Introduction

The CONDITION IS CLOTHING conceptual metaphor is reflected in several places in the Psalms.

In the Bible, clothing is pictured as something protective that prevents injury and exposure to weather and the elements. Since nakedness was an image of vulnerability, the companion image of clothing as a covering also evokes the idea of protection from weakness or shame. Clothing and accessories are also pictured as something that allows others to infer a person’s social status or state of mind, since the quality or style of clothing and accessories a person wears could indicate their ethnicity, wealth, or rank and since people changed their clothing to show they were rejoicing or mourning. Wearing sackcloth indicates public grief or repentance. Wearing festive clothing indicates public celebration and joy. Many times an article of clothing or an accessory a person wears is associated with a condition God has given the person such as safety, joy, or honor, or shame.

Psalm 30:11 (ESV)

You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;

you have loosed my sackcloth

and clothed me with gladness,

Psalm 35:26b (ESV)

Let them be clothed with shame and dishonor

who magnify themselves against me!

Cultural Background

These are some cultural aspects of cultural background that help understand the use of the clothing source domain:

Clothing is associated with how people publicly present themselves to others. People expect others’ choice of dress to reflect their ethnic identity, their social status, and their emotional state for a given occasion.
Taking someone’s clothing away from them in public was a way of bringing shame. Forcing people to wear clothing they do not want to wear is a punishment.
Clothing or accessories can be given as a gift or honor to make claims about their honored state.
It is not acceptable to wear clothing associated with a higher or lower social status than a person has.

Source Domain Knowledge

The following ideas from the clothing domain are applied to God and people in the Psalms

Honor or protection from God is like clothing or accessories a person wears (God-given honor is a crown Ps 8:5, God-given love and mercy are a crown Ps 103:4, Ps 132:9, 16 God’s priest are clothed with righteousness and deliverance)
What people wear is a claim about their public identity or their current state and people can make inferences based on what people wear. (the wicked wear pride as a necklace and violence as a garment Ps 73:6; God is robed in majesty with strength as a belt Ps 93:1, the wicked wear cursing as a coat or a belt Ps 109:18-19, Zion’s enemies are clothed with shame Ps 132:18)