Description and usage
The tunic was another undergarment worn by the High Priest and his fellow priests. It went over the shorts, but from the waist up it was next to the skin, and over top of it went the robe. It was a kind of shirt and probably had long sleeves and reached nearly to the ankles. It was woven of linen. It was probably pulled over the head and was held in place by a sash wound around the waist. See also Shirt, tunic.
Translation
In ordinary usage the Hebrew word kutoneth refers to an everyday article of clothing worn by men and women alike and was probably a sort of “shirt.” The RSV rendering “coat” (EXO 28:4) is misleading since this piece of clothing was not an outer garment but one worn underneath other clothing and next to the body. Kutoneth has often been translated “tunic” (NIV, NEB, NAB, NJB). “Shirt” (GNT, CEV) will be the closest equivalent in many languages. According to EXO 28:4, the tunic was “embroidered” (GNT). For translating the word “embroidered,” see Embroidered cloth, needlework.