Different words for clothing

Question

Whats the difference between kasah (covering) and labash (covering)? And when we look to clothes then what's the difference between kesut and lebush? And what about beged (cloths) ? Please show me some examples from the Torah, and define them for me.

Answer 1

Chosem Tachanus page 166 (by Abraham Bedersi) explains the following differences. The word Levush is the standard word for clothing. Beged is something which is not worn - for example U'beged Klayim Shaatnez. Kesus is used for something that covers over. Simla is something you lay upon. Meil is a valuable type of clothing which prestigious people wear.

Answer 2

Malbim has an entry in his "Ya'ir Or" about different words for clothing. I will summarize his opinion regarding the words you are asking about.

• בגד: This is a general term that refers to all types of clothing. (E.g. Exod. 29:5, Judg. 14:13)
• כסות: A garment that is not intended to be worn in the normal way, but rather to just cover up with. (E.g. Job 31:19)
• לבוש: A garment that is not intended for everyday, every-person wear, but rather for special occasions or special people. (E.g. Esther 4:2, 6:8; Prov. 31:22)

Now for the verb forms, it's kind of the same idea:

• לבש: To wear something in the conventional sense. (E.g. I Sam. 28:8, Num. 20:28)
• כסה: To use something as a covering without necessarily wearing it normally. (Or, it seems, even when wearing normally, if the primary reason is to cover up one's nudity.) (E.g. I Sam 19:13, Ezek. 18:7)