Greek word · G1463

ἐγκομβόομαι

enkomboomai

to clothe oneself

To tie or knot something on oneself, especially a garment fastened with a knot or loop (kombos = knot, band, loop). By extension, to put something on firmly so it stays in place.

Appears once in the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

ἐγκομβόομαι, -οῦμαι

(κόμβος, a knot, whence ἐγκόμβωμα, a garment tied on over others, used especially of a frock or apron worn by slaves),

to put on oneself, as a garment, gird on: ἀλλήλοις τ. ταπεινοφροσύνην (as for service, RV, cf. Thayer, see word, but cf. also ICC, in l.), 1 Peter 5:5.†

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of 1 Peter 5:5

Range of meaning

To tie or knot something on oneself, especially a garment fastened with a knot or loop (kombos = knot, band, loop). By extension, to put something on firmly so it stays in place.

Against the English

"Clothe yourselves" (BSB, NIV, ESV, NASB) or "be clothed" (KJV) catches the clothing picture but loses the image of tying something on deliberately and tightly. NLT's "serve each other in humility" drops the image entirely, though it tries to carry the servant hint.

Used elsewhere in the period

Very rare. This is its only use in the Bible, and it is thinly attested outside it. Lexicons (BDAG, LSJ) link it to the noun enkombōma, a garment or apron tied over the clothes. Ancient word-list writers (e.g. Pollux) connect that noun with slaves' clothing. A comic fragment (Apollodorus) uses the verb for tying on a garment.

Where it appears

1 Peter · 1

  1. 1 Peter 5:5 ἐγκομβώσασθε, do gird on,

    Young men, in the same way, submit yourselves to your elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

    Here: Found only here in the New Testament. It comes from kombos, a knot or loop: "knot it on yourselves." Humility is pictured as a garment tied firmly in place. A related noun named a garment or apron tied over other clothes, so many hear a hint of a servant's work apron.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.