Lexical Summary
erom: Naked, bare
Original Word:עֵירֹם
Part of Speech:Adjective; noun masculine; Adjective; noun abstract
Transliteration:`eyrom
Pronunciation:ay-rome
Phonetic Spelling:(ay-rome')
KJV: naked(-ness)
NASB:naked, nakedness
Word Origin:[fromH6191 (עָרַם - become shrewd)]
1. nudity
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
naked ness
Or merom {ay-rome'}; fromaram; nudity -- naked(- ness).
see HEBREWaram
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
urDefinitionnaked, nakedness
NASB Translationnaked (9), nakedness (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
, and
;
(√ Ew423, 426 Ges§ 85t Sta§§ 295, 327 a; √ (not Hebrew in this sense) BaNB § 27 g Köii. 84, 120); — absoluteGenesis 3:10,11 4t.,Ezekiel 16:7 2t. Ezekiel; plural )Genesis 3:7; —
nakedGenesis 3:7,10,11 (all predicate); as substantive concreteEzekiel 18:7,16.
nakednessDeuteronomy 28:48;nakedness and bareness (= naked and bare, of personified Jerusalem),Ezekiel 16:7,22,39;Ezekiel 22:29.
Topical Lexicon
Entry: עֵירֹם (Strong’s Hebrew 5903)Naked, destitute of clothing; by extension, exposed, vulnerable, or shamed.
Overview
עֵירֹם appears ten times in the Hebrew Bible. The word describes literal lack of clothing, but every usage also carries a moral or theological weight—shame after sin, vulnerability under judgment, or the compassion owed to those in need. Its contexts span the Garden of Eden, covenant curses, and prophetic indictments, together forming a unified testimony that humanity’s self-made exposure is answered only by God’s gracious covering.
Occurrences in Scripture
•Genesis 3:7, 10, 11 – Adam and Eve’s sudden awareness of being “naked.”
•Deuteronomy 28:48 – National curse: “in nakedness” Israel will serve her enemies.
•Ezekiel 16:7, 22, 39 – Jerusalem’s metaphorical nakedness exposed by her own sin.
•Ezekiel 18:7, 16 – The righteous person “clothes the naked.”
•Ezekiel 23:29 – Allied nations strip faithless Jerusalem “naked and bare.”
Shame Introduced by Sin (Genesis 3)
“Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked” (Genesis 3:7). Before the Fall, nakedness posed no shame (Genesis 2:25). After disobedience, עֵירֹם signals fractured fellowship with God, fear, and the instinct to hide. The hand-sewn fig-leaf coverings present the first human attempt at self-righteousness, proving inadequate until the LORD Himself provides garments (Genesis 3:21), foreshadowing the necessity of divine covering for sin.
Covenant Curse and National Vulnerability (Deuteronomy 28:48)
Under the Mosaic covenant, disobedience leads Israel to “serve your enemies … in hunger and thirst, in nakedness and lacking everything.” עֵירֹם thus marks the humiliation of a nation stripped of protection and provision. The imagery reinforces that true security rests in covenant fidelity; apart from God, even clothing—the most basic shield—is lost.
Prophetic Exposure of Apostasy (Ezekiel 16 and 23)
Ezekiel portrays Jerusalem as an unfaithful woman whose lovers “strip you of your clothes, leaving you naked and bare” (Ezekiel 16:39). Here עֵירֹם functions as public disgrace. What Adam and Eve tried to hide privately is now displayed nationally: sin always culminates in exposure unless covered by grace.
Righteous Compassion and Social Ethics (Ezekiel 18:7, 16)
The prophet’s list of righteous deeds includes one who “gives his bread to the hungry and clothes the naked” (Ezekiel 18:7). Meeting עֵירֹם with practical mercy reflects God’s own concern for the vulnerable. Refusal to clothe the naked is equated with oppression, underscoring social justice as covenant duty, not optional charity.
Theological Trajectory
1. Awareness – Sin awakens shame (Genesis 3).
2. Consequence – Persistent rebellion invites enforced nakedness by enemies (Deuteronomy 28;Ezekiel 23).
3. Compassion – God’s people are called to reverse the condition for others (Ezekiel 18).
4. Covering – Ultimate remedy arrives when God clothes sinners Himself (anticipatingIsaiah 61:10; fulfilled climactically in Christ,Galatians 3:27;Revelation 3:18).
Historical and Cultural Background
In the Ancient Near East, public nudity signified slavery, defeat, or scandal. Garments indicated status, honor, and covenant favor. Prophets exploited this cultural reality: stripping a city’s garments was a vivid picture of conquest and shame. Likewise, to clothe someone was to restore dignity and security.
Ministry Implications
• Preaching and Teaching: Use the Genesis narrative to illustrate humanity’s need for the gospel—only God can cover sin-induced shame.
• Pastoral Care: Address feelings of exposure or guilt with the promise of Christ’s righteousness as a garment (Romans 13:14).
• Mercy Ministries: Clothing drives and benevolence projects tangibly mirror the biblical mandate to “clothe the naked,” embodying gospel compassion (cf.Matthew 25:36).
• Discipleship: Warn against hidden sin; what is covered by deceit will be uncovered in judgment, but what is confessed will be covered by grace (Proverbs 28:13).
Conclusion
עֵירֹם threads through Scripture as a solemn reminder of what sin strips away: innocence, security, and honor. Yet every appearance also hints at God’s resolve to clothe. From the animal skins in Eden to the white robes of Revelation, the movement from nakedness to covering proclaims the consistent message of redemption.
Forms and Transliterations
וְעֵירֹ֖ם וְעֵר֖וֹם וּבְעֵירֹ֖ם ובעירם ועירם וערום עֵֽירֻמִּ֖ם עֵירֹ֖ם עֵירֹ֣ם עֵירֹ֥ם עֵרֹ֣ם עֵרֹ֥ם עירם עירמם ערם ‘ê·rōm ‘ê·rum·mim ‘êrōm ‘êrummim eiRom eirumMim eRom ū·ḇə·‘ê·rōm ūḇə‘êrōm uveeiRom veeiRom veeRom wə‘êrōm wə‘êrōwm wə·‘ê·rō·wm wə·‘ê·rōm
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