Hood

Hood in biblical usage refers to a head covering or turban worn as an article of dress, rendered by the Hebrew ṣānîph and related terms. In Isaiah 3:23, the term appears in the long list of women's ornaments and garments that would be stripped away in judgment—turbans or head-tires among them. The same root is rendered diadem in Job 29:14, where Job describes his former honor and authority, and it appears as the headgear of the high priest in Zechariah 3:5, where Joshua the high priest is given a clean turban as part of his investiture vision, symbolizing renewed purity and dignity in the priestly office.

Head coverings in the ancient Near East carried significant social meaning: they could indicate rank, gender roles, mourning, or ceremonial status. The word ṣānîph suggests a winding or wrapping, consistent with the turbans seen in Assyrian and Egyptian reliefs of the period. The stripping of such garments in prophetic judgment oracles (Isaiah 3) contrasted the luxury of Jerusalem's women with the coming desolation, while the bestowing of a turban in Zechariah 3 enacted priestly restoration and divine acceptance.