πλάξ (plax)
plax
tablet
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun plax refers to a flat, broad object, such as a stone slab or a writing tablet. In the New Testament, it appears only twice, carrying the sense of a solid, physical surface rather than an abstract concept. This usage aligns with its appearance in the Greek Old Testament, where it translates the Hebrew word for the stone tablets.
Paul uses this term in 2 Corinthians 3:3 to contrast the old covenant with the new. He describes believers not as letters carved on stone tablets (plax), but as letters of the Spirit written on human hearts. Similarly, the author of Hebrews mentions a golden altar (plax) in the earthly tabernacle, highlighting its flat, broad construction. The word emphasizes tangible materiality and permanence.
Its root connection suggests a surface that is level and expansive. By choosing plax instead of other words for writing surfaces, the biblical authors underscore the contrast between rigid stone and living hearts. This distinction helps readers visualize the shift from external rules to internal transformation.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word plax brings to mind something solid and enduring, like a stone slab or a flat tablet used for writing. In ancient times, these surfaces were heavy and permanent, meant to last for generations. When the Bible uses this term, it is not talking about abstract ideas but about physical reality that people could touch and see.
In 2 Corinthians 3:3, Paul uses this image to show a beautiful change in how God works with us. He says we are not written on cold stone tablets but on human hearts by the Spirit of God. This means God’s truth is not just rules carved on rock; it is a living relationship written inside you. It suggests that faith is personal, internal, and alive.
This shift from stone to heart invites you to see your life as something God actively shapes. Instead of following distant laws, you are part of a close connection with Him. The permanence of the tablet becomes the permanence of His love in your daily walk.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- tablets3×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- πλαξὶν2×
- πλάκες1×
Key Verses
-
II Corinthians 3:3
being revealed that you are a letter of Christ, served by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tablets of stone, but in tablets that are hearts of flesh.
Paul contrasts rigid stone tablets with living hearts to show that the new covenant is internal and Spirit-driven rather than external and written on rock.
-
Hebrews 9:4
having a golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which was a golden pot holding the manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant;
The author mentions the tablets of the covenant in the ark to highlight the physical, tangible nature of the old covenant's sacred objects.