2528. kathoplizó

Lexical Summary

kathoplizó: To arm fully, to equip

Original Word: καθοπλίζω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: kathoplizó
Pronunciation: kath-op-LID-zo
Phonetic Spelling: (kath-op-lid'-zo)
KJV: arm
NASB: fully armed
Word Origin: [from G2596 (κατά - according) and G3695 (ὁπλίζω - arm)]

1. to equip fully with armor

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

to arm oneself fully

From kata; and hoplizo; to equip fully with armor -- arm.

see GREEK kata

see GREEK hoplizo

HELPS Word-studies

2528 kathoplízō (from 2596 /katá, "down" and 3695 /hoplízō, "be armed") – properly, armed all the way down, i.e. "fully armed, down (kata) from head to heel" (WS, 185).

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from kata and hoplizó
Definition
to arm fully
NASB Translation
fully armed (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 2528: καθοπλίζω

καθοπλίζω: perfect passive participle καθωπλισμένος; "to arm (fully (cf. κατά, III. 1 at the end)), furnish with arms": Luke 11:21. (Xenophon, Plutarch, and others; the Sept..)

Topical Lexicon

Scriptural Occurrence

Luke 11:21 records the single New Testament use of Strong’s 2528: “When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are secure.”

Immediate Context in Luke 11

1. The verse forms the opening statement in Jesus’ short parable (Luke 11:21-22).
2. The “strong man” represents Satan, whose apparent security rests on complete armament.
3. Jesus identifies Himself as the “stronger man” who disarms the enemy, rescues the spoils, and demonstrates the arrival of God’s kingdom (Luke 11:20-22).
4. The image underlines the absolute triumph of Christ over demonic power, explaining His authority to cast out demons without collusion with Beelzebul (Luke 11:14-20).

Historical Background of Full Armament

• In first-century parlance, a householder who maintained a complete panoply of helmet, breastplate, greaves, shield, sword, and spear was considered virtually impregnable.
• Roman soldiers on garrison duty exemplified the concept: unbroken possession depended on constant readiness.
• The verb behind Strong’s 2528 implies that every defensive and offensive piece is in place—nothing lacking, nothing neglected.

Theological Themes

1. Security through strength: Human or demonic fortification seems unassailable until confronted by superior power.
2. Dominion contested: The clash between the “strong man” and the “stronger man” explains why the ministry of Jesus inevitably overturns existing spiritual control.
3. Victory through displacement: Liberation occurs not by negotiation but by forceful replacement.
4. Ultimate authority of Christ: His supremacy renders every lesser “strong man” vulnerable, prefiguring the final overthrow of evil (Revelation 20:10).

Christ the Stronger Man

• Jesus binds, strips, and divides the spoils, echoing prophetic pictures of divine warrior-hood (Isaiah 49:24-25; Isaiah 53:12).
• His cross and resurrection are the decisive act of “plundering” (Colossians 2:15).
• The believer’s deliverance from the domain of darkness (Colossians 1:13) is the direct fruit of this conquest.

Spiritual Warfare and the Full Armor of God

• Paul expands the imagery: “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can make your stand against the devil’s schemes.” (Ephesians 6:11).
• The same principle applies: only complete equipment furnishes adequate protection.
• While Luke 11 highlights Christ’s own armor-shattering might, Ephesians 6 exhorts believers to share in that victory by appropriating divine armor.

Pastoral and Ministry Implications

1. Deliverance Ministry: Confidence in Christ’s superior power encourages prayer for freedom from spiritual bondage.
2. Discipleship: Followers must relinquish any illusion of self-sufficiency and cling to the victorious Captain.
3. Evangelism: Preaching the gospel invites people to transfer allegiance from the “strong man” to the “stronger man.”
4. Perseverance: Ongoing vigilance, modeled on the fully armed guardian, guards against spiritual complacency (1 Peter 5:8).

Related Old Testament Parallels

• David versus Goliath: the shepherd boy disarms the armored giant (1 Samuel 17:45-47).
• Yahweh as divine warrior: “The Lord is a warrior; the Lord is His name.” (Exodus 15:3).
• Armor metaphors for the righteous: “He put on righteousness like a breastplate.” (Isaiah 59:17).

Summary

Strong’s 2528 crystallizes the notion of being comprehensively armed. Luke employs it to expose the temporary security of Satan and to showcase Christ’s unrivaled might. Historical insights into Roman armor illuminate the vividness of the metaphor, while broader biblical theology locates the term within the grand narrative of God’s victorious warfare. For the church, the verse both reassures—Christ has already overpowered the enemy—and summons: stand firm in the same full armor provided by God.

Forms and Transliterations

καθωπλισμένοι καθωπλισμενος καθωπλισμένος kathoplismenos kathoplisménos kathōplismenos kathōplisménos

Englishman's Concordance

Luke 11:21 V-RPM/P-NMS
GRK: ὁ ἰσχυρὸς καθωπλισμένος φυλάσσῃ τὴν
NAS: a strong [man], fully armed, guards
KJV: When a strong man armed keepeth his
INT: the strong [man] being armed might keep the

Strong's Greek 2528
1 Occurrence

καθωπλισμένος — 1 Occ.