Lexical Summary ekduó: To strip off, to take off, to unclothe Original Word: ἐκδύω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance strip, take off from, unclothe. From ek and the base of duno; to cause to sink out of, i.e. (specially as of clothing) to divest -- strip, take off from, unclothe. see GREEK ek see GREEK duno NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom ek and the same as dunó Definition to take off, to put off NASB Translation stripped (2), took...off (2), unclothed (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 1562: ἐκδύωἐκδύω: 1 aorist ἐξεδυσα; 1 aorist middle ἐξεδυσάμην; (δύω); to take off: τινα, to strip one of his garments, Matthew 27:28 (L WH marginal reading ἐνδυς.); Luke 10:30; τινα τί (as in Greek from Homer down) (a thing from a person): Matthew 27:31; Mark 15:20; middle, to take off from oneself, to put off one's raiment (Xenophon, Ag. 1, 28; Hell. 3, 4, 19); figuratively, to put off the body, the clothing of the soul (A. V. be unclothed): 2 Corinthians 5:4; the reading ἐκδυσάμενοι, adopted in 2 Corinthians 5:3 by certain critics (e. g. Mill, Tdf. 7, Reiche, others), is due to a correction by the copyists; see γυμνός, 1 d. (Compare: ἀπεκδύομαι.) Topical Lexicon Overview of Usage in Scripture The verb translated “to strip off, unclothe, divest” appears six times in the New Testament, distributed across the Passion narratives, a parable, and a Pauline discussion of resurrection. These occurrences fall naturally into two categories: literal removal of clothing (Matthew 27:28; Matthew 27:31; Mark 15:20; Luke 10:30) and figurative removal of the mortal body (2 Corinthians 5:3–4). Literal Sense: Stripping in the Gospels 1. Roman soldiers “stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him” (Matthew 27:28), publicly humiliating Jesus before the crucifixion. These texts highlight the vulnerability and degradation associated with being forcibly disrobed. They further magnify Christ’s voluntary identification with human shame and suffering, fulfilling prophetic foreshadowings such as Psalm 22:18. Figurative Sense: Mortality and Immortality in 2 Corinthians Paul writes, “For indeed, we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life” (2 Corinthians 5:4). Here the verb shifts from physical garments to the “tent” of the earthly body. The apostle is not yearning for naked disembodiment but for the resurrection body that surpasses present mortality. The language evokes Genesis 3, where nakedness became a symbol of vulnerability after the fall; by contrast, the believer’s future “clothing” with immortality answers that vulnerability forever. Historical Background Public stripping was a known tool of Roman punishment, intensifying the disgrace of flogging and crucifixion. Garments also served as indicators of status; to remove them was to erase dignity. In Jewish thought, the cloak could even serve as collateral for a loan (Exodus 22:26–27), highlighting its essential role in personal identity. Against this backdrop, the Gospel accounts deliberately emphasize that Jesus endured the uttermost shame on behalf of sinners. Intertextual Connections • Isaiah 50:6 pictures the Servant giving His back to those who strike and His cheeks to those who pluck the beard—an anticipation of messianic humiliation. Doctrinal Significance 1. Atonement: The mocked, unclothed Messiah bears the shame of human rebellion, turning dishonor into redemptive glory. Pastoral and Ministry Implications • Suffering believers can take comfort that Christ Himself endured exposure and humiliation; He is a sympathetic High Priest. Illustrative Applications • A communion meditation might contrast the soldiers stripping Jesus with His provision of “garments of salvation” (Isaiah 61:10). Summary Whether narrating brutality, illustrating compassion, or unveiling eschatological hope, the verb translated “strip off” carries a consistent theological thread: Christ bore our shame, humanity’s enemies strip and wound, but God ultimately reclothes His people with eternal honor. Forms and Transliterations εκδύνει έκδυσαι εκδυσαντες εκδύσαντες ἐκδύσαντες εκδυσασθαι εκδύσασθαι ἐκδύσασθαι εκδύσασθε εκδύσεται εκδύση έκδυσον εκδύσονται εκδύσουσί εκδύσω εξεδυσάμην εξεδυσαν εξέδυσαν ἐξέδυσαν εξεδύσατο εξέδυσε εξέδυσεν ekdusantes ekdusasthai ekdysantes ekdýsantes ekdysasthai ekdýsasthai exedusan exedysan exédysanLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Matthew 27:28 V-APA-NMPGRK: καὶ ἐκδύσαντες αὐτὸν χλαμύδα NAS: They stripped Him and put a scarlet KJV: And they stripped him, INT: and having stripped him a robe Matthew 27:31 V-AIA-3P Mark 15:20 V-AIA-3P Luke 10:30 V-APA-NMP 2 Corinthians 5:3 V-APM-NMP 2 Corinthians 5:4 V-ANM Strong's Greek 1562 |
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