Topical Bible: Clothe

Jump to: Webster's • Concordance • Thesaurus • Greek • Hebrew • Library • Subtopics • Terms

Topical Encyclopedia

The concept of clothing in the Bible carries both literal and metaphorical significance, reflecting themes of provision, identity, righteousness, and transformation. Clothing is mentioned throughout Scripture, from the garments of Adam and Eve to the robes of righteousness in Revelation.

Literal Clothing

In the Genesis account, after Adam and Eve sinned, they realized their nakedness and sewed fig leaves together to make coverings for themselves (Genesis 3:7). However, God provided them with more durable garments: "The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them" (Genesis 3:21). This act of God not only provided physical covering but also symbolized His care and provision despite their disobedience.

Clothing in the Bible often signifies status and identity. Joseph's "robe of many colors" (Genesis 37:3) given by his father Jacob set him apart from his brothers, leading to jealousy and conflict. Similarly, the high priest's garments, as described in Exodus 28, were designed for "glory and beauty" (Exodus 28:2), signifying the priest's consecrated role.

Metaphorical Clothing

Beyond physical garments, the Bible frequently uses clothing metaphorically to describe spiritual truths. In Isaiah 61:10, the prophet rejoices, "I will greatly rejoice in the LORD; my soul will exult in my God. For He has clothed me with garments of salvation and wrapped me in a robe of righteousness" . Here, clothing represents the righteousness and salvation bestowed by God.

The New Testament continues this theme. Believers are exhorted to "put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness" (Ephesians 4:24). This metaphorical clothing signifies a transformation and renewal of the believer's identity in Christ.

Clothing and Christ

Jesus Christ's teachings and parables often included references to clothing. In Matthew 6:28-30, Jesus uses the lilies of the field, which are beautifully clothed by God, to teach about God's provision: "And why do you worry about clothes? Consider how the lilies of the field grow: They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was adorned like one of these" .

In the parable of the wedding banquet (Matthew 22:1-14), the king notices a guest without wedding clothes and orders him to be cast out. This parable underscores the necessity of being clothed in the righteousness of Christ to enter the kingdom of heaven.

Eschatological Clothing

In the book of Revelation, clothing symbolizes purity and victory. The saints are described as wearing white robes, representing their righteousness and triumph through Christ: "They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb" (Revelation 7:14). The white garments signify the believers' sanctification and their place in the eternal kingdom.

Throughout Scripture, clothing serves as a powerful symbol of God's provision, the believer's identity, and the transformative work of salvation. Whether literal or metaphorical, the theme of clothing in the Bible points to deeper spiritual truths about God's relationship with humanity and the believer's call to live in righteousness.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary

1. (v. t.) To put garments on; to cover with clothing; to dress.

2. (v. t.) To provide with clothes; as, to feed and clothe a family; to clothe one's self extravagantly.

3. (v. t.) Fig.: To cover or invest, as with a garment; as, to clothe one with authority or power.

4. (v. i.) To wear clothes.

Greek

294. amphiennumi -- to clothe
... to clothe. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: amphiennumi Phonetic Spelling:
(am-fee-en'-noo-mee) Short Definition: I put on, clothe Definition: I put on ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/294.htm - 6k

2439. himatizo -- to clothe
... to clothe. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: himatizo Phonetic Spelling:
(him-at-id'-zo) Short Definition: I clothe Definition: I clothe, provide clothing ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2439.htm - 6k

1746. enduo -- to clothe or be clothed with (in the sense of ...
... to clothe or be clothed with (in the sense of sinking into a garment). Part of Speech:
Verb Transliteration: enduo Phonetic Spelling: (en-doo'-o) Short ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1746.htm - 7k

292b. amphiazo -- to clothe
... to clothe. Transliteration: amphiazo Short Definition: clothes. Word Origin from
the same as amphoteroi Definition to clothe NASB Word Usage clothes (1). ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/292b.htm - 5k

1746a. enduo -- to clothe or be clothed with (in the sense of ...
... 1746, 1746a. enduo. 1746b . to clothe or be clothed with (in the sense of sinking
into a garment). Transliteration: enduo Short Definition: put. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1746a.htm - 5k

4016. periballo -- to throw around, put on
... throw around, put on. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: periballo Phonetic Spelling:
(per-ee-bal'-lo) Short Definition: I cast around, clothe Definition: I ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4016.htm - 8k

1737. endidusko -- to put on, be clothed with
... be clothed with. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: endidusko Phonetic Spelling:
(en-did-oos'-ko) Short Definition: I put on, clothe Definition: (somewhat ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1737.htm - 6k

1463. egkomboomai -- to put on oneself (as a garment)
... oneself (as a garment). Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: egkomboomai Phonetic
Spelling: (eng-kom-bo'-om-ahee) Short Definition: I clothe myself Definition ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1463.htm - 7k

1744. enduno -- creep.
... Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: enduno Phonetic Spelling: (en-doo'-no) Short
Definition: I clothe, enter, creep into Definition: I clothe; mid: I enter ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1744.htm - 6k

2066. esthes -- clothing
... Word Origin from hennumi (to clothe) Definition clothing NASB Word Usage apparel
(1), clothes (3), clothing (1), garments (1), robe (1). ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2066.htm - 6k

Strong's Hebrew

3847. labash -- to put on, wear, clothe, be clothed
... labash or labesh. 3848 . to put on, wear, clothe, be clothed. Transliteration:
labash or labesh Phonetic Spelling: (law-bash') Short Definition: clothed. ...
/hebrew/3847.htm - 6k

8529. tala -- to clothe in scarlet
... 8528, 8529. tala. 8530 . to clothe in scarlet. Transliteration: tala Phonetic
Spelling: (taw-law') Short Definition: scarlet. Word ...
/hebrew/8529.htm - 6k

3848. lebesh -- to be clothed
... clothed (3). clothe. (Aramaic) corresponding to labash -- clothe. see HEBREW
labash. 3847, 3848. lebesh. 3849 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/3848.htm - 6k

3736. karbel -- to be mantled
... 1). to gird or clothe. From the same as kebel; to gird or clothe: see HEBREW
kebel. 3735, 3736. karbel. 3737 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/3736.htm - 6k

3680. kasah -- to cover
... A primitive root; properly, to plump, ie Fill up hollows; by implication, to cover
(for clothing or secrecy) -- clad self, close, clothe, conceal, cover (self ...
/hebrew/3680.htm - 6k

5848. ataph -- to turn aside
... A primitive root; to shroud, ie Clothe (whether transitive or reflex.); hence (from
the idea of darkness) to languish -- cover (over), fail, faint, feebler ...
/hebrew/5848.htm - 5k

3271. yaat -- cover
... Word Origin another reading for atah, qv. cover A primitive root; to clothe --
cover. 3270, 3271. yaat. 3272 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/3271.htm - 5k

3802. katheph -- shoulder, shoulder blade, side
... From an unused root meaning to clothe; the shoulder (proper, ie Upper end of the
arm; as being the spot where the garments hang); figuratively, side-piece or ...
/hebrew/3802.htm - 6k

Library

June 24. "I Will Clothe Thee with Change of Raiment" (Zech. Iii. 4 ...
... JUNE 24. "I will clothe thee with change of raiment" (Zech. iii. 4). "I
will clothe thee with change of raiment" (Zechariah 3:4). ...
/.../simpson/days of heaven upon earth /june 24 i will clothe.htm

Your Origen Allows Himself to Treat of the Transmigration of Souls ...
... Your Origen allows himself to treat of the transmigration of souls, to introduce
the belief in an infinite number of worlds, to clothe rational creatures in ...
/.../20 your origen allows himself.htm

To Monna Giovanna Di Corrado Maconi
... I wish you, therefore, to be clothed in it; and in order that you may clothe you
the better, I wish you to divest yourself of all self-love according to nature ...
/.../benincasa/letters of catherine benincasa/to monna giovanna di corrado.htm

Matt. vi. 28, 29
... saying, "which to-day is." And He said not, "and to-morrow is not," but what is
much baser yet, "is cast into the oven." And He said not, "clothe," but "so ...
/.../chrysostom/homilies on the gospel of saint matthew/homily xxii matt vi 28.htm

Chapter xv.
... to say, the providence of Him by whose power and sovereignty it has come about that
your body was brought up to its present stature, can also clothe you; but ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/augustine/our lords sermon on the mount/chapter xv 2.htm

Whether the Different Kinds of Almsdeeds are Suitably Enumerated?
... For we reckon seven corporal almsdeeds, namely, to feed the hungry, to give drink
to the thirsty, to clothe the naked, to harbor the harborless, to visit the ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether the different kinds of.htm

Anxious About Earth, or Earnest About the Kingdom
... If then God so clothe the grass, which is to-day in the field, and to-morrow is
cast into the oven; how much more will He clothe you, O ye of little faith! 29. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture e/anxious about earth or earnest.htm

Demonstration viii. --Of the Resurrection of the Dead.
... [962] And again he said:"We shall all sleep, but we shall not all be changed. [963]
And again he said:"This that shall die must clothe itself with that ...
/.../aphrahat select demonstrations/demonstration viii of the resurrection of.htm

Growth
... For if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to-day is, and to-morrow is cast
into the oven, shall He not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?'. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/drummond/natural law in the spiritual world/growth.htm

And that which Follows Concerning Birds of the Air and Lilies of ...
... not neither do they spin; they will easily answer, "If we also, by reason of any
either infirmity or occupation cannot work, He will so feed and clothe us, as ...
/.../augustine/of the work of monks /section 35 and that which.htm

Thesaurus

Clothe (52 Occurrences)
... 2. (vt) To provide with clothes; as, to feed and clothe a family; to clothe one's
self extravagantly. ... Multi-Version Concordance Clothe (52 Occurrences). ...
/c/clothe.htm - 22k

Vest (11 Occurrences)
... 4. (n.) To clothe with, or as with, a vestment, or garment; to dress; to
robe; to cover, surround, or encompass closely. 5. (n.) To ...
/v/vest.htm - 11k

Deck (8 Occurrences)
... 2. (vt) To dress, as the person; to clothe; especially, to clothe with more
than ordinary elegance; to array; to adorn; to embellish. ...
/d/deck.htm - 9k

Naked (56 Occurrences)
... A very common use of "naked" is also "without proper clothing" (Job 22:6 1 Corinthians
4:11, etc.), whence, of course, the expression "clothe naked." "Nakedness ...
/n/naked.htm - 29k

Rather (176 Occurrences)
... Matthew 6:30 But if God so clothe the herbage of the field, which is to-day, and
to-morrow is cast into the oven, will he not much rather you, O ye of little ...
/r/rather.htm - 36k

Ourselves (129 Occurrences)
... about to dawn. We must therefore lay aside the deeds of darkness, and clothe
ourselves with the armour of Light. (WEY BBE). Romans 13 ...
/o/ourselves.htm - 38k

Vests (6 Occurrences)
... Exodus 29:8 And thou shalt bring his sons near, and clothe them with the vests. ... Exodus
40:14 And thou shalt bring his sons near, and clothe them with vests. ...
/v/vests.htm - 7k

Nakedness (50 Occurrences)
... A very common use of "naked" is also "without proper clothing" (Job 22:6 1 Corinthians
4:11, etc.), whence, of course, the expression "clothe naked." "Nakedness ...
/n/nakedness.htm - 26k

Oven (22 Occurrences)
... Matthew 6:30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today exists, and
tomorrow is thrown into the oven, won't he much more clothe you, you of ...
/o/oven.htm - 15k

Wherefore (448 Occurrences)
... Matthew 6:30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is,
and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye ...
/w/wherefore.htm - 34k

Resources

What does it mean to put on Christ in Romans 13:14? | GotQuestions.org

Who are the “least of these” in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

What is Zion? What is Mount Zion? What is the biblical meaning of Zion? | GotQuestions.org

Clothe: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus

Concordance

Clothe (52 Occurrences)

Matthew 6:30
But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today exists, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, won't he much more clothe you, you of little faith?
(Root in WEB KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 25:38
When did we see you as a stranger, and take you in; or naked, and clothe you?
(WEB KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 25:43
I was a stranger, and you didn't take me in; naked, and you didn't clothe me; sick, and in prison, and you didn't visit me.'
(WEB KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS NAS RSV NIV)

Mark 15:17
They clothed him with purple, and weaving a crown of thorns, they put it on him.
(Root in WEB KJV ASV DBY WBS YLT RSV)

Luke 12:28
But if this is how God clothes the grass in the field, which today exists, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith?
(Root in WEB KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Luke 15:22
But the father said to his bondmen, Bring out the best robe and clothe him in it, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet;
(DBY YLT)

Luke 17:8
and will not rather tell him,'Prepare my supper, clothe yourself properly, and serve me, while I eat and drink. Afterward you shall eat and drink'?
(WEB NAS)

Romans 13:12
The night is far advanced, and day is about to dawn. We must therefore lay aside the deeds of darkness, and clothe ourselves with the armour of Light.
(WEY)

Romans 13:14
On the contrary, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for gratifying your earthly cravings.
(WEY NIV)

1 Corinthians 12:23
and those which we deem less honorable we clothe with more abundant honor; and so our ungraceful parts come to have a more abundant grace, while our graceful parts have everything they need.
(WEY DBY)

1 Corinthians 15:53
For so it must be: this perishable nature must clothe itself with what is imperishable, and this mortality must clothe itself with immortality.
(WEY NIV)

2 Corinthians 5:2
For most certainly in this we groan, longing to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven;
(Root in WEB KJV ASV BBE WBS YLT NAS NIV)

2 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.
(Root in WEB KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Ephesians 4:23
and to get yourselves renewed in the temper of your minds and clothe yourselves
(WEY)

Colossians 3:12
Clothe yourselves therefore, as God's own people holy and dearly loved, with tender-heartedness, kindness, lowliness of mind, meekness, long-suffering;
(WEY NIV)

1 Peter 5:5
Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
(Root in KJV WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Revelation 3:18
I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, that you may become rich; and white garments, that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes, that you may see.
(WEB KJV ASV DBY WBS NAS RSV NIV)

Revelation 19:8
And to her it was given to be clothed in delicate linen, clean and shining: for the clean linen is the righteousness of the saints.
(Root in BBE DBY NAS RSV)

Genesis 3:21
Yahweh God made coats of skins for Adam and for his wife, and clothed them.
(Root in WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Exodus 28:41
And thou shalt clothe with them Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him; and shalt anoint them, and consecrate them, and hallow them, that they may serve me as priests.
(DBY YLT NIV)

Exodus 29:8
And thou shalt bring his sons near, and clothe them with the vests.
(DBY YLT)

Exodus 40:13
And thou shalt clothe Aaron with the holy garments, and anoint him, and hallow him, that he may serve me as priest.
(DBY YLT)

Exodus 40:14
And thou shalt bring his sons, and clothe them with coats:
(KJV DBY WBS YLT)

Leviticus 8:7
He put the coat on him, tied the sash on him, clothed him with the robe, put the ephod on him, and he tied the skillfully woven band of the ephod on him, and fastened it to him with it.
(Root in WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Leviticus 8:13
Moses brought Aaron's sons, and clothed them with coats, and tied sashes on them, and put headbands on them; as Yahweh commanded Moses.
(Root in WEB JPS ASV DBY YLT NAS RSV)

1 Samuel 17:38
Then Saul gave David his clothing of war, and put a head-dress of brass on his head and had him clothed with a coat of metal.
(Root in BBE DBY YLT NAS RSV)

2 Chronicles 28:15
The men who have been mentioned by name rose up, and took the captives, and with the spoil clothed all who were naked among them, and arrayed them, and shod them, and gave them to eat and to drink, and anointed them, and carried all the feeble of them on donkeys, and brought them to Jericho, the city of palm trees, to their brothers: then they returned to Samaria.
(Root in WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Esther 4:4
So Esther's maids and her chamberlains came and told it her. Then was the queen exceedingly grieved; and she sent raiment to clothe Mordecai, and to take away his sackcloth from him: but he received it not.
(KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Job 10:11
You have clothed me with skin and flesh, and knit me together with bones and sinews.
(Root in WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS NAS RSV NIV)

Job 39:19
"Have you given the horse might? Have you clothed his neck with a quivering mane?
(Root in WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Job 40:10
Put on the ornaments of your pride; be clothed with glory and power:
(Root in BBE DBY NAS RSV NIV)

Psalms 45:3
Gird your sword on your thigh, mighty one: your splendor and your majesty.
(See NIV)

Psalms 65:13
The pastures are covered with flocks. The valleys also are clothed with grain. They shout for joy! They also sing.
(Root in WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Psalms 73:6
For this reason pride is round them like a chain; they are clothed with violent behaviour as with a robe.
(Root in BBE NIV)

Psalms 132:16
Her priests I will also clothe with salvation. Her saints will shout aloud for joy.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Psalms 132:18
I will clothe his enemies with shame, but on himself, his crown will be resplendent."
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Proverbs 23:21
for the drunkard and the glutton shall become poor; and drowsiness clothes them in rags.
(Root in WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Isaiah 22:21
and I will clothe him with your robe, and strengthen him with your belt. I will commit your government into his hand; and he will be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah.
(WEB KJV JPS DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Isaiah 49:18
Lift up your eyes all around, and see: all these gather themselves together, and come to you. As I live," says Yahweh, "you shall surely clothe yourself with them all as with an ornament, and gird yourself with them, like a bride.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS)

Isaiah 50:3
I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering."
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Isaiah 51:9
Awake! awake! put on strength, O arm of the Lord, awake! as in the old days, in the generations long past. Was it not by you that Rahab was cut in two, and the dragon Wounded?
(See NIV)

Isaiah 52:1
Awake! awake! put on your strength, O Zion; put on your beautiful robes, O Jerusalem, the holy town: for from now there will never again come into you the unclean and those without circumcision.
(See NAS NIV)

Isaiah 58:7
Is it not to give your bread to those in need, and to let the poor who have no resting-place come into your house? to put a robe on the unclothed one when you see him, and not to keep your eyes shut for fear of seeing his flesh?
(Root in BBE NIV)

Jeremiah 4:30
You, when you are made desolate, what will you do? Though you clothe yourself with scarlet, though you deck you with ornaments of gold, though you enlarge your eyes with paint, in vain do you make yourself beautiful; your lovers despise you, they seek your life.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS)

Ezekiel 16:10
I clothed you also with embroidered work, and shod you with sealskin, and I girded you about with fine linen, and covered you with silk.
(Root in WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Ezekiel 26:16
Then all the princes of the sea shall come down from their thrones, and lay aside their robes, and strip off their embroidered garments: they shall clothe themselves with trembling; they shall sit on the ground, and shall tremble every moment, and be astonished at you.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS NAS RSV NIV)

Ezekiel 31:15
Thus says the Lord Yahweh: In the day when he went down to Sheol I caused a mourning: I covered the deep for him, and I restrained its rivers; and the great waters were stayed; and I caused Lebanon to mourn for him, and all the trees of the field fainted for him.
(See RSV NIV)

Ezekiel 34:3
You eat the fat, and you clothe yourself with the wool, you kill the fatlings; but you don't feed the sheep.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS NAS RSV NIV)

Zephaniah 1:8
It will happen in the day of Yahweh's sacrifice, that I will punish the princes, the king's sons, and all those who are clothed with foreign clothing.
(Root in WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS NAS NIV)

Haggai 1:6
You have sown much, and bring in little. You eat, but you don't have enough. You drink, but you aren't filled with drink. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm, and he who earns wages earns wages to put them into a bag with holes in it."
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT RSV NIV)

Zechariah 3:4
He answered and spoke to those who stood before him, saying, "Take the filthy garments off of him." To him he said, "Behold, I have caused your iniquity to pass from you, and I will clothe you with rich clothing."
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Zechariah 3:5
I said, "Let them set a clean turban on his head." So they set a clean turban on his head, and clothed him; and the angel of Yahweh was standing by.
(Root in WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Subtopics

Clothe

Related Terms

Clothe (52 Occurrences)

Delicate (32 Occurrences)

Haircloth (38 Occurrences)

Gorgeously (3 Occurrences)

Inkhorn (4 Occurrences)

Girded (48 Occurrences)

Ornaments (50 Occurrences)

Dressed (77 Occurrences)

Sackcloth (47 Occurrences)