### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Greek word **deleázō**, represented by `{{G1185}}`, means to entrap or, figuratively, to delude. It is translated as to allure, beguile, or entice. This term appears **3 times** in **3 unique verses**, highlighting its specific application in the context of temptation and deception.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In its biblical usage, `{{G1185}}` describes the mechanism of being lured into sin. In James, it portrays the final step in a person's internal temptation, where one is first drawn away by their own lust and then **enticed** [[James 1:14]]. The Apostle Peter uses the term twice to describe the methods of false teachers. He states that they are **beguiling** unstable souls [[2 Peter 2:14]], with hearts trained in covetous practices. He further explains that they **allure** people who had escaped from error by using "great swelling words of vanity" and appealing to "the lusts of the flesh" [[2 Peter 2:18]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words clarify the context in which `{{G1185}}` is used:
* `{{G1828}}` **exélkō** (to drag forth, i.e. (figuratively) to entice (to sin)): This word appears alongside `{{G1185}}` to describe the process of temptation, where a person is first **drawn away** before being enticed [[James 1:14]].
* `{{G1939}}` **epithymía** (a longing (especially for what is forbidden)): This is the internal force that makes enticement effective. It is one's own **lust** that draws them away [[James 1:14]], and it is through the **lusts** of the flesh that false teachers allure people [[2 Peter 2:18]].
* `{{G793}}` **astḗriktos** (unfixed, i.e. (figuratively) vacillating): This word describes the targets of those who beguile. False teachers prey on **unstable** souls, who are not firmly grounded [[2 Peter 2:14]].
* `{{G4106}}` **plánē** (objectively, fraudulence; subjectively, a straying from orthodoxy or piety): This is the environment from which some are trying to escape, only to be allured back by false teachers who themselves live in **error** [[2 Peter 2:18]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{G1185}}` is significant in understanding the nature of sin and false teaching.
* **The Anatomy of Temptation:** The word is key to the process outlined in scripture. Temptation is not merely an external assault but involves an internal component where one's own lust `{{G1939}}` leads them to be drawn away `{{G1828}}` and ultimately **enticed** `{{G1185}}` into sin [[James 1:14]].
* **The Method of Deceivers:** False teachers use enticement as a primary tool. They do not rely on truth but on "great swelling words of vanity" (`{{G5246}}`, `{{G3153}}`) and appeals to fleshly desires (`{{G1939}}`, `{{G4561}}`) to lure their victims [[2 Peter 2:18]].
* **The Vulnerability of the Unstable:** The act of beguiling is particularly effective against "unstable souls" `{{G793}}`, highlighting the danger of spiritual immaturity and the predatory nature of those who seek to lead others astray [[2 Peter 2:14]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{G1185}}` provides a specific and vivid depiction of being trapped by bait. It is not just about temptation in a general sense, but about the active process of being lured and deluded, either by one's own forbidden desires or by the calculated deceptions of others. The term serves as a stark warning about the internal and external forces that work to entrap a person in sin and error.
TRV