What does ἐνδύω (endýō) mean in the Bible?
Ἐνδύω means to put on clothing, dress someone, or be clothed, and it readily extends to being invested with a quality or condition. Jesus names clothing among bodily needs entrusted to the Father's care.
Greek · G1746
ἐνδύω
To invest with clothing (literally or figuratively)
Reading a lexicon entry
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ἐνδύω G1746
Pronunciation endýō
What does ἐνδύω (endýō) mean in the Bible?
Ἐνδύω means to put on clothing, dress someone, or be clothed, and it readily extends to being invested with a quality or condition. Jesus names clothing among bodily needs entrusted to the Father's care.
Reader summary
Full entry for ἐνδύω (G1746) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G1746?
The BSB source-word alignment has 28 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include [with] (2), clothe yourselves with (2), dressed in (2), put (2), put on (2).
Where does ἐνδύω (endýō) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 6:25. Its strongest book concentrations include 1 Corinthians (4), Luke (4), Ephesians (3), Mark (3).
Are there verse guides for ἐνδύω (endýō)?
This entry includes 1 verse guide that explain exact original-language forms in context.
What This Word Actually Means
Ἐνδύω means to put on clothing, dress someone, or be clothed, and it readily extends to being invested with a quality or condition. Jesus names clothing among bodily needs entrusted to the Father's care. Luke describes a man stripped of ordinary clothing under demonic oppression and later restored. Paul says mortality must put on immortality at resurrection and commands believers to put on righteousness as armor.
Revelation portrays heaven's armies clothed in pure linen while following the victorious Christ. Clothing language can concern material provision, restored dignity, resurrection transformation, practiced character, or granted identity. The garment, wearer, giver, occasion, and literary image determine what is put on and how.
How the Bible Uses It
Ἐνδύω moves from ordinary clothing to restored dignity, resurrection embodiment, moral armor, and garments granted for faithful allegiance.
- Matt.6.25
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?
Jesus acknowledges the body's need for clothing while freeing disciples from consuming worry through confidence in the Father who knows their needs.
- Luke.8.27
When Jesus stepped ashore, He was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothing or lived in a house, but he stayed in the tombs.
The Gerasene man's lack of clothing belongs to his dehumanizing oppression; after Jesus delivers him, he is clothed, lucid, and seated at Jesus' feet.
- 1Cor.15.53
For the perishable must be clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.
Perishable bodies must put on imperishability and mortality immortality, describing God-given resurrection transformation rather than escape from embodiment.
- Eph.6.14
Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness arrayed,
The breastplate of righteousness is put on within God's full armor, calling believers to stand in truth and faithful conduct against spiritual evil.
- Rev.19.14
The armies of heaven, dressed in fine linen, white and pure, follow Him on white horses.
Heaven's armies wear fine linen, white and pure, and follow the Word of God; their clothing marks granted purity and allegiance, not independent conquest.
Passage context
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It [with] 2× 1 Corinthians 15:53, 1 Corinthians 15:54
clothe yourselves with 2× Romans 13:14, Colossians 3:12
dressed in 2× Revelation 15:6, Revelation 19:14
put 2× Matthew 27:31, Mark 15:20
put on 2× Romans 13:12, Ephesians 6:11
you will wear 2× Matthew 6:25, Luke 12:22
- 1× Mark 6:9
[this man] had not worn 1× Luke 8:27
arrayed 1× Ephesians 6:14
be clothed 1× 1 Corinthians 15:53
clothed in 1× Mark 1:6
donned 1× Acts 12:21
dressed 1× Matthew 22:11
dressed in a long robe 1× Revelation 1:13
has been clothed with 1× 1 Corinthians 15:54
have clothed yourselves with 1× Galatians 3:27
have put on 1× Colossians 3:10
put it on 1× Luke 15:22
putting on 1× 1 Thessalonians 5:8
to put on 1× Ephesians 4:24
when we are clothed 1× 2 Corinthians 5:3
you have been clothed with 1× Luke 24:49
Show sample aligned rows
Matthew 6:25 ἐνδύσησθε to you will wear Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Middle - 2nd Person Plural Matthew 22:11 ἐνδεδυμένον to dressed Verb - Perfect Participle Middle - Accusative Masculine Singular Matthew 27:31 ἐνέδυσαν to put Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural Mark 1:6 ἐνδεδυμένος to clothed in Verb - Perfect Participle Middle - Nominative Masculine Singular Mark 6:9 ἐνδύσησθε to - Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Middle - 2nd Person Plural Mark 15:20 ἐνέδυσαν to put Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural Luke 8:27 ἐνεδύσατο to [this man] had not worn Verb - Aorist Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Singular Luke 12:22 ἐνδύσησθε to you will wear Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Middle - 2nd Person Plural Luke 15:22 ἐνδύσατε to put it on Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Plural Luke 24:49 ἐνδύσησθε to you have been clothed with Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Middle - 2nd Person Plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Matthew 6:25
Aligned rows 28
Books represented 12
Matthew 3 Mark 3 Luke 4 Acts 1 Romans 2 1 Corinthians 4 2 Corinthians 1 Galatians 1 Ephesians 3 Colossians 2 1 Thessalonians 1 Revelation 3
Source forms
ἐνδυσάμενοι 4x endysamenoi 2 Corinthians 5:3, Ephesians 6:14, Colossians 3:10, 1 Thessalonians 5:8
ἐνδύσησθε 4x endysēsthe Matthew 6:25, Mark 6:9, Luke 12:22, Luke 24:49
ἐνδύσασθαι 3x endysasthai 1 Corinthians 15:53, Ephesians 4:24
ἐνδεδυμένοι 2x endedymenoi Revelation 15:6, Revelation 19:14
ἐνδεδυμένον 2x endedymenon Matthew 22:11, Revelation 1:13
ἐνδύσασθε 2x endysasthe Romans 13:14, Ephesians 6:11
ἐνδύσηται 2x endysētai 1 Corinthians 15:54
ἐνέδυσαν 2x enedysan Matthew 27:31, Mark 15:20
Parsing patterns
Verb - Aorist Participle Middle - Nominative Masculine Plural 4x 2 Corinthians 5:3, Ephesians 6:14, Colossians 3:10, 1 Thessalonians 5:8
Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Middle - 2nd Person Plural 4x Matthew 6:25, Mark 6:9, Luke 12:22, Luke 24:49
Verb - Aorist Imperative Middle - 2nd Person Plural 3x Romans 13:14, Ephesians 6:11, Colossians 3:12
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Middle 3x 1 Corinthians 15:53, Ephesians 4:24
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural 2x Matthew 27:31, Mark 15:20
Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Middle - 3rd Person Singular 2x 1 Corinthians 15:54
Verb - Perfect Participle Middle - Accusative Masculine Singular 2x Matthew 22:11, Revelation 1:13
Verb - Perfect Participle Middle - Nominative Masculine Plural 2x Revelation 15:6, Revelation 19:14
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Do not use clothing imagery to police culture, body shape, disability, poverty, or fashion preferences beyond Scripture's actual commands of holiness and love.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not claim that every occurrence of ἐνδύω is figurative for Christian character.
- Do not teach that putting on righteousness earns resurrection or replaces dependence on Christ's saving work.
Key Verse and Form Guides
Verse-level guides showing how this original-language form works in its specific context, including grammar, verse function, and guarded interpretation.
Evidence Summary
Messiah
Greek word. To clothe oneself with virtues or Christ represents complete spiritual transformation, not mere external adoption.
Source Gloss
to invest with clothing (literally or figuratively)
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpus Greek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
16 of 28 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
Matthew 6:25 Verb Second Person Plural Aorist Middle Subjunctive
ἐνδύσησθε. endushsqe
I put on, clothe
Read verse Matthew 22:11 Verb Perfect Middle Participle Accusative Singular Masculine
ἐνδεδυμένον endedumenon
I put on, clothe
Read verse Matthew 27:31 Verb Third Person Plural Aorist Active Indicative
ἐνέδυσαν enedusan
I put on, clothe
Read verse Mark 1:6 Verb Perfect Middle Participle Nominative Singular Masculine
ἐνδεδυμένος endedumenov
I put on, clothe
Read verse Mark 6:9 Verb Aorist Middle Infinitive
ἐνδύσασθαι endusasqai
I put on, clothe
Read verse Mark 15:17 Verb Third Person Plural Present Active Indicative
ἐνδύουσιν enduousin
I put on, clothe
Read verse Mark 15:20 Verb Third Person Plural Aorist Active Indicative
ἐνέδυσαν enedusan
I put on, clothe
Read verse Luke 12:22 Verb Second Person Plural Aorist Middle Subjunctive
ἐνδύσησθε. endushsqe
I put on, clothe
Read verse Luke 15:22 Verb Second Person Plural Aorist Active Imperative
ἐνδύσατε endusate
I put on, clothe
Read verse Luke 24:49 Verb Second Person Plural Aorist Middle Subjunctive
ἐνδύσησθε endushsqe
I put on, clothe
Read verse Acts 12:21 Verb Aorist Middle Participle Nominative Singular Masculine
ἐνδυσάμενος endusamenov
I put on, clothe
Read verse Romans 13:12 Verb First Person Plural Aorist Middle Subjunctive
ἐνδυσώμεθα enduswmeqa
I put on, clothe
Read verse Romans 13:14 Verb Second Person Plural Aorist Middle Imperative
ἐνδύσασθε endusasqe
I put on, clothe
Read verse 1 Corinthians 15:53 Verb Aorist Middle Infinitive
ἐνδύσασθαι endusasqai
I put on, clothe
Read verse 1 Corinthians 15:53 Verb Aorist Middle Infinitive
ἐνδύσασθαι endusasqai
I put on, clothe
Read verse 1 Corinthians 15:54 Verb Third Person Singular Aorist Middle Subjunctive
ἐνδύσηται endushtai
I put on, clothe
Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
Grammatical Forms
How mood, tense, and voice shift the force of this verb in context.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 5 Aligned forms 28 Tenses Aorist, Perfect Voices Middle, Active
Tenses
Voices
Subjunctive possibility, probability, or purpose 7×
Aorist Middle Matt 6:25 · Mark 6:9 · Luke 12:22 · Luke 24:49 · 1 Cor 15:54 · Rom 13:12 7×
Participle verbal adjective — the action as a modifying quality 10×
Perfect Middle Matt 22:11 · Rev 1:13 · Rev 15:6 · Rev 19:14 · Mark 1:6 5×
Imperative command or strong request 4×
Aorist Middle Rom 13:14 · Eph 6:11 · Col 3:12 3×
Aorist Active Luke 15:22 1×
Infinitive verbal noun — the action in abstract 3×
Aorist Middle 1 Cor 15:53 · Eph 4:24 3×
Indicative states a fact or reality 4×
Aorist Active Matt 27:31 · Mark 15:20 2×
Aorist Middle Luke 8:27 · Gal 3:27 2×
Discourse Aspect
How this verb appears across 28 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).
Aspect
Tense
aorist 23 perfect 5
Voice
middle 25 active 3
Mood
participle 10 subjunctive 7 imperative 4 indicative 4 infinitive 3
NT Occurrences
Matthew 6:25 ἐνδύσησθε aorist middle subjunctive subjunctive Matthew 22:11 ἐνδεδυμένον perfect middle participle participle Matthew 27:31 ἐνέδυσαν aorist active indicative completed Mark 1:6 ἐνδεδυμένος perfect middle participle participle Mark 6:9 ἐνδύσησθε aorist middle subjunctive subjunctive Mark 15:20 ἐνέδυσαν aorist active indicative completed Luke 8:27 ἐνεδύσατο aorist middle indicative completed Luke 12:22 ἐνδύσησθε aorist middle subjunctive subjunctive Luke 15:22 ἐνδύσατε aorist active imperative imperative Luke 24:49 ἐνδύσησθε aorist middle subjunctive subjunctive Acts 12:21 ἐνδυσάμενος aorist middle participle participle Romans 13:12 ἐνδυσώμεθα aorist middle subjunctive subjunctive Romans 13:14 ἐνδύσασθε aorist middle imperative imperative 1 Corinthians 15:53 ἐνδύσασθαι aorist middle infinitive infinitive 1 Corinthians 15:53 ἐνδύσασθαι aorist middle infinitive infinitive 1 Corinthians 15:54 ἐνδύσηται aorist middle subjunctive subjunctive 1 Corinthians 15:54 ἐνδύσηται aorist middle subjunctive subjunctive 2 Corinthians 5:3 ἐνδυσάμενοι aorist middle participle participle Galatians 3:27 ἐνεδύσασθε aorist middle indicative completed Ephesians 4:24 ἐνδύσασθαι aorist middle infinitive infinitive Ephesians 6:11 ἐνδύσασθε aorist middle imperative imperative Ephesians 6:14 ἐνδυσάμενοι aorist middle participle participle Colossians 3:10 ἐνδυσάμενοι aorist middle participle participle Colossians 3:12 Ἐνδύσασθε aorist middle imperative imperative 1 Thessalonians 5:8 ἐνδυσάμενοι aorist middle participle participle Revelation 1:13 ἐνδεδυμένον perfect middle participle participle Revelation 15:6 ἐνδεδυμένοι perfect middle participle participle Revelation 19:14 ἐνδεδυμένοι perfect middle participle participle
Aspect reflects grammatical form — not authorial emphasis. Participles and infinitives are verbal adjectives and nouns respectively.
Clause data: MACULA Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0) · SBLGNT (Logos/SBL, CC BY 4.0)
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Additional Occurrences
Luke 24:36–53 ἐνδύσησθε endýō
You be clothed
New Testament Witnesses
To put on, clothe oneself.
Showing 2 selected witnesses from 28 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
ἐνδύω is built from these roots:
Why This Word Matters
Expresses living consciously in Christ’s identity and character.
Canonical Themes
Messiah
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
For the Preacher and Teacher
Clothing both protects the body and makes a condition visible. Jesus treats clothes as a real need without allowing worry to rule life. Luke's delivered man is clothed and restored to social and personal dignity, reminding readers not to sensationalize his prior exposure. First Corinthians lifts the image toward resurrection: mortality is clothed with immortality through God's victory, not discarded as worthless embodiment.
Ephesians calls believers to put on righteousness within armor God supplies, while Revelation's pure linen belongs to those following the conquering Word. Churches should meet material clothing needs, protect dignity, practice visible holiness, and ground every hope of final transformation in Christ rather than appearance, self-fashioning, or spiritual performance.
Anchor passage
Matt.6.25
Doctrinal connections
- Matthew 6:25-34, bodily need and the Father's provision
- Luke 8:26-39, deliverance and restored dignity
- 1 Corinthians 15:50-57, mortality clothed with immortality
- Ephesians 6:10-18, righteousness within God's armor
- Revelation 19:11-16, pure clothing and allegiance to the Word
- Isaiah 61:10, garments of salvation and robe of righteousness
Ἐνδύω is a verb for putting clothing on oneself or another and can be active, middle, or passive. Figurative objects name qualities or transformed conditions worn like garments.
From Old to New Testament
God clothes the ashamed, dresses priests for service, and promises garments of salvation. The resurrection completes the pattern with imperishable embodied life.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain