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πλάνη

plánē

G4106 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

State or act of wandering, deviation, or being led astray—primarily the condition of error, whether in thought, belief, or moral conduct; also the cause or means by which someone is misled. In various contexts, it may refer to doctrinal error, mistaken belief, moral deviation, or misleading influence. The word can emphasize the experience of deception (being deceived) or the reality of being in error (errancy) itself.

Semantic Range

wandering, straying, deviation (physical, moral, intellectual), error, deception, delusion, misleading influence, false belief, doctrinal error

Root / Etymology

From the root πλαν- (to wander), tied to the verb πλανάω ('to wander,' 'to lead astray'). πλάνη is an abstract noun indicating the state or result of wandering. No clear derivation from non-Greek sources.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Used in classical Greek primarily for physical or metaphorical wandering or straying from the correct path; in Hellenistic and Koine Greek, the term broadens to signify intellectual or moral deviation, doctrinal error, or active delusion. In the Septuagint, πλάνη often translates Hebrew terms denoting error, wandering, or apostasy, especially in prophetic critique of spiritual infidelity. In New Testament usage, πλάνη refers both to being deceived (e.g., led astray by false teachers) and to the resulting error, prominently in warnings against moral and doctrinal deviation. Standard English translations such as 'error', 'deception', and 'delusion' do not always capture the term's breadth, which includes the state, the process, and the influence leading to deviation from truth or right conduct.

Translation Consistency

primary "error" 10 occurrences

πλάνη primarily denotes the condition of being wrong or led astray—doctrinal, moral, or intellectual. "Error" is a natural, widely understood noun that covers mistaken belief, delusion, and deviation without forcing a specifically moral or active-deceptive shade (which can be shown by context or modifiers). It therefore provides a consistent, idiomatic base for all forms of this lemma.

✓ All renderings match approved senses

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

feminine of πλάνος (as abstractly); objectively, fraudulence; subjectively, a straying from orthodoxy or piety:--deceit, to deceive, delusion, error.

Root Family

πλάνη (planē) — wandering, straying, deviation, error, deception

Root πλαν- to wander, to stray, to mislead

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G4106-02 πλάνης planes N GEN F SG error of wandering of error 6
G4106-01 πλάνη plane N NOM F SG error wandering deviation wandering error 4

Occurrences in Scripture

10 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G4106-01 Matthew 27:64 πλάνη plane N NOM F SG deception wandering deviation wandering error
G4106-02 Romans 1:27 πλάνης planes N GEN F SG error of wandering of error
G4106-02 Ephesians 4:14 πλάνης planes N GEN F SG error of wandering of error
G4106-02 1 Thessalonians 2:3 πλάνης planes N GEN F SG error of wandering of error
G4106-02 2 Thessalonians 2:11 πλάνης planes N GEN F SG deluding of wandering of error
G4106-02 James 5:20 πλάνης planes N GEN F SG error of wandering of error
G4106-01 2 Peter 2:18 πλάνῃ plane N DAT F SG error wandering deviation wandering error
G4106-01 2 Peter 3:17 πλάνῃ plane N DAT F SG error wandering deviation wandering error
G4106-02 1 John 4:6 πλάνης planes N GEN F SG error of wandering of error
G4106-01 Jude 1:11 πλάνῃ plane N DAT F SG error wandering deviation wandering error
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