The Greek adjective arraphos (from a- privative + rhaptō, to sew) means 'not sewn,' 'unseamed,' or 'woven in one piece without stitching.' Its sole New Testament occurrence describes the garment of Jesus at the crucifixion — a tunic woven entirely in one piece from top to bottom.
The detail in John 19:23–24 that Jesus's inner garment was seamless — 'woven in one piece from top to bottom' — is historically, symbolically, and prophetically significant. Historically, seamless garments were valuable; the high priest wore such a garment. Symbolically, the soldiers' refusal to tear it fulfilled Psalm 22:18 precisely. Theologically, the seamless garment has been seen as representing the unity of Christ's body, the church (John 17:11, 21–22), and the unbroken nature of His priestly ministry. The garment that covered His body at the cross was not torn apart; neither is the body He is building.