📖 Biblical Definition
Vesture is clothing — especially the outer garment, the public-facing layer of a person. Scripture loads the word with three theological uses. First, the seamless robe at the cross: "They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots" (Psalm 22:18; fulfilled John 19:23-24). Second, the vesture dipped in blood at Christ’s return: "And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God" (Revelation 19:13). Third, the changed vesture of the saved soul: "as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed" (Hebrews 1:12; Psalm 102:26). The Christian has put on Christ as his vesture (Galatians 3:27).
📜 Webster 1828 Definition
A garment; clothing; a robe; raiment.
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VESTURE, n. Garment; clothing; raiment; that which clothes the body.
By figure: the outer aspect or covering of a thing; a frequent biblical image for character (the saint ‘clothed’ with humility, with Christ, with strength).
📖 Key Scripture
Psalm 22:18 — "They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture."
John 19:24 — "They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots."
Revelation 19:13 — "And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God."
Galatians 3:27 — "For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ."
⚠️ Modern Corruption
We have lost the vesture-language of Scripture; the saints used to speak naturally of being clothed with Christ, with humility, with strength.
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From Genesis 3 (God clothing fallen Adam) to Revelation 19 (Christ in His blood-dipped vesture), Scripture treats clothing as a deep theological category. The garment names the man.
Galatians 3:27 carries the line into the New Covenant: baptism is putting on Christ as one's vesture. Daily renewal is taking off old clothes (Eph 4:22) and putting on new (Eph 4:24). The household with this vocabulary lives differently in the morning.
🔗 Greek & Hebrew Roots
Hebrew and Greek both have generic clothing words and specific garment-of-rank words.
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H899 — בֶּגֶד (beged) — garment, clothing, vesture; also ‘treachery’ in another sense, since clothing can disguise.
G2440 — ἱμάτιον (himation) — outer garment; the cloak Christ's soldiers gambled for at the cross.
Usage
"Christ's seamless vesture was woven from the top in one piece — a priestly garment."
"Daily put on Christ; daily put off the old vesture."
"His vesture at His return is dipped in blood — His own."