ἐμ-πλοκή G1708
braiding, plaiting; the act of weaving hair into ornamental styles
This noun refers to braiding or plaiting, especially of hair. In 1 Peter 3:3, Peter instructs women that their adornment should not be external—"braiding the hair and wearing gold jewelry or fine clothes." He's not forbidding these things absolutely but warning against making external appearance the focus of one's identity. Classical usage includes the interweaving of roots or mathematical interlacement. Peter contrasts outward adornment with the inner beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious to God.
Senses
1. sense 1 — The braiding or plaiting of hair into ornamental styles. In 1 Peter 3:3, Peter cautions against letting external adornment—elaborate hairstyles, gold jewelry, fine clothes—define a woman's beauty. He's not forbidding such things but urging priorities: the imperishable beauty of a gentle, humble spirit far outweighs costly grooming. The noun symbolizes the temptation to invest in outward appearance at the expense of inward godliness. 1×
AR["ضَفرِ"]·ben["বিন্যাসের"]·DE["Flechtwerk"]·EN["of-braiding"]·FR["ἐμπλοκῆς"]·heb["שֶׁל-קְלִיעַת"]·HI["गूँथने"]·ID["mengepang"]·IT["emplokēs"]·jav["saking-gelungan"]·KO["땅아-올림"]·PT["de-trançar"]·RU["плетения"]·ES["de-trenzado"]·SW["kusuka"]·TR["örmenin"]·urd["گوندھنے-کا"]
Related Senses
G0846 1. third-person pronoun reference (5552×)H???? 1. (4670×)H6213a 1. do, perform, act (2383×)G4160 1. do, act, perform (473×)H5221 1. Hifil: to strike in battle, smite enemies (362×)H0899b 1. garment, article of clothing (216×)H6213a 2. make, construct, fabricate (148×)H3772 1. cut a covenant / make a pact (97×)H5060 1. touch physically (Qal) (96×)H3615 1. complete a task (Piel) (85×)H3772 2. cut off / destroy (Hifil causative) (81×)H3920 1. capture, seize (Qal) (76×)H???? 12. (76×)H3772 3. be cut off / be eliminated (Niphal) (74×)H6213a 3. be done, be made (Niphal) (73×)G4160 2. make, construct, create (62×)H3847 1. Qal: put on, wear (60×)H8210 1. pour out (liquid/libation) (59×)G2440 1. garment or clothing (general) (54×)H4191 4. kill / put to death (Hifil causative) (50×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἐμ-πλοκή, ἡ, braiding, κόμης NT+4th c.BC+ __2 scuffle, Refs 1st c.AD+ __II interweaving, Refs 4th c.BC+; entanglement, Refs 1st c.AD+; of the matted roots of trees, Refs; τόποις ἐμπλοκὰς ἔχειν, of districts, to run into one another, Refs 1st c.BC+ __III in Mathematics texts, κατ᾽ ἐμπλοκήν, ={ἐμπλέγδην}, Refs 4th c.AD+