Planao
A. The verb planao (planavw) has the following cognates:
1. Plane (plavnh) (noun), “wandering (from the path of truth); error; delusion.”
2. Planetes (planhvth$) (noun), “a wanderer.”
3. Planos (plavno$) (adjective), “misleading; deceiver; imposter.”
4. Apoplanao (a)poplanavw) (verb), “mislead, lead astray.”
B. Classical
1. Liddel and Scott (Greek-English Lexicon, New Edition, page 1411):
a. Cause to wander
b. Lead from the subject, in talking
c. Lead astray, mislead, deceive
d. Passively, wander, stray
e. Of the planets
f. Of reports, travel abroad
g. Having wandered
h. Wandering about
i. Wander in speaking
j. Having missed the right moment
k. Do a thing irregularly or with variation
l. The varying dreams that visit them
m. Irregularly
n. To be unsettled
o. To be in doubt
p. Of alternative pleas
q. To be misled
2. The verb planao means, “to be led astray.”
3. The original meaning of planao implies movement in space.
4. In the active sense it means, “to lead astray,” and in the middle and passive voices, it means, “to go astray,
to be led astray.”
5. The active form of the verb is seldom used in the literal sense in classical literature.
6. In the transferred sense, it means, ‘to lead astray, deceive, by one’s behavior or one’s words.
7. This can refer to a person’s judgment or to actions in the realm of morals.
8. Planao was first used in a simple geographical sense meaning, “to lead someone on a journey astray so he
does not arrive at this goal.
9. It also refers to a sheep that goes astray and is separated from its flock and shepherd.
10. The verb later developed a figurative sense of being led astray in matters of truth or wandering off the path
of correct moral conduct (Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, volume 6, page 229).
C. LXX
1. There is no Hebrew equivalent for the verb planao.
2. The word is used in the LXX to translate 18 different Hebrew words.
3. It is almost always used in a figurative sense in the Biblical writings.
4. Planao is most frequently used for the Hebrew ta’ah, which in the Qal stem means, “to wander about,” and
in the Hiphil, it means, “to lead astray.”
5. The classical meaning of the word is taken over in the LXX.
6. The word is used in Deut. 27:18 of leading the blind astray.
7. It is also used to describe people involved in drunkenness (Is. 19:13f.; 28:7).
8. The verb is employed often with hodos, “way.”
9. The word is used in a metaphor of wandering sheep, which describes man’s existence without a
relationship with God (Dt. 22:1; Is. 13:14; 53:6; Ps. 119:176).
10. People go astray because they disobey the commands and prohibitions of the Law and practicing idolatry
(Dt. 13:6).
11. Idols lead the people astray (Amos 2:4) as well as false prophets (Jer. 23:32) and unfaithful kings (2 Chr.
33:9).
12. Thus, Israel’s relationship with the Lord is often portrayed as sheep that need a shepherd to guide them.
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D. NT
1. The verb planao appears 39 times in the Greek New Testament.
2. The word is used metaphorically with reference to the salvation of men who like sheep are led astray (Mt.
18:12-13).
3. Peter uses this metaphor of sheep being led astray as well (1 Pet. 2:25).
4. The verb planao appears in Matthew 22:29 and Mark 12:24, 27 where the Lord states that His opponents
are “mistaken” in their interpretation of the Scriptures.
5. The word means, “to mislead, to deceive” in many passages (Mt. 24:4-5, 11, 24; Mk. 13:5-6; Lk. 21:8; Jn.
7:12, 47; 1 Co. 6:9; 15:33; Gal. 6:7; 2 Tim. 3:13; Titus 3:3; Jm. 1:16; 1 Jn. 1:8; 2:26; 3:7; Rev. 12:9; 13:14;
18:23; 19:20; 20:3, 8, 10).
6. Planao is used in these passages in regards to self-deception, or deception from Satan, and false prophets.
7. This self-deception is the direct result of not obeying the Word of truth.
8. Failure to obey the Word of truth results in deception because there are no other alternatives to the truth
except the lies propagated by the kingdom of darkness.
9. If one does not accept the truth he is handed over to the lies of the cosmic system of Satan.
10. Satan employs his false teachers and prophets to promote his lies about God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
11. It is used of the Exodus generation who were “led astray” in their heart in Hebrews 3:10.
12. The Lord is said to deal gently with the “misguided” in Hebrews 5:2 since He can empathize with human
weakness since He too experienced the limitations of a human nature.
13. The word is used of believers being led astray from the truth of the Word of God in James 5:19.
14. Peter uses planao of false teachers who are led astray as Balaam was (2 Pet. 2:15).
15. It is also used in Hebrews 11:38 to describe the Heroes of Faith who wandered in deserts.
16. Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, “planao, akin to plane, A, Note (1) (Eng., "planet"), in the
passive form sometimes means "to go astray, wander," Matt 18:12; 1 Peter 2:25; Heb 11:38; frequently
active, "to deceive, by leading into error, to seduce," e. g., Matt 24:4,5,11,24; John 7:12, "leadeth astray,"
RV (cf. 1 John 3:7). In Rev 12:9 the present participle is used with the definite article, as a title of the
Devil, "the Deceiver," lit., "the deceiving one." Often it has the sense of "deceiving oneself," e. g., 1 Cor
6:9; 15:33; Gal 6:7; James 1:16, "be not deceived," RV, "do not err," KJV. See ERR, LEAD (astray),
SEDUCE, WANDER, WAY (be out of the).”
17. Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament Based on Semantic Domains (volume 2): (Figurative
extensions of meaning of planao ‘to cause to wander off the path,’ not occurring in the NT) to cause
someone to hold a wrong view and thus be mistaken – ‘to mislead, to deceive, deception, to cause to be
mistaken.’
18. The Analytical Greek Lexicon Revised (page 326):
a. To lead astray, cause to wander
b. Passively, to go astray, wander about, stray
c. Metaphorically, to mislead, deceive
d. Passively, to be deceived, err, mistake
e. To seduce, delude
f. Passively, to be seduced or wander from the path of virtue, to sin, transgress
19. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (page 665):
a. Active, lead astray, cause to wander
b. Figurative, mislead, deceive
c. Passively, go astray, be misled, wander about both literally; as a symbol, of men who had strayed from
the right way; figuratively without preserving the symbolism, go astray, be misled, deluded; wander
away; be mistaken in one’s judgment, deceive oneself; as the passive of the active figurative sense, be
deceived, be misled.
20. The New Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon (page 514):
a. To cause to stray, to lead astray, lead aside from the right way
b. To go astray, wander about, roam about
c. Metaphorically, to lead away from the truth, to lead into error, to deceive
d. Passively, to be led into error
e. Especially through ignorance, to be led aside form the path of virtue, to go astray, sin
f. To wander or fall away from the true faith, of heretics
g. To be led away into error and sin
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