Word Studies¶
Question¶
What does 2 Corinthians 5:1-8 teach about the intermediate state? What does the clothing metaphor mean?
Core Clothing Metaphor Vocabulary¶
ἐπενδύω (ependyO) -- G1902¶
Original: ἐπενδύομαι (middle voice form) Transliteration: ependyomai Pronunciation: ep-en-doo'-om-ahee POS: Verb (middle voice deponent) Definition: To invest upon oneself; to put on over. Middle voice from ἐπί (G1909, "upon") + ἐνδύω (G1746, "to clothe"). Compound verb: to clothe UPON/OVER something already worn. NT Occurrences: 2 only -- 2 Cor 5:2 and 2 Cor 5:4. This is virtually a hapax legomenon (appears nowhere else in the NT).
Translations¶
| Verse | Translation | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Cor 5:2 | "to be clothed upon" | Aor Mid Inf |
| 2 Cor 5:4 | "clothed upon" | Aor Mid Inf |
Key Observations¶
- The compound prefix ep- is significant. Paul did not use the simple ἐνδύω (endyO, "to put on") which he uses 29x elsewhere. He chose the compound ἐπενδύω (ep-endyO, "to put on OVER"). This implies putting on a garment OVER another garment already being worn.
- Middle voice: The subject acts upon itself -- "to clothe ourselves upon" (reflexive/benefactive).
- Thayer's notes: "to put on over" -- cites parallels in Plutarch and Josephus. TDNT 2:320.
- Contrast with ekdyO (G1562): Paul's preference is not ekdysasthai (unclothing) but ependysasthai (clothing upon). He wants to put the new body ON TOP of the mortal body, not to remove the mortal body first.
Connection to 1 Cor 15:53-54¶
In 1 Cor 15:53, Paul uses the simple ἐνδύσασθαι (endysasthai, G1746, "to put on") for the mortal putting on immortality. In 2 Cor 5:2,4 he uses the compound ἐπενδύσασθαι -- "to put on OVER." The shift from simple to compound may indicate that in 2 Cor 5 Paul is contemplating the possibility of being transformed without dying (putting immortality OVER mortality), as opposed to the sequence in 1 Cor 15 where death precedes resurrection.
ἐνδύω (endyO) -- G1746¶
Original: ἐνδύω Transliteration: endyO Pronunciation: en-doo'-o POS: Verb Definition: From ἐν (in) + δύω (to sink into); to invest, to clothe, to put on (a garment). NT Occurrences: 29 (31 total with variants)
Translations (top)¶
| Translation | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| on | 4 | 12.9% |
| clothed | 3 | 9.7% |
| put on | 3 | 9.7% |
| shall have put on | 2 | 6.5% |
| have put on | 2 | 6.5% |
Key Verses¶
- 1 Cor 15:53 -- "this corruptible must PUT ON (endysasthai) incorruption, and this mortal must PUT ON (endysasthai) immortality"
- 1 Cor 15:54 -- "when this corruptible shall have PUT ON (endysEtai) incorruption..."
- 2 Cor 5:3 -- "if so be that being CLOTHED (endysamenoi, Aor Mid Ptcp) we shall not be found naked"
- Rom 13:14 -- "PUT ON (endysasthe) the Lord Jesus Christ"
- Gal 3:27 -- "as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have PUT ON (enedysasthe) Christ"
Theological Usage Pattern¶
Paul uses endyO for: (1) putting on Christ (Rom 13:14; Gal 3:27), (2) putting on the new man (Eph 4:24; Col 3:10), (3) putting on armor of God (Rom 13:12; Eph 6:11,14), (4) putting on immortality/incorruption (1 Cor 15:53-54). The metaphor consistently denotes receiving something new, not removing something old.
ἐκδύω (ekdyO) -- G1562¶
Original: ἐκδύω Transliteration: ekdyO Pronunciation: ek-doo'-o POS: Verb Definition: From ἐκ (out of) + δύω (to sink); to cause to sink out of, i.e., to strip, unclothe, divest. NT Occurrences: 5 (7 total with variants)
Key Verses¶
| Verse | Translation | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Mat 27:28 | "they stripped" | Soldiers stripping Jesus |
| Mat 27:31 | "they took" (off) | Soldiers removing robe from Jesus |
| Mrk 15:20 | "they took off" | Same event |
| Luk 10:30 | "stripped (of his raiment)" | Thieves stripping the traveler |
| 2 Cor 5:4 | "be unclothed" | Paul's negative preference |
Key Observations¶
- Every other NT use is violent stripping -- soldiers stripping Jesus, thieves stripping a man. The word carries connotations of forcible removal, not gentle undressing.
- In 2 Cor 5:4, Paul says he does NOT want this (ou thelomen ekdysasthai). The word denotes a state Paul explicitly rejects as his preference.
γυμνός (gymnos) -- G1131¶
Original: γυμνός Transliteration: gymnos Pronunciation: goom-nos' POS: Adjective Definition: Nude (absolute or relative, literal or figurative); naked, bare, uncovered. NT Occurrences: 15
Key Verses¶
| Verse | Translation | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Cor 5:3 | "naked" | The state Paul does not want to be found in |
| 1 Cor 15:37 | "bare (grain)" | Seed analogy for resurrection -- bare grain sown |
| Mat 25:36,38,43 | "naked" | Caring for the naked (literal) |
| Rev 3:17 | "naked" | Laodicean church (figurative -- spiritually unclothed) |
| Rev 16:15 | "naked" | Warning against being found naked |
Key Observation¶
The connection between 2 Cor 5:3 (gymnoi, "naked") and 1 Cor 15:37 (gymnos, "bare grain") is significant. In 1 Cor 15:37, the "bare grain" is the seed that is sown (dies) before it receives its new body from God. This may illuminate what "naked" means in 2 Cor 5:3 -- the state of the seed between death and the giving of the new body.
Dwelling/Tent Vocabulary¶
σκῆνος (skEnos) -- G4636¶
Original: σκῆνος Transliteration: skEnos Pronunciation: skay'-nos POS: Neuter noun Definition: From σκηνή (G4633); a hut or temporary residence, i.e. (figuratively) the human body (as the abode of the spirit). NT Occurrences: 2 only -- 2 Cor 5:1 and 2 Cor 5:4. Hapax legomenon in all but this passage.
Key Observations¶
- Both occurrences describe the mortal physical body as a tent/tabernacle -- "our earthly house of this tent" (5:1) and "we who are in this tent" (5:4).
- The word emphasizes temporariness and fragility. A tent is portable, temporary, taken down and moved. Contrasted with oikia/oikodomE ("house/building") which is permanent.
- Thayer's extended note: "The term appears in philosophical literature comparing the human body to a tent that the soul inhabits and which 'is taken down at death.'"
- Related to skEnOma (G4638) used by Peter in 2 Pe 1:13-14 for his own body.
σκήνωμα (skEnOma) -- G4638¶
Original: σκήνωμα Transliteration: skEnOma Pronunciation: skay'-no-mah POS: Neuter noun Definition: From σκηνός; an encampment, dwelling place (figuratively: the Temple as God's residence; the human body as a transient dwelling). NT Occurrences: 3 -- Act 7:46; 2 Pe 1:13; 2 Pe 1:14
Key Connection¶
Peter uses skEnOma (2 Pe 1:13-14) for the same concept Paul expresses with skEnos (2 Cor 5:1,4). Peter speaks of "putting off" (apothesis, G595) his tabernacle. This parallels Paul's ekdysasthai ("unclothing"). Both authors use tent/tabernacle vocabulary for the mortal body.
σκηνή (skEnE) -- G4633¶
Original: σκηνή Transliteration: skEnE POS: Feminine noun NT Occurrences: 20 The broader tent/tabernacle word used for the OT tabernacle, the tent of meeting, and in Heb 8-9 for the heavenly sanctuary. Root of the skEnos/skEnOma word family.
Absent/Present Vocabulary¶
ἐκδημέω (ekdEmeO) -- G1553¶
Original: ἐκδημέω Transliteration: ekdEmeO Pronunciation: ek-day-meh'-o POS: Verb Definition: From ἐκ (out of) + δῆμος (people/district); to emigrate, to be away from home, to be absent from one's own country. NT Occurrences: 3 only -- 2 Cor 5:6, 5:8, 5:9. Found ONLY in 2 Corinthians 5.
Translations¶
| Verse | Translation | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Cor 5:6 | "we are absent" | Pres Act Ind 1P |
| 2 Cor 5:8 | "to be absent" | Aor Act Inf |
| 2 Cor 5:9 | "absent" | Pres Act Ptcp |
Extended Definition (Thayer's)¶
"To go abroad, emigrate, depart." When used figuratively, describes departing from "the body as the earthly abode of the spirit." Opposed to ἐνδημέω.
ἐνδημέω (endEmeO) -- G1736¶
Original: ἐνδημέω Transliteration: endEmeO Pronunciation: en-day-meh'-o POS: Verb Definition: From ἐν (in) + δῆμος (people/district); to be in one's own country, to dwell at home, to be present among one's own people. NT Occurrences: 3 only -- 2 Cor 5:6, 5:8, 5:9. Found ONLY in 2 Corinthians 5.
Translations¶
| Verse | Translation | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Cor 5:6 | "whilst we are at home" | Pres Act Ptcp |
| 2 Cor 5:8 | "to be present" | Aor Act Inf |
| 2 Cor 5:9 | "present" | Pres Act Ptcp |
Extended Definition (Thayer's)¶
"Properly, to be among one's own people, dwell in one's own country, stay at home." Opposed to ἐκδημέω.
Key Observations on the ekdEmeO/endEmeO Pair¶
- Both words are UNIQUE to 2 Cor 5 in the entire NT. They form a contrasting pair: "at home" vs. "away from home."
- The root dEmos means "people/district" -- the metaphor is about being among one's own people vs. being away from one's people. Applied to the body: being "at home" in the body means being among the bodily/earthly sphere; being "at home" with the Lord means being in the Lord's sphere.
- The structure in 5:6-9:
- 5:6: at home in body (present) = absent from Lord (present)
- 5:8: absent from body (aorist) + at home with Lord (aorist)
- 5:9: whether present or absent (present) = accepted by him
- Note the shift from present tense (5:6) to aorist infinitives (5:8). The present tense describes the ongoing current state; the aorist infinitives describe the desired transition as a whole event.
Groaning/Burden Vocabulary¶
στενάζω (stenazO) -- G4727¶
Original: στενάζω Transliteration: stenazO POS: Verb Definition: From στενός (narrow/strait); to be in straits, to sigh, to groan, to pray inaudibly. NT Occurrences: 6 -- Mrk 7:34; Rom 8:23; 2 Cor 5:2; 2 Cor 5:4; Heb 13:17; Jas 5:9
Key Parallel: Rom 8:23 and 2 Cor 5:2,4¶
Both passages use stenazomen (Pres Act Ind 1P, "we groan"): - Rom 8:23: "we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body" - 2 Cor 5:2: "in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon" - 2 Cor 5:4: "we who are in this tent groan, being burdened"
In Romans 8:23, what the groaning is FOR is explicitly stated: "the redemption of our body" (tEn apolytrOsin tou sOmatos). This is the resurrection. The same groaning verb in 2 Cor 5 suggests the same object: the groaning is for the resurrection body, not for escape from the body.
βαρέω (bareO) -- G916¶
Original: βαρέω Transliteration: bareO POS: Verb Definition: From βάρος (weight/burden); to weigh down, to burden. NT Occurrences: 6 -- Mat 26:43; Mrk 14:40; Luk 9:32; 21:34; 2 Cor 1:8; 2 Cor 5:4; 1 Tim 5:16
Key Observation¶
In 2 Cor 5:4, baroumenoi (Pres Pass Ptcp, "being burdened") is the causal participle explaining WHY they groan. They groan because they are burdened by mortality, not because they desire to escape the body. The next phrase clarifies: "not that we wish to be unclothed but to be clothed upon."
Summary of Unique Vocabulary Cluster¶
| Word | Strong's | NT Occurrences | Only in |
|---|---|---|---|
| ἐπενδύω (ependyO) | G1902 | 2 | 2 Cor 5:2, 5:4 |
| σκῆνος (skEnos) | G4636 | 2 | 2 Cor 5:1, 5:4 |
| ἐκδημέω (ekdEmeO) | G1553 | 3 | 2 Cor 5:6, 5:8, 5:9 |
| ἐνδημέω (endEmeO) | G1736 | 3 | 2 Cor 5:6, 5:8, 5:9 |
All four words appear ONLY in 2 Corinthians 5 in the entire New Testament. This concentrated cluster of rare/unique vocabulary means:
- The passage cannot be interpreted by simply importing meaning from other passages that use different words.
- The meaning must be determined primarily from the immediate context and from the broader Pauline vocabulary (especially the related but distinct words like endyO, skEnE, and the parallel in Rom 8:23).
- The compound ependyO (put on OVER) must be distinguished from the simple endyO (put on) to understand Paul's precise thought.
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