Lexical Summary epibléma: Patch, piece of cloth Original Word: ἐπίβλημα Strong's Exhaustive Concordance a patch or piece. From epiballo; a patch -- piece. see GREEK epiballo NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom epiballó Definition that which is put on, i.e. a patch NASB Translation patch (2), piece (1), piece of cloth (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 1915: ἐπίβλημαἐπίβλημα, ἐπιβλητος, τό (ἐπιβάλλω), that which is thrown or put upon a thing, or that which is added to it; an addition; specifically, that which is sewed on to cover a rent, a patch; Vulg.assumentum ((alsocommissura)) (equivalent to ἐπιρραμα): Matthew 9:16; Mark 2:21; Luke 5:36. (the Sept., Plutarch, Arrian.) Topical Lexicon Definition and Semantic Range The term ἐπίβλημα (epiblēma) denotes a “patch,” specifically a piece of cloth laid upon or sewn over a tear in an existing garment. By extension it can signify any superficial covering applied to repair damage. Biblical Context and Usage In the New Testament the word appears in three Synoptic parallels—Matthew 9:16; Mark 2:21; Luke 5:36 (with Luke repeating the noun in the same verse). In each setting Jesus couples the illustration of the patch with that of new wine in old wineskins. Matthew 9:16: “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch will pull away from the garment, and a worse tear will result.” The imagery is pastoral and practical: an “unshrunk” (literally “new”) patch, once moistened and used, contracts, tearing the older, weaker fabric. Jesus employs this commonplace example to underscore the incompatibility between the fresh reality of His kingdom and the entrenched religious structures of His day. The emphasis falls not on mending but on the futility of trying to graft the new onto the old without full transformation. Cultural and Historical Background First-century garments were typically woven of wool or linen. These natural fibers shrink when washed, so a new piece would not integrate smoothly into cloth already laundered many times. Because clothing represented both identity and economic investment, careful maintenance was essential. Listeners immediately grasped the risk: a careless repair could ruin a valued tunic. Jesus’ hearers—many of them craftsmen, farmers, and housekeepers—would have experienced such domestic dilemmas firsthand. By drawing on the mundane art of sewing, He rooted profound spiritual truth in daily life. Theological Implications 1. New Covenant Supremacy. The patch metaphor points to the discontinuity between the mosaic structures and the gospel of grace. The law is not discarded, yet Christ fulfills it (Matthew 5:17). His righteousness cannot be reduced to supplemental regulations; it requires regeneration (John 3:3). Applications for Ministry • Gospel Presentation: Stress the necessity of new birth rather than moral patchwork. Encourage seekers to embrace Christ entirely, not as an add-on to existing worldviews. In every occurrence of ἐπίβλημα, Scripture presses the reader toward wholehearted surrender: the kingdom Christ inaugurates is not a patch on the past but an entirely new garment woven by grace. Forms and Transliterations επιβλημα επίβλημα ἐπίβλημα επιβλήματα epiblema epiblēma epíblema epíblēmaLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Matthew 9:16 N-ANSGRK: δὲ ἐπιβάλλει ἐπίβλημα ῥάκους ἀγνάφου NAS: puts a patch of unshrunk KJV: No man putteth a piece of new cloth INT: moreover puts a piece of cloth unshrunk Mark 2:21 N-ANS Luke 5:36 N-ANS Luke 5:36 N-ANS |
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