Naked

Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary

Naked, Nakedness

In Scripture language, these terms mean somewhat more than the mere uncovering of the body; they have peculiar respect to the soul. Thus Adam and his wife in the state of innocency were naked, but not ashamed. ( Genesis 2:25) Whereas, when the soul is without grace, unwashed in the blood of Christ, and unclothed with the robe of Jesus's righteousness, this is a state of spiritual nakedness; hence Christ describes the church of Laodicea in this awful state, and yet unconscious of it. "Because thou sayest, (saith Christ) I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing, and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked." ( Revelation 3:17) So that nakedness implies, in the scriptural and spiritual sense of the word, a soul that is destitute of all covering before God. A sinner unawakened, unregenerated, hath nothing to clothe him against the calamities of the rain, and storm, and tempest of divine wrath; hence the whole of their corruption must appear; and how then, independent of every other consideration, can such an one enter the kingdom of God? "Here shall in no wise enter into it" (saith the decided language of the word of God when describing the glories of heaven, and the characters that dwell there) "any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie." ( Revelation 21:27) Hence sweetly doth Jesus admonish to take of him the suitable covering. "I counsel thee (saith Christ) to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear." ( Revelation 3:18)

It was not perhaps without reference to something of the same kind, though not so explained and brought to light as it is now by the gospel, that the easterns went without sandals into the temple. Moses at the hush was commanded by the Lord to put off his shoes from off his feet, for the place whereon he stood was holy ground. ( Exodus 3:5) Hence perhaps arose the custom of the priests ministering in the temple with their feet uncovered; and the frequent washings appointed in the Jewish ordinances had a gospel significancy, to intimate both the uncleanness and nakedness of our poor fallen nature, and both needing the cleansing by Christ's blood, and the clothing in Christ's righteousness, with which to appear before God. What a blessed thing is it that Jesus, when finding his church in this state of spiritual nakedness, and cast out as the child in the open field of nature, to perish, passed by and bid us live; yea, washed us, clothed us, and made us beautiful in his comeliness put upon us, that our renown went forth among the heathen for our beauty. ( Ezekiel 16:1-14) Surely, every child of God may well say, "I was a stranger, and Jesus took me in; naked, and he clothed me." ( Matthew 25:35-36)

Webster's Dictionary

(1): ( a.) Without addition, exaggeration, or excuses; not concealed or disguised; open to view; manifest; plain.

(2): ( a.) Without pubescence; as, a naked leaf or stem; bare, or not covered by the customary parts, as a flower without a perianth, a stem without leaves, seeds without a pericarp, buds without bud scales.

(3): ( a.) Unprovided with needful or desirable accessories, means of sustenance, etc.; destitute; unaided; bare.

(4): ( a.) Having no clothes on; uncovered; nude; bare; as, a naked body; a naked limb; a naked sword.

(5): ( a.) Mere; simple; plain.

(6): ( a.) Having no means of defense or protection; open; unarmed; defenseless.

(7): ( a.) Not having the full complement of tones; - said of a chord of only two tones, which requires a third tone to be sounded with them to make the combination pleasing to the ear; as, a naked fourth or fifth.

King James Dictionary

Naked, a. Open, discovered, to strip.

1. Not covered bare having no clothes on as a naked body or a naked limb. 2. Unarmed defenseless open exposed having no means of defense or protection against an enemys attack, or against other injury.

Behold my bosom naked to your swords.

3. Open to view not concealed manifest.  Hebrews 4 . 4. Destitute of worldly goods.  Job 1 . 5. Exposed to shame and disgrace.  Exodus 32 . 6. Guilty and exposed to divine wrath.  Revelation 3 . 7. Plain evident undisguised as the naked truth. 8. Mere bare simple wanting the necessary additions. God requires of man something besides the naked belief of his being and his word. 9. Not inclosed in a pod or case as naked seeds of a plant. 10. Without leaves, fulcres or arms as a naked stem or trunk. 11. Not assisted by glasses as the naked eye.

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

In the Bible, often means no more than "not fully dressed." So in  John 21:7 , Peter is said to have been "naked," that is, he had laid off his outer garment, and had on only his inner garment or tunic. See Garment. So probably in  Isaiah 20:2   Micah 1:8   Acts 19:16 . Sometimes poorness and insufficiency of clothing are meant, as in  James 2:15 . So in  Isaiah 58:7   2 Corinthians 11:27 . A nation is said to be "naked," when stripped of its defenses, wealth, etc.,  Genesis 42:9   Exodus 32:25   2 Chronicles 28:19 .

"Nakedness" is also put for shame. To "uncover the nakedness" denotes an unlawful or incestuous union,  Leviticus 20:19 .

Holman Bible Dictionary

 Genesis 2:25 Job 1:21 Ecclesiastes 5:15 Amos 2:16 Micah 1:8 Deuteronomy 28:48 Matthew 25:36-44 James 2:15 Leviticus 18:6-19 Leviticus 20:11 20:17-21 Genesis 3:7 Genesis 9:21-27 Isaiah 47:3 Ezekiel 16:8 16:36-37

Easton's Bible Dictionary

 Genesis 2:25 Job 1:21 Ecclesiastes 5:15 Micah 1:8 Amos 2:16 Isaiah 58:7 James 2:15 1 Samuel 19:24 Isaiah 47:3 Mark 14:52 John 21:7 Job 26:6 Hebrews 4:13 Exodus 32:25  2 Chronicles 28:19

Morrish Bible Dictionary

An expression which, besides its ordinary signification, was often used when a man was without his outside mantle or cloak.  1 Samuel 19:24;  Isaiah 20:2;  John 21:7 . It is used symbolically for natural destitution,  James 2:15; for spiritual destitution,  2 Corinthians 5:3;  Revelation 3:17;  Revelation 16:15; and for spoliation,  Revelation 17:16 .

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

The Hebrew word עָרוֹם, arom', rendered "naked" in our Bibles, means absolute nakedness in such passages as  Job 1:21;  Ecclesiastes 5:15;  Micah 1:8;  Amos 2:16; but in other places it means one who is ragged or poorly clad ( John 21:7;  Isaiah 58:7), in the same sense as γυμνός in  James 2:15, which does not indeed differ from a familiar application of the word "naked" among ourselves. A more peculiar and Oriental sense of the word is that in which it is applied to one who has laid aside his loose outer garment, and goes about in his tunic. When, therefore, Saul is described as having lain down "naked" ( 1 Samuel 19:24), we are to understand that he had laid aside his flowing outer robe; and it was thus that Isaiah went "naked" and barefoot ( Isaiah 20:2; comp.  John 21:7). Our use of the word "undress," to denote simply a dress less than that which we consider full and complete, corresponds to this signification of the word. (See Dress).

This word is also used metaphorically to signifyput to shame, stripped of resources, void of succor, disarmed. Thus in  Jeremiah 49:10, "I have made Esau bare," etc., signifies the destruction of the Edomites, God having exposed them defenceless to their invaders. The "nakedness of a land" ( Genesis 42:9) signifies the weak and ruined parts of it where the country lies most open and exposed to danger. "Naked" is also put for discovered, known, manifest. So in  Job 26:6, "Hell is naked before him;" the unseen state of the dead is open to the eyes of God. St. Paul says in the same sense, "Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight; but all things are naked and open unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do" ( Hebrews 4:13). Nakedness also signifies sin or folly. Thus in  Genesis 3:7 it is indicative of sin in general; in  Exodus 32:25;  2 Chronicles 28:19;  Ezekiel 16:36, it is put for idolatry; and elsewhere in the Scriptures for all kinds of vice, but idolatry in particular.

Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblial Literature

The word arom, rendered 'naked' in our Bibles, does not in many places mean absolute nakedness. It has this meaning in such passages as;;; . But in other places it means one who is ragged or poorly clad ; which does not indeed differ from a familiar application of the word 'naked' among ourselves. A more peculiar and Oriental sense of the word is that in which it is applied to one who has laid aside his loose outer garment, and goes about in his tunic, and it was thus that Isaiah went 'naked' and barefoot (; comp. ). Persons in their own houses freely laid aside their outer garment, and appeared in their tunic and girdle: but this is undress, and they would count it improper to appear abroad, or to see company in their own house without the outer robe.