Greek word · G46

ἄγναφος

agnaphos

unshrunk

Literally "un-fulled": the prefix a- ("not") added to the verb gnaptō/knaptō, "to full, card, dress cloth". Fulling was the step after weaving. The fuller (gnapheus) washed, beat, shrank and thickened new wool so that it became dense, even and stable.

Appears 2 times in 2 verses of the Greek New Testament. · Updated October 30, 2026

What it means

ἄγναφος, -ον (= ἄγναπτος, γνάπτω, late form of κνάπτω, to card wool),

uncarded, undressed, i.e. new (MM, VGT, see word): Mat.92:6, Mark 2:21.†

(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 9:16

Range of meaning: Literally "un-fulled": the prefix a- ("not") added to the verb gnaptō/knaptō, "to full, card, dress cloth". Fulling was the step after weaving. The fuller (gnapheus) washed, beat, shrank and thickened new wool so that it became dense, even and stable. Cloth that was agnaphos was raw, loose and certain to shrink the first time it was washed or soaked by rain.
Against the English: "Unshrunk" (BSB, WEB, NIV, ESV, NASB) gives the practical result well. KJV's "new cloth" loses the mechanism and makes the problem sound like age alone. YLT's "undressed cloth" is technically exact, since "dressing" is an old trade term for finishing cloth, but most modern readers will not follow it.
How it drifted: The craft disappeared from everyday life. Readers who have never seen raw wool shrink, and who buy cloth already finished, cannot easily picture why a new patch would do damage.
Used elsewhere in the period: A rare word in literature. It appears in the parallel Mark 2:21, and BDAG and Moulton–Milligan note it in documentary papyri describing textiles. Fullers were a familiar trade. Mark 9:3 mentions "no fuller on earth", and Josephus refers to a "Fuller's Monument" at Jerusalem's walls (Jewish War 5.147).

Where it appears

Matthew · 1

Matthew 9:16 ἀγνάφου unshrunk

No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. For the patch will pull away from the garment, and a worse tear will result.

Here: "Not yet fulled": raw woven wool that has not been through the fuller, the craftsman who washed, shrank and thickened new cloth. Cloth like this shrinks hard the first time it gets wet. The whole saying turns on this word.

Mark · 1

Mark 2:21 ἀγνάφου unshrunk

No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the new piece will pull away from the old, and a worse tear will result.

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