Abarim Publications' online Biblical Greek Dictionary

δυνω  δυω

• The noun δυσμη (dusme), meaning a getting into or a setting (of the sun). It's used to indicate the west, as opposite of ανατολη (anatole), which means a rising and indicates the east. The latter also signifies the past — and thus antiquity but also primitivity, simplicity or youthful naivety — and so our δυσμη (dusme) in turn also denotes the future as resulting from the dynamic present, and thus consequential complexity or even fruitfulness, oldness, mastery and wisdom. Our noun is used 5 times in the New Testament see full concordance.
• Together with the preposition εκ (ek), meaning out, from or of: the verb εκδυω (ekduo), to relieve off. Our verb literally means to plunge into one environment by plunging out of a specified previous one. Both in the classics and the New Testament, this verb is used predominantly to describe the taking off of clothes or armor, but with an implied change of reality rather than a casual slipping out of some inconsequential garb. As such, it rather means to disenfranchise someone from some status, purpose or burden which the clothes were meant to signify. In 2 Corinthians 5:4, Paul uses this word to deny a desire to strip bare, that is to seek to be void of practical function or purpose, in favor of wanting to be clothed, and thus have a practical function. With this he indicates that the Body of Christ is not an audience that sits in rows, compliantly listening to instructions from up front, but a vibrant economy of people who found ways to serve and be of practical use to each other. This verb is used 5 times in the New Testament; see full concordance. From this verb in turn comes:
  • Together with the preposition απο (apo), meaning from: the verb απεκδυομαι (apekduomai), which describes the coming about of a situation because of the laying off of some burden or office (Colossians 2:15 and 3:9 only). This word appears to be a Pauline invention, as is the following derivation:
    • The noun απεκδυσις (apekdusis), which describes the action or process of the verb: a consequence of a laying off (Colossians 2:11 only).
• Together with the preposition εν (en), meaning in, on, at: the verb ενδυω (enduo), meaning to invade or plunge into. This verb is commonly used to describe the getting into (rather than "putting on") of certain clothes or a particular outfit, with the implication of also getting into the office, purpose or duties that these particular garments signify: a wedding outfit (Matthew 22:11), a prophet's hairy mantle (Mark 1:6), a royal purple robe (Mark 15:17), a soldier's armor (Romans 13:12), or any unspecified usefulness (2 Corinthians 5:3). In Galatians 3:27, Paul writes explicitly that whoever is baptized in Christ has clothed himself in Christ (also see Romans 13:14 and compare with Ephesians 6:11 and Colossians 3:12).
  In antiquity, societies were far less complex and diverse as our modern ones, and most professions had to do with handcrafts, which in turn required particular work clothes (with fortified patches for masons, tool pouches and pockets for carpenters, plating for security personnel, and so on). One's clothing signified one's profession, which was or course very handy in a world without phonebooks or Google Search, and the rare folks that didn't work with their hands but rather worked with scriptures all day (doctors, chroniclers, scribes, historians), likewise dressed the part. This is where the familiar Jew Hat of the medieval wizard (wise-ard) comes from: for others to recognize the craft of the bearer. The signature seamless tunic of Jesus indicated his dedication to the One who is One and who subsequently made the Oneness of all things (Deuteronomy 6:4). In 2 Timothy 3:6 occurs the variant form ενδυνω (enduno), where it describes the acts of self-loving men who "invade" weaker households and "assume" their governance. The form ενδυω (enduo) is used 28 times; see full concordance, and from it come:
  • The noun ενδυμα (enduma), which describes a thing gotten into: a particular outfit and its associated functions and duties. This noun is used 8 times; see full concordance.
  • The noun ενδυσις (endusis), which describes the act of getting into a particular outfit and its associated functions and duties (1 Peter 3:3 only).
  • Together with the preposition επι (epi), meaning on or upon: the verb επενδυω (ependuo), meaning to don an outer garment on top of one's inner garment. Since clothes signified one's profession, one's outer garment signified one's guild or company (2 Corinthians 5:2 and 5:4 only). From this verb in turn comes:
    • The noun επενδυτης (ependutes), which signifies an outer garment (John 21:7 only). Instead of simply describing a thing to get into (that would be an επενδυμα, ependuma), the form of our word describes a state of being (comparable to "-ness" in English), which indicates that a mantle or robe signified someone's intimate identity as derived from his established membership of a certain guild or trade. A person who wore a merchant's mantle signified his merchantness, and was thus wrapped or robed in his merchantness. Note that Paul's familiar spiritual armor (Ephesians 6:14-17) has no mantle, for the simple reason that servants of the truth don't band together in guilds, clubs or religions but stand autonomously and sovereignly in synchronous consensus.
• Again together with the preposition επι (epi), meaning on or upon: the verb επιδυω (epiduo), meaning to plunge or set upon, particularly of the sun, particularly so as to interrupt a course of action, particularly of retribution or reconciliation (Ephesians 4:26 only). Letting the sun go down on such a conclusion indicates the lasting presence of injustice, as expressed by Agamemnon's prayer for the uninterrupted destruction of Priam's palace and Hector's tunic (επ ηλιον δυναι, ep helion dunai; Il 2.413). Our compound verb appears to be invented by Paul, who obviously contrasted Homer by instructing his audience to not pray to Zeus for the delayed setting of the sun, but rather taking one's own responsibility for what the sun sets on or not: the dissolution of one's anger by the speaking of truth, rather than a desire for retribution that will drive any source of light below the horizon.