The garment in Ezekiel 5:3 illustrates God's protection of His faithful. Ezekiel is told to take a small number of hairs from the final third and bind them in the edge of his garment. A hem is very small compared to the whole garment, and what is sewn into a hem is secure and cannot come out. Ezekiel was also a priest (Ezekiel 1:3), so the small remnant is bound as a whole and quite securely in a priest's garment. Ezekiel, who divides the hair, is a type of Christ, the High Priest, so the garment points to Jesus Christ keeping His chosen people close to Him, safe and secure in one place. The Hebrew word for "bind" carries the senses of keeping in a secret place, guarding, looking after, and hiding, which relates to Christ's promise in Revelation 3:10 to "keep" the Philadelphians from the hour of trial. Yet security in the hem is not the final goal. Verse 4 shows that some of those first hidden will be taken out and thrown into the fire, so the focus must be on being worthy of the Kingdom of God rather than on saving one's skin.

Leviticus 19:19 and Deuteronomy 22:11 are in effect a consumer protection law. They carry the principle that materials of widely differing character and texture are not to be combined in a garment. Natural fibers fall into two kinds: plant cellulose fibers such as linen and cotton, and animal protein fibers such as wool, mohair, and silk. Because these two kinds differ markedly in strength, washability, and absorption, they should not be mixed. Mixing fibers within one kind is acceptable, such as cotton with linen or wool with silk, since the fibers are basically similar. Synthetics such as nylon, polyester, and rayon do not necessarily break the principle either, because they are made to match the characteristics of the natural fibers and must be compatible with them to blend well. The principle concerns fibers with markedly differing qualities, not fibers that are naturally or artificially compatible. Blends usually make a cheaper garment than the best pure fibers, though adding compatible man-made fibers often improves a low-grade natural fabric. The best clothing is 100 percent wool, cotton, and the like, yet wearing lower-quality or wrongly mixed clothing is not sin, and it need not be thrown away. God's concern is that manufacturers not produce shoddy goods to take advantage of customers. In choosing garments, buy the best quality one can afford, since it lasts longer and fits better, and so honors God in what one wears, especially for church services. But do not go into debt for better quality than one can afford.