ἱμάτιον G2440
An outer garment or cloak; more broadly, clothing or garments in general, often used in the plural for one's clothes.
The Greek ἱμάτιον originally denoted the rectangular outer cloak worn over the tunic (χιτών), but New Testament usage extends it to clothing in general. When a woman touches Jesus' garment (Matt 9:20) or crowds spread their garments on the road (Matt 21:8), the plural ἱμάτια simply means 'clothes.' Yet when Jesus instructs not to go back for one's ἱμάτιον (Matt 24:18) or when the soldiers divide his outer robe (John 19:23-24), the specific outer cloak is in view. Korean 겉옷 ('outer garment') and Arabic رداء ('mantle') preserve this distinction where English often blurs it.
1. garment or clothing (general) — Clothing or garments in a general, non-specific sense, frequently appearing in the plural to mean 'clothes' or 'what one wears.' This is the dominant usage across 54 occurrences. Spanish 'vestidos/vestiduras,' French 'vêtement,' and German 'Kleider' all render this generically. Key passages include the woman touching Jesus' garments (Matt 9:20), old garments receiving new patches (Matt 9:16), and crowds spreading clothes on the road (Matt 21:8). 54×
AR["ثيابَ","ثيابَهُ","ثِيابَ","ثِيَابَ","ثِيَابَهُ","ثِيَابَهُمْ","ثِيَابُهُ","ثِيَابِي"]·ben["কাপড়","পোশাক","পোশাকগুলো","বস্ত্র","বস্ত্রগুলি","ἱμάτια-বস্ত্র"]·DE["Kleid","Kleider"]·EN["garments"]·FR["vêtement"]·heb["בְּגָדִים","בְּגָדַי","בְּגָדָי-ו","בְּגָדָיו","בִּגְדֵיהֶם","הַ-בְּגָדִים"]·HI["कपड़े","वस्त्र"]·ID["jubah","jubah-jubah","pakaian","pakaian-Nya"]·IT["mantello","veste"]·jav["ageman","agemipun","agemipun,","jubah","pangagem","pangageman","pangangge","rasukan","rasukan-rasukan","sandhangan"]·KO["겉옷들을","겉옷을","옷들-을","옷들-이","옷들을","옷이"]·PT["vestes","vestes,"]·RU["одежды"]·ES["mantos","vestidos","vestiduras"]·SW["mavazi","nguo","wake"]·TR["giysiler","giysileri","giysilerimi","giysilerini"]·urd["لباس","کپڑوں","کپڑے"]
Matt 9:16, Matt 9:16, Matt 9:20, Matt 9:21, Matt 14:36, Matt 17:2, Matt 21:7, Matt 21:8, Matt 26:65, Matt 27:31, Matt 27:35, Matt 27:35 (+38 more)
▼ 1 more sense below
Senses
2. outer cloak or robe — The specific outer cloak or mantle worn over the tunic (χιτών), a garment that could be removed, seized, or spread. In Matt 5:40, Jesus contrasts the χιτών (inner tunic) with the ἱμάτιον (outer cloak), making the distinction explicit. Korean 겉옷 and Arabic رداء accurately capture this specificity. Blind Bartimaeus throwing off his cloak (Mark 10:50) and the instruction not to return for one's ἱμάτιον from the field (Mark 13:16) both highlight this as a discrete, removable outer garment. 7×
AR["الرِّدَاءَ","ثَوبَهُ","ثَوْبَهُ","رِداءَ","رِداءَهُ","رِدَاءَكَ","رِدَاءَهُ"]·ben["চাদর","চাদর;","পোশাক"]·DE["Kleid","Kleider"]·EN["cloak","garment"]·FR["vêtement"]·heb["בִּגְדוֹ","בֶּגֶד","הַ-בֶּגֶד","הַמְּעִיל","לְבוּשׁוֹ","מְעִילְךָ","שִׂמְלָה"]·HI["कपड़ा","चोगा","चोगा-को","वस्त्र"]·ID["baju-luar","itu","jubah","jubahmu","jubahnya"]·IT["mantello","veste"]·jav["jubah","jubahipun","rasukan"]·KO["겉옷","겉옷-을","겉옷을"]·PT["capa"]·RU["одежду","плащ"]·ES["manto"]·SW["joho","ole","vazi"]·TR["cüppeni","giysini","giysisini","paltonu,"]·urd["چادر","کپڑا"]
Related Senses
G0846 1. third-person pronoun reference (5552×)H???? 1. (4670×)H6213a 1. do, perform, act (2383×)G4160 1. do, act, perform (473×)H5221 1. Hifil: to strike in battle, smite enemies (362×)H0899b 1. garment, article of clothing (216×)H6213a 2. make, construct, fabricate (148×)H3772 1. cut a covenant / make a pact (97×)H5060 1. touch physically (Qal) (96×)H3615 1. complete a task (Piel) (85×)H3772 2. cut off / destroy (Hifil causative) (81×)H3920 1. capture, seize (Qal) (76×)H???? 12. (76×)H3772 3. be cut off / be eliminated (Niphal) (74×)H6213a 3. be done, be made (Niphal) (73×)G4160 2. make, construct, create (62×)H3847 1. Qal: put on, wear (60×)H8210 1. pour out (liquid/libation) (59×)H4191 4. kill / put to death (Hifil causative) (50×)H7665 1. Qal: break, shatter (50×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἱμάτιον [ῑμᾰ-], τό, in form a diminutive of ἷμα (i.e. εἷμα), a piece of dress; in usage always of an outer garment, formed by an oblong piece of cloth worn above the χιτών, Refs 5th c.BC+; θοἰμάτιον by crasis for τὸ ἱμ-, Refs 5th c.BC+; of the Roman toga, Refs 1st c.AD+, of civilians,= togati, Refs; but ἱ. Ἑλληνικόν, opposed to the toga, Refs 2nd c.AD+ __2 ἱμάτια, τά, generally, clothes, Refs 6th…