### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Greek word **spataláō**, represented by `{{G4684}}`, means **to be voluptuous**. Derived from a word for luxury, it is translated as to "live in pleasure" or "be wanton." It is a rare term, appearing only **2 times** in **2 unique verses** in the Bible, but carries significant weight in its contexts.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The uses of `{{G4684}}` serve as a stark warning against a life of self-indulgence. In [[1 Timothy 5:6]], it is used to state that a person who "liveth in pleasure" is paradoxically "dead while she liveth," drawing a sharp contrast between physical indulgence and spiritual vitality. Similarly, in [[James 5:5]], those who have "been wanton" are condemned for having nourished their hearts for a "day of slaughter," directly linking a lifestyle of excessive pleasure to impending judgment.
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words illuminate the concept of being wanton and its consequences:
* `{{G5171}}` **trypháō** (live in pleasure): Used alongside `{{G4684}}` in [[James 5:5]], this term reinforces the idea of indulging in luxury.
* `{{G2348}}` **thnḗskō** (be dead, die): This word is set in direct opposition to living in pleasure, showing that such a life leads to a state of spiritual death [[1 Timothy 5:6]].
* `{{G2198}}` **záō** (to live): The contrast in [[1 Timothy 5:6]] is heightened by using this word to describe being physically alive while spiritually dead due to living in pleasure.
* `{{G5142}}` **tréphō** (bring up, feed, nourish): This word reveals the deliberate action of the wanton, who "nourished" their hearts for destruction [[James 5:5]].
* `{{G4967}}` **sphagḗ** (slaughter): This term provides the grim outcome for those who are wanton, comparing their self-fattening indulgence to animals being prepared for butchery [[James 5:5]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{G4684}}` is concentrated in its warning against a spiritually corrupting lifestyle.
* **Spiritual Death in Life:** The primary theological point is that a life abandoned to wanton pleasure results in being spiritually dead, disconnected from true life even while physically existing [[1 Timothy 5:6]].
* **Indulgence and Judgment:** The word directly connects self-indulgence with divine judgment. To be wanton is to nourish one's heart for a "day of slaughter," implying that this lifestyle has a definitive and destructive end [[James 5:5]].
* **A Condition of the Heart:** The act of being wanton is not merely external but an internal state, a deliberate "nourishing" of the heart's desires that leads it away from God and toward destruction [[James 5:5]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{G4684}}` is a potent and specific term describing a voluptuous, self-indulgent lifestyle. Though used only twice, it delivers a powerful caution. It illustrates that a life focused on being "wanton" or living in excessive "pleasure" is not neutral but is considered a state of spiritual death that culminates in judgment.
TRV