ἐπίβλημα (epiblēma)
epiblēma
patch
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 3 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun epiblēma refers to a piece of cloth sewn onto a garment to cover a tear or hole. Literally meaning "that which is thrown upon," it describes a patch used for repair. In the New Testament, this word appears only three times, all within the Synoptic Gospels where Jesus uses it as part of a teaching on newness and old forms.
Jesus employs this concrete image in Matthew 9:16, Mark 2:21, and Luke 5:36 to illustrate why his new message cannot be forced into old religious structures. Just as a fresh patch shrinks when washed and tears away from the old fabric, making the rip worse, the vitality of the gospel does not fit neatly into rigid traditional containers. The word highlights the incompatibility between the dynamic nature of Christ’s ministry and static institutional habits.
The term underscores a physical reality familiar to first-century listeners: repairing an old garment with new material often leads to further damage. This vivid metaphor warns against trying to graft new life onto outdated frameworks, emphasizing that some transitions require entirely fresh beginnings rather than superficial adjustments.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word epiblēma describes a patch sewn onto clothing to cover a tear. In first-century life, this was a common repair, but Jesus used it to teach something deeper. He pointed out that a new, unshrunk cloth shrinks when washed. If you sew it onto an old garment, the shrinking pulls at the old fabric. The result is not a fix, but a worse tear.
This image helps us understand why the gospel often feels disruptive to our established routines. We might try to patch our old habits with new spiritual efforts, hoping for a better version of who we were. Yet, the new life in Christ does not simply repair the past; it brings a fresh beginning. When we cling too tightly to old structures, we risk damaging both the old and the new.
Instead of forcing new grace into rigid containers, we are invited to embrace the whole new garment. This means letting go of what no longer serves our growth in faith. It is an invitation to trust that God’s work is not about superficial fixes, but about complete renewal. May you find peace in allowing your life to be transformed from the inside out.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- a patch2×
- piece1×
- a piece1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ἐπίβλημα4×
Key Verses
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Matthew 9:16
No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch would tear away from the garment, and a worse hole is made.
This verse highlights the physical consequence of the patch tearing away, illustrating how new vitality disrupts old structures.
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Mark 2:21
No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, or else the patch shrinks and the new tears away from the old, and a worse hole is made.
Mark specifically mentions the shrinking action, showing why the repair fails and makes the hole worse.
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Luke 5:36
He also told a parable to them. “No one puts a piece from a new garment on an old garment, or else he will tear the new, and also the piece from the new will not match the old.
Luke frames this as a parable, emphasizing the mismatch between the new piece and the old garment.