Greek · G1131

γυμνός

Nude (absolute or relative, literal or figurative)

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γυμνόςG1131
Pronunciationgymnós

What does γυμνός (gymnós) mean in the Bible?

G1131 describes nakedness, insufficient clothing, bareness, or exposure and can refer to bodies, vulnerable need, a bare seed, or creation laid open before God. The adjective may denote literal nudity, being poorly clothed, metaphorical exposure, or a seed without its future body, so physical vulnerability, moral accountability, shame imagery, and resurrection analogy must remain distinct.

Reader summary

Full entry for γυμνός (G1131) · Open the biblical lexicon

Questions this entry answers

What does γυμνός (gymnós) mean in the Bible?

G1131 describes nakedness, insufficient clothing, bareness, or exposure and can refer to bodies, vulnerable need, a bare seed, or creation laid open before God. The adjective may denote literal nudity, being poorly clothed, metaphorical exposure, or a seed without its future body, so physical vulnerability, moral accountability, shame imagery, and.

How does the BSB render G1131?

The BSB source-word alignment has 15 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include naked (8), [I was] naked (2), . . . ) (1), [his body] (1), [is] uncovered (1).

Where does γυμνός (gymnós) appear in Scripture?

The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 25:36. Its strongest book concentrations include Matthew (4), Revelation (3), Mark (2), 1 Corinthians (1).

What This Word Actually Means

G1131 describes nakedness, insufficient clothing, bareness, or exposure and can refer to bodies, vulnerable need, a bare seed, or creation laid open before God. The adjective may denote literal nudity, being poorly clothed, metaphorical exposure, or a seed without its future body, so physical vulnerability, moral accountability, shame imagery, and resurrection analogy must remain distinct.

In Matt. 25. 36, jesus identifies Himself with the naked person who is clothed as He describes merciful care for the least of His brothers. In Heb. 4. 13, no created thing is hidden from Gods sight, for everything is uncovered before the One to whom each person must give account. G1131 opens teaching on clothing vulnerable neighbors, living truthfully before the God who sees all, and hoping for resurrection embodiment without treating the body as shameful.

It corrects body-shaming and voyeuristic uses of nakedness language, and it confronts piety that speaks about exposure before God while refusing practical clothing, safety, and dignity to neighbors. G1131 brings need, accountability, and hope into different settings: Jesus identifies Himself with the unclothed neighbor who is given clothing, Hebrews says all creation is exposed before God, and Paul compares the sown seed with the future resurrection body.

Human vulnerability calls for care, divine sight calls for truthful account, and resurrection hope affirms embodiment rather than making nakedness a license for shame or intrusion. For G1131, responsible teaching keeps lexical meaning, passage context, canonical synthesis, and present application distinguishable. G1131 does not make the unclothed person morally impure, permit forced exposure or sexualized attention, prove that God authorizes public disclosure of private wounds, or teach that resurrection leaves people permanently disembodied.

Sources