The Greek noun byssos (G1040) refers to fine linen or byssus — a high-quality, expensive white fabric of Egyptian origin, spun from flax. In the ancient world it was worn by royalty, high priests, and the wealthy as a mark of status and purity.
In Luke 16:19, the rich man is clothed in byssos — fine linen — while Lazarus lies at his gate covered in sores. The contrast is not merely economic but eschatological: those clothed in earthly luxury may have nothing of the heavenly garment, while the poor in spirit are rich toward God. The parable warns against confusing material prosperity with divine favor.