Lexical Summary
eder: Flock, herd
Original Word: אֶדֶר
Part of Speech: Noun
Transliteration: eder
Pronunciation: AY-der
Phonetic Spelling: (eh'-der)
KJV: goodly, robe
NASB: magnificent
Word Origin: [from H142 (אָדַר - majestic)]
1. amplitude
2. (concretely) a mantle
3. (figuratively) splendor
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
goodly, robe
From 'adar; amplitude, i.e. (concrete) a mantle; also (figuratively) splendor -- goodly, robe.
see HEBREW 'adar
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
adarDefinitionglory, magnificence, a mantle, cloak
NASB Translationmagnificent (1), robe* (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
(Assyrian aduru, adiru) ironical of price of shepherd (symbolic) Zechariah 11:13.
(as wide) Micah 2:8 ("" ), but read ( lost before following ), so WRSProph 427.
Topical Lexicon
Scope and Thematic RangeThe term denotes something marked by conspicuous splendor—whether a richly ornamented garment, an exalted valuation, or any embodiment of dignity and honor. Both Old Testament occurrences associate it with what should have been prized and protected, yet is instead mishandled by unfaithful people.
Occurrences in Scripture
1. Micah 2:8 – The prophet censures those who “strip off the splendid robe from unsuspecting passersby”. A garment intended to testify to a warrior’s valor becomes a trophy of oppression, exposing Israel’s social injustice.
2. Zechariah 11:13 – In a prophetic sign-act the LORD commands, “Throw it to the potter … this magnificent price at which they valued Me!”. The word, employed with biting irony, underscores Judah’s contemptuous appraisal of their own Shepherd-King—foretelling the thirty pieces of silver paid for Jesus Christ’s betrayal.
Historical and Prophetic Context
Micah ministers during the eighth century B.C., confronting Judah’s elite for exploiting the vulnerable. Confiscating a “splendid robe” violates multiple covenant stipulations: the prohibition against taking pledges essential for survival (Exodus 22:26-27; Deuteronomy 24:12-13) and the charge to honor fellow Israelites as image-bearers (Leviticus 19:18).
Zechariah prophesies after the exile. The “magnificent price” climactically portrays Israel’s rejection of the Messiah. Matthew 27:9-10 cites Zechariah’s language when Judas’s blood money funds the potter’s field, sealing the prophetic connection.
Theological Insights
1. Honor Misused: God’s gifts of dignity—whether material (garments) or spiritual (covenantal relationship)—can be perverted by human greed. Micah’s scene recalls Adam and Eve’s lost covering (Genesis 3:7) and anticipates Christ’s provision of a new garment of salvation (Isaiah 61:10).
2. Divine Irony: By labeling thirty coins “magnificent,” Zechariah exposes the chasm between God’s valuation of the Shepherd and the people’s disdain. The cross similarly displays God’s wisdom overturning human contempt (1 Corinthians 1:18-31).
3. Redemption of Glory: What is stripped away or cheaply priced, God restores and magnifies. The risen Christ is clothed in “a robe reaching down to His feet” (Revelation 1:13), and His saints receive “white robes” (Revelation 6:11), reversing the shame portrayed in Micah and Zechariah.
Practical Ministry Applications
• Justice and Compassion: Believers are called to safeguard the dignity of the poor. Micah’s indictment challenges modern practices that deprive others of livelihood, reputation, or basic necessities.
• Valuing Christ Supremely: Zechariah warns against trivializing the worth of the Shepherd. Worship, stewardship, and obedience become gauges of whether the church esteems the Lord with a value commensurate to His glory.
• Pastoral Care: When individuals feel stripped of honor—through sin, loss, or injustice—the gospel offers a robe of righteousness. Ministers can point sufferers to the One who bore contempt to clothe His people in majesty.
Related Biblical Motifs
Garments of salvation (Isaiah 61:10)
Splendor and glory bestowed by God (Psalm 8:5; Psalm 104:1-2)
Righteous robes of the Lamb’s bride (Revelation 19:7-8)
Suggestions for Further Study
• Trace how garments function symbolically across Scripture (Genesis 3; Exodus 28; Esther 6; Luke 15).
• Examine prophetic irony as a rhetorical device in Zechariah and other Minor Prophets.
• Explore New Testament fulfillment of Micah and Zechariah’s themes, especially in Matthew 26-27 and Acts 4:25-28.
In sum, אֶדֶר confronts the reader with a sobering question: Do we honor what God calls splendid, or do we, like the faithless in Micah’s day and the scoffers of Zechariah’s vision, treat priceless glory as disposable? The gospel urges the former—granting in Christ both a restored robe and a renewed valuation of all that reflects divine majesty.
Forms and Transliterations
אֶ֖דֶר אֶ֣דֶר אדר ’e·ḏer ’eḏer Eder
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