πλᾰτύς G4116
wide, broad, spacious; extensive in breadth
This adjective describes physical width or breadth, often with moral implications. In Matthew 7:13, Jesus contrasts the wide gate and broad road leading to destruction with the narrow path to life. The spatial metaphor is powerful: wide roads accommodate crowds and require little effort to travel, while narrow paths demand focus and care. What appears inviting and easy proves spiritually dangerous.
Senses
1. sense 1 — The wide gate and broad road of Matthew 7:13 that leads to destruction. Jesus uses spatial imagery that resonates across cultures—multilingual glosses uniformly render it as 'wide' ('wide', 'ancha', 'large'). The breadth signifies ease of access and popularity, making this path attractive but ultimately deadly, in stark contrast to the narrow way that leads to life. 1×
AR["واسِعٌ"]·ben["চওড়া"]·DE["πλατεῖα"]·EN["wide"]·FR["large"]·heb["רָחָב"]·HI["चौड़ा"]·ID["lebar"]·IT["plateia"]·jav["wiyar"]·KO["넓다"]·PT["larga"]·RU["широкие"]·ES["ancha"]·SW["pana"]·TR["geniş"]·urd["چوڑا"]
Related Senses
H8033 1. There (locative adverb) (835×)H7760a 1. put, place, set physically (444×)H8064 1. heavens / sky (329×)H5439 1. around, all around (spatial) (319×)H4057b 1. wilderness, desert region (270×)H3220 1. sea, body of water (269×)H0520a 1. cubit (unit of length) (246×)H0127 1. ground, land (territory) (210×)H3383 1. Jordan River (proper noun) (183×)G1093 1. earth, the world (176×)H5800a 1. forsake, abandon (Qal active) (166×)H8121 1. sun (celestial body) (133×)H7126 1. offer, present sacrificially (122×)H6828 1. north, cardinal direction (120×)H2351 1. outside, exterior space (119×)H5104 1. river, stream (119×)H7341 1. width, breadth (101×)G1563 1. there (95×)H7126 2. draw near, approach (95×)G2281 1. sea, large body of water (91×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
πλᾰτύς, εῖα, ύ, Ionic dialect feminine πλατέα Refs 5th c.BC+:—wide, broad, τελαμών Refs 8th c.BC+; αἰπόλια πλατέ᾽ αἰγῶν broad herds, i.e. large or spread over a wide space,Refs 8th c.BC+; τὴν ὁδὸν τὴν π. Refs 5th c.BC+; similarly, π. ὁδὸς τῶν θεῶν Refs 5th c.BC+ __2 flat, level, χῶρος π. καὶ πολλός Refs 5th c.BC+; κάρυα τὰ π., i.e. chestnuts, Refs 5th c.BC+; σελάχη, ἰχθύες, Refs 5th c.BC+ __3 of…