2439. himatizó
Lexical Summary
himatizó: To clothe, to dress

Original Word: ἱματίζω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: himatizó
Pronunciation: hee-mat-ID-zo
Phonetic Spelling: (him-at-id'-zo)
KJV: clothe
NASB: clothed
Word Origin: [from G2440 (ἱμάτιον - garments)]

1. to dress

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
clothe.

From himation; to dress -- clothe.

see GREEK himation

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from himation
Definition
to clothe
NASB Translation
clothed (2).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 2439: ἱματίζω

ἱματίζω: perfect passive participle ἱματισμενος; (ἱμάτιον); to clothe: Mark 5:15; Luke 8:35. (Found neither in the Sept. nor in secular authors (cf. Winer's Grammar, 26 (25)).)

Topical Lexicon
Overview

Strong’s Greek 2439 describes the state of being “dressed” or “clothed.” It is used twice, both in the parallel accounts of the Gerasene demoniac (Mark 5:15; Luke 8:35). The term portrays completed, lasting change: the formerly naked, out-of-control man is now permanently seated, fully clothed, and clear-minded in the presence of Jesus Christ.

Occurrences in the Gospels

Mark 5:15 – “When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.”
Luke 8:35 – “…they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had departed, sitting at Jesus’ feet, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.”

Both writers highlight four details: sitting, dressed, sane, and the crowd’s fear. The clothing is the visible proof of interior transformation and immediate restoration to community life.

Transformation from Chaos to Order

In both narratives, the demoniac’s previous nakedness (Luke 8:27) symbolized disorder, shame, and alienation. Jesus’ deliverance restores order: the man is clothed, seated, and sensible. Scripture consistently pairs clothing with divine acts of covering (Genesis 3:21), honor (Genesis 37:3), and righteousness (Isaiah 61:10). Here, clothing becomes the first public sign that salvation has taken hold.

Restoration of Dignity and Identity

First-century culture associated nakedness with disgrace (2 Samuel 10:4-5) and bondage (Nahum 3:5). By contrast, proper dress signified dignity, membership, and self-control. Jesus does more than expel demons; He restores the man’s human worth, allowing him to return to his city as a witness (Mark 5:19-20). The participial form underscores an enduring state, not a temporary cover.

Old Testament Foreshadowing

The divine pattern of covering the guilty pair with garments (Genesis 3:21) anticipates the gospel’s provision. Zechariah 3:3-4 records Joshua the high priest stripped of filthy garments and clothed with clean festal robes—imagery later fulfilled in believers who are “clothed with Christ” (Galatians 3:27). The Gerasene episode demonstrates that this clothing begins the instant Christ liberates a sinner.

New Testament Parallels

Galatians 3:27 – All who are baptized into Christ “have clothed yourselves with Christ.”
Ephesians 4:24 – Believers are to “put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness.”
Colossians 3:12 – “Put on compassion, kindness, humility…”

These imperatives presume the initial change pictured in Mark 5 and Luke 8; disciples are to live outwardly what Christ has already effected inwardly.

Ministry Implications

1. Evidence of Conversion: Observable change—in conduct, appearance, and temperament—validates gospel power.
2. Holistic Redemption: The Savior addresses spiritual bondage and its physical, social, and psychological fallout.
3. Testimony to the Community: The clothed demoniac becomes an evangelist to the Decapolis, proving that restored order attracts attention to Christ.

Eschatological Hope

The clothing motif culminates in the white robes of the redeemed (Revelation 3:5; Revelation 7:13-14; Revelation 19:8). Present deliverance foreshadows final glorification when “mortality shall be clothed with immortality” (1 Corinthians 15:54).

Theological Summary

Strong’s 2439 marks the visible, enduring result of Jesus’ saving authority: shame is covered, sanity restored, and a new identity granted. The word’s rare but vivid usage anchors a broader biblical theology of clothing that spans from Eden to the New Jerusalem, confirming that God’s redemptive work always includes the public restoration of human dignity for His glory and for gospel witness.

Forms and Transliterations
ιματισμενον ιματισμένον ἱματισμένον himatismenon himatisménon imatismenon
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Mark 5:15 V-RPM/P-AMS
GRK: δαιμονιζόμενον καθήμενον ἱματισμένον καὶ σωφρονοῦντα
NAS: sitting down, clothed and in his right mind,
KJV: and clothed, and
INT: possessed by demons sitting clothed and of sound mind

Luke 8:35 V-RPM/P-AMS
GRK: δαιμόνια ἐξῆλθεν ἱματισμένον καὶ σωφρονοῦντα
NAS: of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind;
KJV: of Jesus, clothed, and
INT: demons had gone out clothed and of sound mind

Strong's Greek 2439
2 Occurrences


ἱματισμένον — 2 Occ.

2438
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