Word Study for G4113 (πλατεῖα)

plateîa /plat-i'-ah/ Ask about this word

Rootfeminine of πλατύς

Meaninga wide "plat" or "place", i.e. open square

KJV usagestreet.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of plateîa — 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 plateîa, represented by G4113, refers to a wide "plat" or "place", such as an open square or street. It appears 9 times across 9 unique verses in the Bible. This term denotes public areas within a city, serving as a setting for a variety of interactions and events.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical text, G4113 is used to describe several types of public spaces. It is a place of religious hypocrisy, where hypocrites pray on the streets to be seen by others Matthew 6:5. It is also a site for ministry and compassion, where the sick are laid out in the streets to be healed Acts 5:15, and where the poor and maimed are gathered Luke 14:21. In prophetic contexts, it is the place where the bodies of the two witnesses lie Revelation 11:8, and it describes the magnificent street of the New Jerusalem, made of pure gold Revelation 21:21.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help define the context of a public square or street:

G4864 synagōgḗ (assembly, congregation, synagogue): This term for a place of Jewish meeting is often contrasted with the open street, both being public venues for religious expression Matthew 6:5.
G1137 gōnía (corner, quarter): This word specifies a location within the broader public space, such as the corners of the streets where conspicuous prayers were offered Matthew 6:5.
G4172 pólis (city): This term defines the larger settlement that contains the streets. A street is a feature within a city Luke 14:21.
G4505 rhýmē (lane, street): Used alongside plateîa, this term denotes a more narrow avenue or alley, highlighting the different types of thoroughfares where a servant was sent to gather people Luke 14:21.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of G4113 is seen in its use as a stage for spiritual and moral activity.

A Venue for Public Action: The street is where faith is either demonstrated authentically through acts of healing Acts 5:15 or performed falsely through hypocritical displays Matthew 6:5. It is also where Christ's humility is noted, as His voice would not be heard in the streets Matthew 12:19.
A Place of Witness and Proclamation: The streets are where disciples make public declarations, whether it is a message of judgment against a city that rejects them Luke 10:10 or where the bodies of God's prophets lie as a testimony Revelation 11:8.
An Image of Eschatological Reality: In Revelation, the street transforms from a common earthly place into a symbol of divine perfection. The street of the New Jerusalem is pure gold, signifying its holiness Revelation 21:21, and it is the location of the tree of life, symbolizing eternal healing for the nations Revelation 22:2.

Summary

In summary, G4113 is more than a simple geographical marker. It signifies the public arena of human life, where the sacred and the profane intersect. From a place of humble ministry and arrogant hypocrisy on earth, the street is ultimately elevated in scripture to a symbol of the purified and glorious state of the redeemed in the New Jerusalem.

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 noun and an adjective across 10 occurrences, inflected in 6 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Accusative Plural Feminine 3×
Dative Plural Feminine 2×
Genitive Singular Feminine 2×
Genitive Plural Feminine 1×
Nominative Singular Feminine 1×
Nominative Singular Feminine 1×

Nominative: The subject of the verb.
Genitive: Possession or source — often "of".
Dative: The indirect object — often "to" or "for".
Accusative: The direct object of the verb.
Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Feminine: Feminine grammatical gender.

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 9 verses across 4 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Luke and Revelation (3 verses each); never once in the other 23.

Matthew

Luke

Acts

Revelation

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.