Word Study for G1707 (ἐμπλέκω)

emplékō /em-plek'-o/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom ἐν and πλέκω

Meaningto entwine, i.e. (figuratively) involve with

KJV usageentangle (in, self with).

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of emplékō — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Greek word emplékō, represented by G1707, means to entwine or involve with. Based on the words ἐν and πλέκω, it figuratively describes being entangled. It is a rare term, appearing 3 times across 2 unique verses in the Bible.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

The word is used to illustrate spiritual hindrance. In 2 Timothy, it describes a soldier who "warreth" G4754 and does not entangle himself with the "affairs of this life" G4230 in order to please his commander 2 Timothy 2:4. In 2 Peter, it is used twice to warn of believers who, after escaping the "pollutions of the world" G3393, are again entangled therein and "overcome" G2274, making their final state worse than their first 2 Peter 2:20.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words clarify the context of being entangled:

G4754 strateúomai (to serve in a military campaign): This word establishes the metaphor of a believer as a soldier, whose primary duty is to the one who enlisted them, not civilian life 2 Timothy 2:4.
G3393 míasma (foulness (properly, the effect)): This identifies the specific things in which a person can become entangled, namely the moral "pollutions" of the world 2 Peter 2:20.
G668 apopheúgō ((figuratively) to escape): This word highlights the freedom that precedes entanglement, describing those who have "escaped" the world's pollutions through knowing the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ 2 Peter 2:20.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of G1707 serves as a potent warning about spiritual compromise.

Undivided Devotion: The word underscores the principle that a follower of Christ, like a soldier, must maintain a singular focus. Entanglement in the "affairs of this life" G979 directly conflicts with the duty to "please" G700 the one who has chosen them to be a soldier G4758 2 Timothy 2:4.
The Peril of Apostasy: It warns of the severe danger of returning to a former way of life. After gaining "knowledge" G1922 of the "Saviour" G4990, becoming "entangled" again leads to being "overcome" G2274, a state worse than the beginning 2 Peter 2:20.
Conflict with the World: The concept of entanglement points to the inherent opposition between commitment to God and the "pollutions" G3393 of the "world" G2889. To be entwined in one is to be ineffective for the other.

Summary

In summary, G1707 emplékō is more than a simple word for being caught; it signifies a spiritually compromising entanglement that obstructs one's divine purpose. It powerfully illustrates the need for believers to remain free from the distracting "affairs" G4230 and corrupting "pollutions" G3393 of the world, lest they become ineffective soldiers for Christ or, worse, find themselves overcome by what they had previously escaped.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Greek New Testament, this word appears as a verb across 2 occurrences, inflected in 2 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

2nd Aorist Passive Participle Nominative Plural Masculine 1×
Present Middle Indicative 3rd Singular 1×

Nominative: The subject of the verb.
Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
2nd: Second person — the one addressed ("you").
3rd: Third person — the one spoken about ("he"/"they").
Present: Action in progress or repeated — happening now or continually.
Aorist: Action viewed as a single whole — usually a simple past event.
Middle: The subject acts on or for itself.
Passive: The subject is acted upon.
Indicative: A plain statement of fact.
Participle: A verbal adjective — describes while carrying the verb's action.

Related Words

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 2 verses across 2 of the 27 books. Most frequent in 2 Timothy and 2 Peter (1 verse each); never once in the other 25.

2 Timothy

2 Peter

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.