy people, was to avoid blurring the boundaries that God established in creation. The precise reason, whether primarily symbolic, practical, or anti-pagan, remains open, but the principle of holy distinctiveness is clear.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Symbol of creation order: The Cambridge Bible connects this law to the distinctness of species in Genesis 1, seeing it as a ritual acknowledgment of God’s categories.
- Anti-pagan superstition: Jamieson-Fausset-Brown states that mixing wool and linen was a “favorite superstition of ancient idolaters,” making the prohibition a fence against pagan worship.
- Holiness code boundary: Gill and others focus on the law as part of Israel’s general call to be holy, separate from the nations, with no specific pagan target needed.
What is clear: The prohibition is one of a set of laws forbidding mixtures (seeds, animals, cloth) that reflect God’s established order and Israel’s identity as a distinct, holy people.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Reason for the prohibition | It is part of a series of laws (seeds, animals, fabrics) that reflect God’s created order and Israel’s call to be separate from the nations. | Some commentators (Cambridge Bible) emphasize the symbolic importance of not confusing the species God created. Others (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown) say the law targeted a specific pagan superstition involving mixed garments. Still others (Gill) see it as a general holiness requirement that even applies to threads. |
| Application for Christians today | The principle of holy distinctiveness applies to believers. The specific rule about wool and linen is understood as part of the ceremonial law pointing to a deeper reality. | Some Christians (often those who keep aspects of Torah) consider the literal command still binding in some form. Others view it as entirely superseded by Christ and only the spiritual lesson remains (2 Corinthians 6:14). |
| Priests’ exception | Jewish tradition held that priests wore garments of mixed wool and linen (linen and dyed wool) during temple service. | Whether this was an exception to the law or simply a different context. Gill argues it was a concession for the sanctuary, while others question if the priestly garments fully complied with the prohibition since the materials were not woven into the same cloth. |
| Connection to pagan practices | The law likely served to distance Israel from surrounding cultures. | Jamieson-Fausset-Brown states outright that the practice was a “favorite superstition of ancient idolaters.” The Cambridge Bible treats this as a possibility, while Barnes’ Notes do not mention pagan origins, framing the prohibition in terms of humanity and order. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Deuteronomy 22:11 sits inside a section of miscellaneous regulations covering everyday life in the Promised Land. Verses 9, 12 form a tight cluster: do not sow a vineyard with two kinds of seed, do not plow with an ox and a donkey together, do not wear a garment of mixed wool and linen, and then make fringes on the corners of your cloak. These laws echo Leviticus 19:19 and reflect what the Cambridge Bible calls “the attention of the mind of that time to the distinctness of species as created by God.”
The prohibition against mixing fabrics is one of several that Israel was to observe as a distinct people. The land itself was holy, and the Israelites’ farming, clothing, and daily routines were to embody that holiness. Later Jewish tradition elaborated these rules extensively in the Mishnah tractate Kil’aim (“Mixtures”). Gill notes that priests were permitted to wear a blend of wool and linen during temple service, pointing to a special sanctity for that context. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown adds that mixing wool and linen was associated with “a favorite superstition of ancient idolaters,” so the law may also have functioned as a fence against pagan religious practice. In an agricultural society, clothing and farming methods were visible markers of identity, and these laws kept Israel conscious of their calling to be separate.
Matthew Henry observed that God’s laws “take cognizance of things mean and minute,” reminding Israel that even the smallest choices happen under God’s eye and care.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for this verse. The Hebrew text is stable across manuscripts, with consistent reading of “sha.‘at.Nez” (mixed stuff) and “tse.mer u.fish.Tim” (wool and linen).
Reception History
In early Judaism, this law was elaborated by the rabbis in the Mishnah tractate Kil’aim, which defined exactly which mixtures were forbidden and in what contexts. Philo and Josephus both refer to the law, with Josephus noting that priests were allowed to wear wool and linen in the temple, interpreting the restriction for the laity as a sign of special sanctity. The New Testament does not quote this specific verse, but the principle of not being “unequally yoked” in 2 Corinthians 6:14 echoes the logic of separation that underlies these Old Testament laws. In Christian tradition, reformers like Matthew Henry read the verse as a lesson in obedience to seemingly small commands, seeing in it a call to avoid all mixtures that blur the distinction between holy and common. Contemporary interpreters typically treat the command as culturally bound to ancient Israel, drawing out the principle of holy distinctiveness rather than imposing the literal fabric restriction.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God honors the boundaries He built into creation. The three mixing laws (seeds, animals, fabrics) all respect the distinct kinds God made. This is not random: order reflects the Creator’s character.
- Holiness shows up in everyday choices. What you sow, how you plow, what you wear, these were not neutral for Israel. Obedience in small things shapes a people’s identity.
- Separation is not isolation; it is consecration. Israel was set apart for a mission. The same God who drew boundaries also gave them fringes (v.12) to remind them of His commands.
Five-point outline
- Seed (v.9): Do not mix different kinds of seed in a vineyard.
- Plowing (v.10): Do not yoke an ox and a donkey together.
- Clothing (v.11): Do not weave wool and linen in the same garment.
- Fringes (v.12): Instead, make tassels on the four corners of your cloak, a visible sign of belonging to God.
- Application: New Testament believers are called to live as a distinct people, not by these specific rules, but by the principle of holy distinctiveness (2 Corinthians 6:14).
Illustration hooks
- A recipe out of balance: When you blend ingredients that don’t belong together, the dish fails. Some boundaries exist for the sake of integrity.
- A uniform that signals allegiance: People wear colors, logos, or styles that tell others who they are part of. Israel’s clothing was part of their identity as God’s people.
- A fence around a well: The prohibition seems like a fence, not valuable in itself, but protecting something deeper: Israel’s relationship with God and their witness among the nations.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does God care what fabric I wear? Should Christians follow this law today?
- Why such a focus on mixtures? What was wrong with mixing wool and linen?
- How do we apply an Old Testament law like this without becoming legalistic or dismissing it entirely?
Leading a Discussion
This verse is part of a series of laws that sound foreign to modern ears. But they carry a deep logic about God’s order. Before you read the verse aloud, set the context: Israel was called to be a distinct people in a world full of blurred boundaries. These laws taught them to honor the Creator’s distinctions in everyday life.
Discussion questions
- What do the three laws in verses 9, 11 have in common? (Seeds, plowing animals, clothing fabrics.)
- Why do you think God gave such specific instructions about farming and clothing?
- How might these laws have helped Israel stay distinct from surrounding nations?
- In what ways do Christians today “mix” things that should stay distinct? (Consider values, relationships, worship, work.)
- What principle from this law can we carry into the New Testament without imposing the Old Testament rule?
- How does the positive command in verse 12 (fringes) balance the negative commands? What does it say about God’s heart?
- What areas of your life might need clearer boundaries to reflect your identity as part of God’s people?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Leviticus 19:19 | “‘You shall keep my statutes. “‘You shall not cross-breed different kinds of animals. “‘You shall not sow your field with two kinds of seed; “‘Don’t wear a garment made of two kinds of material. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes highlights the humanitarian reason behind the law: yoking an ox and a donkey together would be cruel because their unequal size and strength harm the weaker animal. The command is grounded in practical compassion for the donkey, not just ceremonial purity.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge commentary interprets these three laws against mixing seeds, animals, and fabrics as rooted in the creation order of distinct species and the belief that farming practices were divinely taught. A further possibility is that primitive societies regarded different materials as animated by different spirits, making confusion unlucky.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note draws attention to the specific combination forbidden: wool and linen together. It takes the command as a direct, literal prohibition of mixing these two distinct materials in a single garment, without allegorizing or expanding the meaning.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill notes that Jewish tradition defines the forbidden mixture as a fabric that has been carded, spun, and woven from wool and linen together. He points out a disagreement: Josephus claimed this ban was lifted for priests, but Gill sides with the Jewish view that priests actually wore wool and linen in their temple service, adding that the law was observed so strictly it even governed what thread could sew a garment.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB clarifies that the prohibition targets not wearing wool and linen together but the two materials being woven into a single garment. This practice was connected to a superstition common among ancient idolaters.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange stresses that Moses interprets the eighth commandment with remarkable depth: it forbids not only taking what belongs to another but also ignoring a neighbor's loss. Even when the owner is far away or unknown, the finder must guard and restore the property. Neglect is as much a violation as theft.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Matthew Henry observes that God’s laws, unlike human laws, address even the smallest matters because God’s care and eye extend to every detail. He treats these seemingly minor statutes as significant because they come from God, including the command to keep male and female clothing distinct for the sake of chastity.