Word Study for G1562 (ἐκδύω)

ekdýō /ek-doo'-o/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom ἐκ and the base of δύνω

Meaningto cause to sink out of, i.e. (specially as of clothing) to divest

KJV usagestrip, take off from, unclothe.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of ekdýō — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Greek word ekdýō, represented by G1562, means to divest, strip, or unclothe. Its definition is derived from the Greek words for "out of" and "to sink," conveying the idea of causing something to be removed, specifically clothing. It appears 7 times across 5 unique verses, making each usage significant.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, G1562 is used in both literal and figurative contexts. Its most prominent literal use is in the accounts of Jesus' crucifixion. Soldiers stripped him to put a scarlet robe on him as an act of mockery Matthew 27:28. Later, they took off the robe before leading him to be crucified (Matthew 27:31, Mark 15:20). The word also appears in the parable of the Good Samaritan, where thieves stripped a man of his raiment, leaving him wounded and vulnerable Luke 10:30. Figuratively, the term is used by Paul to describe a state of being without a resurrected body, expressing that the goal is not to be unclothed, but to be "clothed upon" with a heavenly form 2 Corinthians 5:4.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the meaning of G1562 by providing contrast and context:

G1746 endýō (to invest with clothing): As the direct opposite of stripping off, this word means to put on. It is used when Jesus' own raiment is put back on him Matthew 27:31 and metaphorically for believers to put on the new man or the Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 4:24, Romans 13:14).
G4060 peritíthēmi (to place around): This word describes the action that immediately follows stripping Jesus; after they stripped him, they put on him a scarlet robe Matthew 27:28.
G1902 ependýomai (to invest upon oneself): This term is used in direct contrast to being "unclothed" G1562. It expresses the earnest desire to be clothed upon with a heavenly dwelling from God (2 Corinthians 5:2, 2 Corinthians 5:4).

Theological Significance

The theological weight of G1562 is significant, highlighting themes of humiliation, vulnerability, and the nature of the resurrected state.

Humiliation and Suffering: The act of stripping Jesus is a key part of the Passion narrative. To strip someone was an act of extreme shame and mockery, emphasizing the depth of Christ's suffering (Matthew 27:28, Mark 15:20).
Human Vulnerability: In the parable of the Good Samaritan, the traveler is stripped, which symbolizes his complete defenselessness and victimization at the hands of the thieves Luke 10:30.
Metaphor for Mortality: Paul uses being unclothed to represent the undesirable, intermediate state of a disembodied soul after death. The Christian hope is not this state, but to be "clothed upon" so that mortality might be swallowed up by life 2 Corinthians 5:4.

Summary

In summary, G1562 is a powerful word that transitions from a literal to a metaphorical meaning. It literally depicts the removal of garments, an act tied to shame and violence in the Gospels. Theologically, it expands to represent the state of being disembodied, which is contrasted with the ultimate hope of being clothed with an immortal, heavenly body. The word ekdýō therefore powerfully conveys themes of humiliation, vulnerability, and the transition from mortal life to eternal life.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Greek New Testament, this word appears as a verb across 6 occurrences, inflected in 3 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Aorist Active Participle Nominative Plural Masculine 3×
Aorist Active Indicative 3rd Plural 2×
Aorist Middle Infinitive 1×

Nominative: The subject of the verb.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
3rd: Third person — the one spoken about ("he"/"they").
Aorist: Action viewed as a single whole — usually a simple past event.
Active: The subject performs the action.
Middle: The subject acts on or for itself.
Indicative: A plain statement of fact.
Infinitive: The verb as a noun — "to do".
Participle: A verbal adjective — describes while carrying the verb's action.

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 5 verses across 4 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Matthew (2 verses); never once in the other 23.

Matthew

Mark

Luke

2 Corinthians

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.