Lexical Summary gumnos: Naked, bare, exposed Original Word: γυμνός Strong's Exhaustive Concordance naked. Of uncertain affinity; nude (absolute or relative, literal or figurative) -- naked. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. word Definition naked, poorly clothed NASB Translation bare (1), naked (11), open (1), stripped (1), without clothing (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 1131: γυμνόςγυμνός, γυμνή, γυμνόν, in the Sept. for עֵירֹם. and עָרום, naked, not covered; 1. properly, a. unclad, without clothing: Mark 14:52; Revelation 3:17; Revelation 16:15; Revelation 17:16; τό γυμνόν, substantively, the naked body: ἐπί γυμνοῦ, Mark 14:51; cf. Fritzsche at the passage; (τά γυμνά, Lucian, nav. 33). b. ill-clad: Matthew 25:36, 38, 43; Acts 19:16 (with torn garments); James 2:15; (Job 22:6; Job 24:10; Job 26:6). c. clad in the undergarment only (the outer garment or cloak being laid aside): John 21:7; (1 Samuel 19:24; Isaiah 20:2; Hesiod, Works, 389; often in Attic; so nudus, Vergil Georg. 1, 299). d. of the soul, whose garment is the body, stripped of the body, without a body: 2 Corinthians 5:3 (Plato, Crat c. 20, p. 403 b. ἡ ψυχή γυμνή τοῦ σώματος). 2. metaphorically, a. naked, i. e. open, laid bare: Hebrews 4:13 (γυμνός ὁ ᾅδης ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ, Job 26:6; examples from Greek authors, see in Bleek on Heb. vol. ii. 1, p. 585). b. only, mere, bare, equivalent to ψιλός (like Latinvudus): γυμνός κόκκος, mere grain, not the plant itself, 1 Corinthians 15:37 (Clement of Rome, 1 Cor. 24, 5 [ET] σπέρματα πεσόντα εἰς τήν γῆν ξηρά καί γυμνά διαλύεται). The Greek term translated “naked” appears fifteen times in the New Testament. While the primary sense is literal unclothedness, its contexts expand the idea to vulnerability, poverty, shame, judgment, compassionate ministry, and eschatological readiness. The term serves as a vivid reminder of humanity’s exposure before God and our call to respond to the exposed needs of others. Literal Nakedness in Narrative Events 1. Sudden flight and shame: Mark 14:51–52 portrays a young disciple who “fled naked” when Jesus was arrested, dramatizing the cost of discipleship and the shame of abandonment. Compassionate Response to the Naked The term becomes a measure of righteousness in Jesus’ parable of the sheep and the goats. “I was naked and you clothed Me” (Matthew 25:36). The failure to clothe Him (Matthew 25:43–44) marks the unrighteous. James echoes this ethic: “If a brother or sister is naked and lacking daily food … what good is it?” (James 2:15–16). Genuine faith acts; it does not merely assent. Spiritual Nakedness Before God Hebrews 4:13 renders humanity “uncovered and laid bare” before God’s all-seeing gaze. Revelation intensifies the imagery: Laodicea boasts of wealth, yet the risen Christ declares, “you do not realize that you are … naked” (Revelation 3:17). The harlot of Revelation 17:16 is stripped naked as divine judgment exposes her corruption. In each case physical bareness symbolizes spiritual destitution. Nakedness and Resurrection Imagery Paul uses the metaphor when contrasting earthly and resurrection bodies. The seed sown is “a bare kernel” (1 Corinthians 15:37), soon to be clothed with immortality. Similarly, believers “groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked” (2 Corinthians 5:2–3). Nakedness here pictures the intermediate, not-yet-glorified state. Eschatological Warning and Watchfulness “Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he will not go naked and let his shame be exposed” (Revelation 16:15). Preparedness before the Day of the Lord includes ethical vigilance lest sin leave the believer spiritually unclothed. Historical and Cultural Background In first-century Mediterranean society, nakedness generally connoted shame outside specific contexts (bathing, labor, infancy). Clothing signified status, modesty, and dignity. To be stripped, whether by poverty or enemy action, was to be publicly disgraced. The biblical writers tap these associations to convey theological truth: sin strips, Christ clothes. Theological and Ministry Implications 1. Exposure before God: No human effort can conceal the heart. Salvation requires the covering God provides in Christ (cf. Genesis 3:21). Practical Application for the Church • Maintain benevolence ministries that supply clothing, reflecting Matthew 25 compassion. The fifteen New Testament uses of this term converge on one truth: humanity unclothed is humanity in need. God sees, Christ clothes, and the church serves. Englishman's Concordance Matthew 25:36 Adj-NMSGRK: γυμνὸς καὶ περιεβάλετέ NAS: naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, KJV: Naked, and ye clothed INT: naked and you clothed Matthew 25:38 Adj-AMS Matthew 25:43 Adj-NMS Matthew 25:44 Adj-AMS Mark 14:51 Adj-GNS Mark 14:52 Adj-NMS John 21:7 Adj-NMS Acts 19:16 Adj-AMP 1 Corinthians 15:37 Adj-AMS 2 Corinthians 5:3 Adj-NMP Hebrews 4:13 Adj-NNP James 2:15 Adj-NMP Revelation 3:17 Adj-NMS Revelation 16:15 Adj-NMS Revelation 17:16 Adj-AFS Strong's Greek 1131 |
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