Greek word · G4629
σκέπασμα
skepasma
clothing
'Covering, protection'. From skepazō ('to cover, shelter'), related to skepē ('shelter'). It is used mainly for clothing, but Greek writers also used it for anything that shields the body, including a house or roof.
Appears once in the Greek New Testament. ·
What it means
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 Timothy 6:8
- Range of meaning
'Covering, protection'. From skepazō ('to cover, shelter'), related to skepē ('shelter'). It is used mainly for clothing, but Greek writers also used it for anything that shields the body, including a house or roof.
- Against the English
KJV/YLT 'raiment', BSB/WEB/ESV/NIV 'clothing', NASB 'covering'. 'Clothing' captures the main sense. 'Covering' keeps open the possibility that shelter is included.
- Used elsewhere in the period
BDAG notes the word mostly means clothing but sometimes housing. Sirach 29:21, a Jewish text of about 180 BC, lists the bare necessities of life as 'water, bread, clothing, and a house to cover one's shame', which shows that 'what covers you' naturally took in a roof as well.
Where it appears
1 Timothy · 1
-
1 Timothy 6:8 σκεπάσματα, coverings,
But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these.
Here: Plural: 'coverings, things that cover and protect'. In practice this mostly means clothing, but the word can also stretch to shelter or a roof. It too appears only here in the New Testament.
Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.