Original Word: ἐνδυνόω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: endunó
Pronunciation: en-doo-NO-o
Phonetic Spelling: (en-doo'-no)
KJV: creep
Word Origin: [from G1772 (ἔννομος - lawful) and G1416 (δύνω - set)]

1. to sink (by implication, wrap on
2. (figuratively) sneak

creep.

From ennomos and duno; to sink (by implication, wrap (compare enduo) on, i.e. (figuratively) sneak -- creep.

see GREEK ennomos

see GREEK duno

see GREEK enduo

Word Origin
from en and dunó, see enduó.

STRONGS NT 1744: ἐνδύνω

ἐνδύνω (2 Timothy 3:6) and ἐνδύω (Mark 15:17 R G); 1 aorist ἐνέδυσά; 1 aorist middle ἐνεδυσάμην; perfect participle middle or passive ἐνδεδυμένος; the Sept. for לָבַשׁ; as in the classics,

1. transitive, (properly, to envelop in, to hide in), to put on: τινα τί, a. in a literal sense, to put on, clothe with a garment: Matthew 27:31; (with τινα alone, Matthew 27:28 L WH marginal reading); Mark 15:17 R G, 20; Luke 15:22. Middle to put on oneself, be clothed with: τί (Buttmann, 191 (166); cf. Winer's Grammar, § 32,5), Matthew 6:25; Luke 12:22; (Luke 8:27 T WH Tr text); Mark 6:9; Arts 12:21; ἐνδεδυμένος with the accusative of a thing, Mark 1:6; Matthew 22:11 (Buttmann, 148 (129); cf. Winer's Grammar, § 32, 2); Revelation 1:13; Revelation 15:6; Revelation 19:14; ἐνδυσάμενος (opposed to γυμνός) clothed with a body, 2 Corinthians 5:3, on which passage see γέ, 3 c. (Aristotle, de anima 1, 3 at the end, p. 407b, 23 ψυχήν ... ἐνδύεσθαι σῶμα).

b. in metaphorical phrases: of armor figuratively so called, ἐνδύεσθαι τά ὅπλα (L marginal reading ἔργα) τοῦ φωτός, Romans 13:12; τήν πανοπλίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, τόν θώρακα τῆς δικαιοσύνης, Ephesians 6:11, 14; θώρακα πίστεως, 1 Thessalonians 5:8 (with double accusative, of object and predicate, θώρακα δικαιοσύνην, Wis. 5:19 (18) (cf. Isaiah 59:17); properly, ὅπλα, Xenophon, Cyril 1, 4, 18; τόν θώρακα, an. 1,8, 3). to be furnished with anything, adorned with a virtue, as if clothed with a garment, ἐνδύεσθαι ἀφθαρσίαν, ἀθανασίαν, 1 Corinthians 15:53f; (σπλάγχνα οἰκτιρμοῦ, Colossians 3:12); δύναμιν, Luke 24:49 (ἰσχύν, Isaiah 51:9; (Isaiah 53:1); δύναμιν, εὐπρέπειαν, Psalm 92:1 (); αἰσχύνην, Psalm 34:26 (); Psalm 131:18 (); 1 Macc. 1:29; δικαιοσύνην, Job 29:14; Psalm 131:9 (); σωτηρίαν, ibid. 16; etc.); δυεῖν ἀλκήν, Homer, Iliad (9, 231); 19, 36; ἑννυσθαι and ἐπιεννυσθαι ἀλκήν, Iliad 20, 381; Odyssey 9, 214 etc.; many similar examples in Hebrew and Arabic, cf. Gesenius, Thesaurus ii., 742; Latininduerenovumingenium, Livy 3, 33); τόν καινόν ἄνθρωπον, i. e. a new purpose and life, Ephesians 4:24; Colossians 3:10; Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν, to become so possessed of the mind of Christ as in thought, feeling, and action to resemble him and, as it were, reproduce the life he lived, Romans 13:14; Galatians 3:27; (similarly the Greeks and Romans said (cf. Winer's Grammar, 30), τόν Ταρκυνιον ἐνδύεσθαι, Dionysius Halicarnassus 11, 5, 5; ῤίψας τόν στρατιώτην ἐνεδυ τόν σοφιστην, Libanius, epistle 968;proditoremethosteminduere, Tacitus, ann. 16, 28; cf. Fritzsche on Romans, iii., p. 143f; Wieseler on Galatians, p. 317ff; (Gataker, Advers. misc. 1, 9, p. 223ff)).

2. intransitive, to creep into, insinuate oneself into; to enter: ἐνδύνοντες εἰς τάς οἰκίας, 2 Timothy 3:6. (Compare: ἐπενδύω.)

Meaning Realized in Context

The word appears once in the New Testament, in 2 Timothy 3:6, where Paul describes false teachers “who worm their way into households”. In that lone setting the verb paints a vivid picture of stealthy, almost parasitic entry. The movement is quiet, gradual, and deliberate—never an open assault, but an unnoticed infiltration that reaches the heart of the home.

The Danger of Spiritual Infiltration

Paul’s immediate concern is the seduction of “weak-willed women overwhelmed by sins and led astray by various passions” (2 Timothy 3:6-7). The scope, however, extends beyond one gender or age group; it warns of any believer whose unguarded life grants entrance to destructive teaching. Scripture repeatedly highlights this tactic:

• Jude 4: “For certain men have crept in among you unnoticed.”
• John 10:1: “He who does not enter by the door… is a thief and a robber.”
• Galatians 2:4: “False brothers… had infiltrated our ranks to spy on our freedom.”

By placing 2 Timothy 3:6 in this wider canon, the verb underscores a consistent biblical theme: error seldom knocks at the front door; it slips through a side window.

First-Century Household Vulnerability

Early Christian assemblies often met in private homes (Acts 2:46; Romans 16:5). A residence therefore functioned as worship center, discipleship classroom, and fellowship hall. To corrupt a house church was to weaken an entire faith community. Hospitality, though commanded (Romans 12:13; Hebrews 13:2), inadvertently provided access to itinerant deceivers who presented themselves as teachers. The verb in 2 Timothy 3:6 captures that cultural tension between open‐hearted welcome and judicious discernment.

Pastoral Strategy in the Pastoral Epistles

Paul’s counsel to Timothy includes:

1. Guarding Doctrine (1 Timothy 6:20).
2. Testing Teachers (2 Timothy 2:15).
3. Protecting the Vulnerable (2 Timothy 3:6-7).

The singular use of the verb sharpens Timothy’s pastoral vigilance. Just as a shepherd watches narrow gaps in a sheepfold wall, so an overseer must monitor subtle points of entrance—private visits, persuasive conversations, unexamined media, or unvetted small-group curriculum.

Practical Ministry Applications

• Discernment Training: Equip believers to recognize teaching that contradicts Scripture (Acts 17:11).
• Accountable Hospitality: Extend welcome while corroborating doctrine and character (3 John 8-10).
• Shepherding the Isolated: Those burdened by guilt or emotional need are prime targets; intentional pastoral care closes that door (James 5:16).
• Transparent Leadership: Open, biblically grounded communication renders covert manipulation ineffective (Ephesians 4:15).

Contemporary Relevance

Modern technology magnifies the dynamic depicted in 2 Timothy 3:6. False teaching now “worms its way” into living rooms through podcasts, social media, and streaming platforms. The timeless prescription remains: steadfast devotion to the God-breathed Scriptures that equip “the man of God… for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

Summary

Strong’s Greek 1744 depicts covert entry for corrupt purposes. Paul applies the term to false teachers who exploit hospitality and spiritual vulnerability. The church’s defense is active discernment grounded in the authoritative Word, vigilant shepherding, and a community committed to truth and holiness.

ενδυνοντες ενδύνοντες ἐνδύνοντες endunontes endynontes endýnontesInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts