Lexical Summary deleazó: To entice, to lure, to bait Original Word: δελεάζω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance allure, beguile, entice. From the base of dolos; to entrap, i.e. (figuratively) delude -- allure, beguile, entice. see GREEK dolos HELPS Word-studies 1185 deleázō (from delear, "bait") – properly, to bait a hook or set a trap with bait; (figuratively) entice a victim into a moral trap, luring them in through their own selfish impulses. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom delear (bait) Definition to lure NASB Translation entice (1), enticed (1), enticing (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 1185: δελεάζωδελεάζω; (present passive δελεάζομαι); (δέλεαρ a bait); 1. properly, to bait, catch by a bait: Xenophon, mem. 2, 1, 4, et al. 2. as often in secular authors, metaphorically, to beguile by blandishments, allure, entice, deceive: τινα, 2 Peter 2:14, 18; James 1:14, on this passage cf. Philo, quod omn. prob. book § 22. Topical Lexicon Meaning and Imagery The verb behind Strong’s 1185 evokes the setting of a baited hook or trap. The emphasis is not on open force but on covert attraction—drawing the unsuspecting toward what will ultimately harm them. Its imagery fits the fisherman, the fowler, and the seducer alike, underlining sin’s ability to disguise death as something desirable. Occurrences in the New Testament 1. James 1:14 These three texts divide naturally into two spheres: personal temptation (James) and the corrupting influence of false teachers (Peter). James 1:14 – The Inner Hook of Desire “But each one is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own desire.” James looks inward. The bait is not external pleasure alone; it is the resident craving that bites. The verb exposes the mechanics of temptation: desire drags, the lure sparkles, the will capitulates, and sin conceives. James therefore shifts responsibility from circumstances or Satan alone to the believer’s own unguarded appetites. Victory begins with recognizing and mortifying those desires before they can be baited. 2 Peter 2:14 and 2 Peter 2:18 – The Hook of False Teachers 2 Peter portrays professional tempters. Here the verb exposes an evangelism in reverse: instead of fishing for men to bring them to life, false teachers fish for souls to drag them back into corruption. Peter’s language deliberately echoes his own calling as a “fisher of men” under Jesus, contrasting gospel mission with heretical predation. The targets—“the unstable” and “those who are just escaping”—are spiritually young, illustrating how doctrinal error first seeks the unrooted. Old Testament Background and Continuity Though the exact Greek term is New Testament, its concept resonates with Hebrew warnings against “enticing” (pathah) to idolatry (Deuteronomy 13:6–8) or adultery (Proverbs 1:10–17; Proverbs 7). Both Testaments identify the pattern: flattery, stirred desire, hidden cost. The unity of Scripture here is evident—enticement is sin’s preferred strategy across covenants. First–Century Cultural Context Fishing was a dominant industry around Galilee; citizens understood bait, nets, and hooks. Philosophers used hunting metaphors for rhetoric that beguiled crowds. Peter’s audience—scattered believers in Asia Minor—would easily grasp the picture of traveling teachers setting intellectual and moral traps under the guise of freedom (2 Peter 2:19). The term therefore spoke pointedly to everyday life. Theological Themes 1. Human Responsibility: Temptation exploits internal desires; therefore holiness is pursued in the heart (James 4:8). Pastoral and Discipleship Applications • Guard the Newly Converted: New believers require grounding in sound doctrine to avoid the lures Peter describes. Regular catechesis and accountable fellowship serve as safeguards. Summary Strong’s 1185 portrays sin and heresy as anglers who hide hooks beneath alluring bait. James warns that the bait succeeds only where desire cooperates; Peter warns that deceivers aim their lures at the unstable. The term therefore summons believers to internal purity, doctrinal vigilance, and ministries marked by transparent truth, echoing the Master who fishes for men not to exploit, but to save. Forms and Transliterations δελεαζομενος δελεαζόμενος δελεαζοντες δελεάζοντες δελεαζουσιν δελεάζουσιν deleazomenos deleazómenos deleazontes deleázontes deleazousin deleázousinLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance James 1:14 V-PPM/P-NMSGRK: ἐξελκόμενος καὶ δελεαζόμενος NAS: when he is carried away and enticed by his own KJV: lust, and enticed. INT: being drawn away and being allured 2 Peter 2:14 V-PPA-NMP 2 Peter 2:18 V-PIA-3P Strong's Greek 1185 |
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