What Does the Bible Say About Modest Dress?

1 Timothy 2:9 ESV / 13 helpful votes

Likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire,

1 Timothy 2:9-10 ESV / 10 helpful votes

Likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works.

Deuteronomy 22:5 ESV / 8 helpful votes

“A woman shall not wear a man's garment, nor shall a man put on a woman's cloak, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord your God.

Exodus 28:42 ESV / 6 helpful votes

You shall make for them linen undergarments to cover their naked flesh. They shall reach from the hips to the thighs;

Genesis 3:21 ESV / 6 helpful votes

And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.

Genesis 3:7 ESV / 6 helpful votes

Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.

Matthew 5:28 ESV / 5 helpful votes

But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Exodus 20:26 ESV / 5 helpful votes

And you shall not go up by steps to my altar, that your nakedness be not exposed on it.’

Revelation 3:18 ESV / 4 helpful votes

I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.

1 Peter 3:4 ESV / 4 helpful votes

But let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious.

Titus 2:5 ESV / 4 helpful votes

To be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.

1 Timothy 2:1-15 ESV / 4 helpful votes

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, ...

Proverbs 31:1-31 ESV / 4 helpful votes

The words of King Lemuel. An oracle that his mother taught him: What are you doing, my son? What are you doing, son of my womb? What are you doing, son of my vows? Do not give your strength to women, your ways to those who destroy kings. It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to take strong drink, lest they drink and forget what has been decreed and pervert the rights of all the afflicted. ...

1 Peter 3:3 ESV / 3 helpful votes

Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear—

Titus 2:1-15 ESV / 3 helpful votes

But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. ...

1 Corinthians 11:1-34 ESV / 3 helpful votes

Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. Now I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I delivered them to you. But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God. Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head, but every wife who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since it is the same as if her head were shaven. ...

Genesis 3:10 ESV / 3 helpful votes

And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.”

1 John 2:16 ESV / 2 helpful votes

For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.

1 Peter 3:5 ESV / 2 helpful votes

For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands,

1 Peter 3:3-4 ESV / 2 helpful votes

Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious.

1 Peter 3:1-22 ESV / 2 helpful votes

Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, when they see your respectful and pure conduct. Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious. For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, ...

Titus 1:2 ESV / 2 helpful votes

In hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began

1 Timothy 3:6 ESV / 2 helpful votes

He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil.

1 Timothy 2:10 ESV / 2 helpful votes

But with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works.

Colossians 3:23 ESV / 2 helpful votes

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,

Colossians 3:22 ESV / 2 helpful votes

Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord.

Colossians 3:9 ESV / 2 helpful votes

Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices

Philippians 4:8 ESV / 2 helpful votes

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Ephesians 6:6 ESV / 2 helpful votes

Not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart,

Ephesians 6:5 ESV / 2 helpful votes

Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ,

Ephesians 5:33 ESV / 2 helpful votes

However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

Ephesians 5:24 ESV / 2 helpful votes

Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.

Ephesians 4:25 ESV / 2 helpful votes

Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.

Galatians 5:21 ESV / 2 helpful votes

Envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

2 Corinthians 6:17 ESV / 2 helpful votes

Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you,

1 Corinthians 8:13 ESV / 2 helpful votes

Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.

1 Corinthians 6:19 ESV / 2 helpful votes

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,

1 Corinthians 6:9 ESV / 2 helpful votes

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,

1 Corinthians 3:16 ESV / 2 helpful votes

Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?

Romans 14:13 ESV / 2 helpful votes

Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.

Romans 3:10 ESV / 2 helpful votes

As it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one;

John 10:30 ESV / 2 helpful votes

I and the Father are one.”

John 5:19 ESV / 2 helpful votes

So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.

Luke 8:27 ESV / 2 helpful votes

When Jesus had stepped out on land, there met him a man from the city who had demons. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he had not lived in a house but among the tombs.

Matthew 6:33 ESV / 2 helpful votes

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Matthew 5:48 ESV / 2 helpful votes

You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Matthew 5:27-28 ESV / 2 helpful votes

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Matthew 5:16 ESV / 2 helpful votes

In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Isaiah 47:1-3 ESV / 2 helpful votes

Come down and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon; sit on the ground without a throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans! For you shall no more be called tender and delicate. Take the millstones and grind flour, put off your veil, strip off your robe, uncover your legs, pass through the rivers. Your nakedness shall be uncovered, and your disgrace shall be seen. I will take vengeance, and I will spare no one.

Proverbs 31:22 ESV / 2 helpful votes

She makes bed coverings for herself; her clothing is fine linen and purple.

Psalm 45:13 ESV / 2 helpful votes

All glorious is the princess in her chamber, with robes interwoven with gold.

2 Samuel 11:1-27 ESV / 2 helpful votes

In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel. And they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. It happened, late one afternoon, when David arose from his couch and was walking on the roof of the king's house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful. And David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, “Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?” So David sent messengers and took her, and she came to him, and he lay with her. (Now she had been purifying herself from her uncleanness.) Then she returned to her house. And the woman conceived, and she sent and told David, “I am pregnant.” ...

Deuteronomy 22:1-30 ESV / 2 helpful votes

“You shall not see your brother's ox or his sheep going astray and ignore them. You shall take them back to your brother. And if he does not live near you and you do not know who he is, you shall bring it home to your house, and it shall stay with you until your brother seeks it. Then you shall restore it to him. And you shall do the same with his donkey or with his garment, or with any lost thing of your brother's, which he loses and you find; you may not ignore it. You shall not see your brother's donkey or his ox fallen down by the way and ignore them. You shall help him to lift them up again. “A woman shall not wear a man's garment, nor shall a man put on a woman's cloak, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord your God. ...

Leviticus 16:4 ESV / 2 helpful votes

He shall put on the holy linen coat and shall have the linen undergarment on his body, and he shall tie the linen sash around his waist, and wear the linen turban; these are the holy garments. He shall bathe his body in water and then put them on.

Leviticus 6:10 ESV / 2 helpful votes

And the priest shall put on his linen garment and put his linen undergarment on his body, and he shall take up the ashes to which the fire has reduced the burnt offering on the altar and put them beside the altar.

Genesis 4:1-26 ESV / 2 helpful votes

Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord.” And again, she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground. In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. ...

Genesis 3:11 ESV / 2 helpful votes

He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?”

Genesis 3:6-7 ESV / 2 helpful votes

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.

Genesis 2:25 ESV / 2 helpful votes

And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.

Genesis 1:27 ESV / 2 helpful votes

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

60 Bible Verses about Modest Dress

1 Timothy 2:9 ESV / 13 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 Timothy 2:9-10 ESV / 10 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Deuteronomy 22:5 ESV / 8 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Exodus 28:42 ESV / 6 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Genesis 3:21 ESV / 6 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Genesis 3:7 ESV / 6 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Matthew 5:28 ESV / 5 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Exodus 20:26 ESV / 5 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Revelation 3:18 ESV / 4 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 Peter 3:4 ESV / 4 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Titus 2:5 ESV / 4 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 Timothy 2:1-15 ESV / 4 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Proverbs 31:1-31 ESV / 4 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 Peter 3:3 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Titus 2:1-15 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 Corinthians 11:1-34 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Genesis 3:10 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 John 2:16 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 Peter 3:5 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 Peter 3:3-4 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 Peter 3:1-22 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Titus 1:2 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 Timothy 3:6 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 Timothy 2:10 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Colossians 3:23 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Colossians 3:22 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Colossians 3:9 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Philippians 4:8 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Ephesians 6:6 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Ephesians 6:5 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Ephesians 5:33 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Ephesians 5:24 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Ephesians 4:25 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Galatians 5:21 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

2 Corinthians 6:17 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 Corinthians 8:13 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 Corinthians 6:19 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 Corinthians 6:9 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 Corinthians 3:16 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Romans 14:13 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Romans 3:10 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

John 10:30 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

John 5:19 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Luke 8:27 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Matthew 6:33 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Matthew 5:48 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Matthew 5:27-28 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Matthew 5:16 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Isaiah 47:1-3 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Proverbs 31:22 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Psalm 45:13 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

2 Samuel 11:1-27 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Deuteronomy 22:1-30 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Leviticus 16:4 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Leviticus 6:10 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Genesis 4:1-26 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Genesis 3:11 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Genesis 3:6-7 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Genesis 2:25 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Genesis 1:27 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

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