4111. plassó

Lexical Summary

plassó: To form, to mold, to shape

Original Word: πλάσσω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: plassó
Pronunciation: pläs'-sō
Phonetic Spelling: (plas'-so)
KJV: form
NASB: created, molder
Word Origin: [a primary verb]

1. to mould, i.e. shape or fabricate

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

form.

A primary verb; to mould, i.e. Shape or fabricate -- form.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
a prim. verb
Definition
to form
NASB Translation
created (1), molder (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 4111: πλάσσω

πλάσσω: 1 aorist participle πλάσας; 1 aorist passive ἐπλασθην; ((perhaps akin to πλατύς; Curtius, § 367 b)); from Hesiod down; the Sept. chiefly for יָצַר; to form, mould (properly, something from clay, wax, etc.): used of a potter, Romans 9:20; of God as Creator (Genesis 2:7f, 19 etc.), passive, 1 Timothy 2:13.

Topical Lexicon

Meaning and Imagery

The verb behind Strong’s 4111 conveys the skilled work of a potter who kneads, molds, and fashions raw clay into purposeful design. Scripture transfers this everyday image to the divine activity of God in both creation and providence, underscoring His intentionality and sovereignty over all that He forms.

Biblical Usage

There are two New Testament occurrences:
• 1 Timothy 2:13 – “For Adam was formed first, and then Eve.”
• Romans 9:20 – “But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘Why did You make me like this?’ ”

In the Pastoral Epistle, the term safeguards the created order and grounds Paul’s instruction about men and women in the historical act of God’s formation of Adam. In Romans, the same imagery buttresses Paul’s argument concerning divine freedom in election, silencing human presumption before the potter’s rights over his clay.

Theological Themes

1. Divine Sovereignty. The potter-clay analogy exalts God’s absolute authority over creation, thwarting any notion that the creature may claim independence or superior wisdom (cf. Isaiah 29:16; Isaiah 45:9).
2. Human Contingency. By nature, humanity is derivative, receiving both origin and purpose from the Creator (Genesis 2:7; Psalm 100:3).
3. Accountability and Humility. The question “Why did You make me like this?” highlights the folly of resisting God’s purposes. The verb therefore serves as a summons to meek submission rather than defiant questioning.
4. Order within Creation. 1 Timothy 2:13 links the forming of Adam and Eve to principles of church conduct, demonstrating that God’s creative acts carry binding moral implications.

Historical and Cultural Background

In the Mediterranean world, potters were ubiquitous artisans. Their wheels, kilns, and clay jars provided a vivid illustration for prophets and apostles alike. Ancient hearers grasped instantly that the potter possesses full discretion over shape and use, whether for everyday service or honorable display. Paul’s audience in Rome—situated in a city famed for fine pottery and terra-sigillata ware—would have felt the force of the metaphor.

Ministry and Discipleship Applications

• Pastoral Counseling. Reminding believers that they are God’s workmanship (Ephesians 2:10) fosters security amid trials; the Potter does not abandon His vessels mid-process.
• Spiritual Formation. Leaders guide congregations to yield willingly to God’s shaping through Scripture, prayer, and discipline, rather than resisting like unpliable clay.
• Apologetics. Romans 9:20 provides a framework for addressing objections to divine justice, emphasizing the Creator-creature distinction.
• Gender and Family Teaching. By rooting male–female roles in the initial “forming,” 1 Timothy 2:13 offers an anchor for discussions on marriage and church leadership.

Worship and Devotional Reflections

Hymnody regularly echoes this theme (“Have Thine Own Way, Lord,” “You Are the Potter”). Meditation on Strong’s 4111 encourages believers to present themselves as malleable clay (Romans 12:1), confident that the Master Potter crafts vessels for honorable use (2 Timothy 2:21).

Related Scriptures

Genesis 2:7; Isaiah 64:8; Jeremiah 18:1-6; Psalm 139:13-16; Isaiah 29:16; Isaiah 45:9; Ephesians 2:10; 2 Timothy 2:20-21.

Forms and Transliterations

έπλασα έπλασά έπλασαν έπλασάν έπλασας έπλασάς επλάσατο έπλασε έπλασέ έπλασεν επλασθη επλάσθη ἐπλάσθη πεπλασμένον πλάσαι πλασαντι πλάσαντι πλάσας πλασθήναι πλασθήσονται πλάσσει πλάσσοντες πλάσσω πλάσσων eplasthe eplasthē eplásthe eplásthē plasanti plásanti

Englishman's Concordance

Romans 9:20 V-APA-DMS
GRK: πλάσμα τῷ πλάσαντι Τί με
NAS: will not say to the molder, Why
KJV: say to him that formed [it], Why
INT: thing formed to the [one] having formed [it] Why me

1 Timothy 2:13 V-AIP-3S
GRK: γὰρ πρῶτος ἐπλάσθη εἶτα Εὕα
NAS: who was first created, [and] then
KJV: was first formed, then Eve.
INT: indeed first was formed then Eve

Strong's Greek 4111
2 Occurrences

ἐπλάσθη — 1 Occ.
πλάσαντι — 1 Occ.