Greek word · G1742

ἔνδυμα

endyma

clothing

ἔνδυμα is clothing, especially an outer garment, the part others see (compare Matt 3:4, John's camel-hair garment; 22:11–12, the wedding garment; 28:3). πρόβατον is 'sheep', and throughout Scripture sheep stand for God's people (Ps 23; Ezek 34; Matt 9:36; 10:6, 16; 15:24).

Appears 8 times in 8 verses of the Greek New Testament. · Updated October 31, 2026

What it means

ἔνδυμα, -τος, τό

(ἐνω), [in LXX chiefly for לְבוּשׁ ;]

raiment, clothing, a garment: Matthew 3:4 6:25, 28 7:15 22:11-12 28:3, Luke 12:23.†

(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 Matthew 7:15

Range of meaning: ἔνδυμα is clothing, especially an outer garment, the part others see (compare Matt 3:4, John's camel-hair garment; 22:11–12, the wedding garment; 28:3). πρόβατον is 'sheep', and throughout Scripture sheep stand for God's people (Ps 23; Ezek 34; Matt 9:36; 10:6, 16; 15:24).
Against the English: 'In sheep's clothing' (BSB, KJV, WEB, YLT) is literal and good. NLT's 'disguised as harmless sheep' makes the disguise explicit but loses the possible allusion to prophetic dress and the clothing image itself.
How it drifted: The English idiom 'a wolf in sheep's clothing' comes from this verse. The Aesop-style fable of a wolf dressed in a fleece appears to be medieval (it is attributed to the 12th-century Byzantine writer Nikephoros Basilakes) and probably drew on the Gospel saying, not the other way round. The idiom now means any hidden deceiver. Jesus means specifically people who present themselves as members of God's flock, or as its prophets, while preying on it.
Used elsewhere in the period: Prophets in Israel could be known by a hairy mantle: Elijah's mantle, a sheepskin in the Septuagint (μηλωτή, 1 Kgs 19:13, 19; 2 Kgs 2:8–14); Zech 13:4 warns that false prophets 'will not put on a hairy cloak in order to deceive'; Heb 11:37 recalls prophets who 'went about in sheepskins'. Other Jewish writings use sheep for Israel and wolves and other beasts for its oppressors, for example the 'Animal Apocalypse' of 1 Enoch 85–90.

From the study of Matthew 22:11

Range of meaning: A garment, clothing, attire. It is a general word, not a technical term for a ceremonial robe.
Against the English: KJV's 'a wedding garment' can sound to modern ears like one specific, issued costume. 'Wedding clothes' (BSB, NIV) is closer to the general sense: clothing fit for a wedding.
How it drifted: Readers who know only the KJV phrase 'the wedding garment' often picture a uniform robe handed out at the door. That picture comes from sermon tradition, not from the word, which simply means clothing.
Used elsewhere in the period: Matthew uses it for John's camel-hair clothing (3:4), clothing God provides (6:25, 28), 'sheep's clothing' (7:15) and the angel's clothing 'white as snow' (28:3). Clothing was a public sign of status and standing: Joseph's robe (Gen 37), Joshua the high priest's filthy garments replaced with clean ones (Zech 3:3-5), Mordecai given royal robes (Esth 6:8). Jewish writings also speak of end-time garments: in 1 Enoch 62:15-16 the righteous at the feast with the Son of Man wear 'garments of glory… garments of life'. In Rev 3:4-5, 3:18 and 19:8 white garments are worn at the Lamb's wedding, and the fine linen is explained as 'the righteous deeds of the saints'.

From the study of Matthew 22:12

Range of meaning: ἔνδυμα is clothing or a garment, from ἐνδύω, "to put on." γάμος is a wedding or wedding feast, often in the plural for the festivities. Together: clothing fit for a wedding feast. It is not a technical term found elsewhere for a special issued garment. It most naturally means clean, festive dress suited to a celebration.
Against the English: "Wedding garment" (KJV, ESV) can suggest one specific item, even a uniform. "Wedding clothes" (BSB, NIV, NASB) is more natural. Neither tells us whether the clothes were the guest's own or supplied by the host, and the Greek does not say either.
Used elsewhere in the period: In Matthew, ἔνδυμα appears at 3:4 (John's camel hair), 6:25 and 6:28 ("why worry about clothing"), 7:15 ("sheep's clothing"), 22:11-12, and 28:3 (the angel's clothing white as snow). Background images: Zeph 1:7-8 (at the LORD's sacrificial feast, judgment on those "clothed in foreign attire"); Isa 61:10 ("garments of salvation... robe of righteousness"); Eccl 9:8 ("let your garments always be white"); 1 Enoch 62:15-16 (the righteous clothed in "garments of glory" at the Elect One's banquet); Rev 19:8 (the bride's fine linen "is the righteous deeds of the saints"). A rabbinic parable attributed to Yohanan ben Zakkai (Babylonian Talmud, Shabbat 153a) has a king invite servants to a feast without naming the hour. The wise dress ready. The foolish come in their working clothes and must stand and watch, unfed.

Where it appears

Matthew · 7

Matthew 3:4 ἔνδυμα garment

John wore a garment of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.

Here: The thing one 'puts on' (from enduō, to put on). Here it is his main outer garment. Matthew uses the same word for 'sheep's clothing' (7:15) and the 'wedding garment' (22:11). In all these places clothing shows outwardly who someone is.
Matthew 6:25 ἐνδύματος; [than] clothing?

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?

Here: "Than the clothing". It comes from the same root as "put on" earlier in the verse, so the echo runs: what you put on / the thing put on.
Matthew 6:28 ἐνδύματος clothing

And why do you worry about clothes? Consider how the lilies of the field grow: They do not labor or spin.

Here: Anything one puts on, from the verb "to clothe oneself." It picks up "what you will wear" from v. 25. In that world a garment was costly, hand-made property, not a cheap disposable item.
Matthew 7:15 ἐνδύμασιν clothing

Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.

Here: Outer clothing, what is put on and seen. The plural 'garments' matches the plural prophets: each wears his own disguise.
Matthew 22:11 ἔνδυμα in clothes

But when the king came in to see the guests, he spotted a man who was not dressed in wedding clothes.

Here: The noun comes from the same root as the verb, so the Greek says 'clothed with clothing', which puts weight on the garment. It means clothing in general, not a special technical robe.
Matthew 22:12 ἔνδυμα garment

‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ But the man was speechless.

Here: Clothing that is put on. The word itself is ordinary. What matters is what is missing: clothing fit for this occasion.
Matthew 28:3 ἔνδυμα clothing

His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow.

Here: What he wore. Matthew often uses this word (3:4; 6:25; 7:15; 22:11–12), and it is the same word used for the Ancient of Days' garment in the Theodotion Greek of Daniel 7:9.

Luke · 1

Luke 12:23 ἐνδύματος. clothing.

For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.

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