ἐκδύω (ekduō)
ekduō
to strip
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 6 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb ekduō means to strip someone of their clothes or to remove one’s own garments. In the New Testament, it appears in just six verses, often describing the physical act of undressing a person. For instance, Roman soldiers stripped Jesus before his crucifixion (Matthew 27:28; Mark 15:20), and the Good Samaritan narrative mentions robbers stripping their victims (Luke 10:30). The word is straightforward: it denotes the removal of outer covering.
Its meaning extends beyond literal clothing. In 2 Corinthians 5:4, Paul uses it metaphorically to describe the desire to "put off" the earthly body, likening physical death to shedding a garment. This figurative use reflects a common ancient view of the body as temporary attire for the soul. The word does not imply violence in this context but rather a transition or exchange.
The root combines ek ("out") and duō ("to put on"), creating a sense of reversal. While duō suggests putting something on, ekduō reverses that action. This linguistic contrast highlights the idea of removal or release. Translators typically render it as "strip" or "put off," depending on whether the context is literal or spiritual.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
When we read about Jesus being stripped of his garments in Matthew and Mark, the scene feels raw and humiliating. The soldiers took away his outer robe, leaving him exposed before a hostile crowd. This act was meant to degrade him, yet it also highlights the depth of his humility. He allowed himself to be made nothing, shedding even his clothing to bear our sins.
Paul uses this same word in 2 Corinthians to describe our longing for eternity. We groan in these earthly bodies, which feel like heavy tents. The desire is not to remain naked or abandoned, but to be clothed with our heavenly home. It is a hope that death is not an end, but a change of garment.
This imagery reminds us that our current struggles are temporary. Just as Jesus was raised and glorified, we look forward to being fully clothed in life. Our faith holds fast to the promise that God will cover our weaknesses with His strength.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 6 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- they took off2×
- having stripped2×
- to be unclothed1×
- having put off1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ἐξέδυσαν2×
- ἐκδύσαντες2×
- ἐκδύσασθαι1×
- ἐκδυσάμενοι1×
Key Verses
-
Matthew 27:28
They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him.
This verse captures the physical humiliation Jesus endured, where stripping him was a deliberate act of mockery before the crucifixion.
-
Luke 10:30
Jesus answered, “A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who both stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead.
Here the word describes the violent loss suffered by the traveler, illustrating the total vulnerability robbers create for their victims.
-
II Corinthians 5:4
For indeed we who are in this tent do groan, being burdened, not that we desire to be unclothed, but that we desire to be clothed, that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.
Paul employs the term metaphorically to express the soul's desire to exchange its mortal body for an eternal, glorified state.