4094. pinax
Lexical Summary
pinax: Platter, Dish, Tablet

Original Word: πίναξ
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: pinax
Pronunciation: PEE-nax
Phonetic Spelling: (pin'-ax)
KJV: charger, platter
NASB: platter
Word Origin: [apparently a form of G4109 (πλάξ - tablets)]

1. a plate

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
charger, platter.

Apparently a form of plax; a plate -- charger, platter.

see GREEK plax

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
a prim. word
Definition
a board, dish
NASB Translation
platter (5).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 4094: πίναξ

πίναξ, πίνακος, (common thought to be from ΠΙΝΟΣ a pine, and so properly, 'a pine-board'; according to the conjecture of Buttmann, Ausf. Spr. i. 74 n., from πναξ for πλάξ (i. e. anything broad and flat (cf. English plank)) with inserted, as in πινυτός for πνυτος (according to Fick i. 146 from Sanskritpinaka, a stick, staff)), from Homer down;

1. a board, a tablet.

2. a dish, plate, platter: Matthew 14:8, 11; Mark 6:25,(27 Lachmann brackets),28; Luke 11:39; Homer, Odyssey 1, 141; 16, 49; others.

Topical Lexicon
Overview

The term translated “platter” or “dish” appears five times in the Greek New Testament. In every instance it designates a large, flat serving implement that belonged at banquets and formal meals. Two distinct narrative settings showcase the word: the royal banquet of Herod Antipas that culminated in the execution of John the Baptist (Matthew 14:8, Matthew 14:11, Mark 6:25, Mark 6:28) and Jesus’ table-side rebuke of Pharisaic hypocrisy (Luke 11:39). Though the object itself is mundane, Scripture employs it to expose moral and spiritual realities—both the cost of prophetic faithfulness and the danger of merely external religion.

First-Century Banqueting Context

Greco-Roman banquets commonly featured a central table (triclinium) encircled by couches. Food was served on broad, often decorated platters that allowed multiple diners to dip bread or take meat. Wealthier hosts used silver, bronze, or glazed ceramic. Such vessels symbolized status; the abundance displayed on them testified to the host’s power and generosity. In Herod’s palace they became instruments of violent intrigue, and in a Pharisee’s home they illustrated spiritual blindness.

The Beheading of John the Baptist (Matthew 14 and Mark 6)

• Setting: Herod’s birthday feast, attended by nobles, commanders, and Galilean elites.
• Catalyst: Herodias’ daughter pleased the guests with her dance, prompting Herod’s reckless oath to grant “whatever she asked.”
• Request: “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist” (Matthew 14:8).
• Fulfillment: “His head was brought on a platter and presented to the girl, who carried it to her mother” (Matthew 14:11).

The platter, normally associated with celebration, is turned into a grotesque trophy of vengeance. It signals:

1. The collision of prophetic truth and political power—John had condemned Herod’s unlawful marriage.
2. The irrevocable nature of oaths made in prideful public settings.
3. The martyr’s vindication: though silenced, John’s testimony prepares the way for Christ (cf. Matthew 17:11-12).

Early Christian teachers viewed the platter as emblematic of worldly feasts that end in death, contrasting it with the Lord’s Table that offers life (1 Corinthians 11:23-26).

Jesus’ Rebuke of Religious Hypocrisy (Luke 11:39)

“But the Lord said to him, ‘Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness.’”

Here the dish stands as a metaphor for a person’s life. Meticulous ritual washings could not cover internal corruption. Jesus presses for integrity: the heart must match the outward profession. The image confronts every generation with the possibility of appearing devout while harboring sin.

Theological Themes

1. True Purity: God evaluates the interior (“man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart,” 1 Samuel 16:7).
2. Costly Discipleship: John’s fate foreshadows the path of all who bear witness without compromise (Matthew 5:10-12).
3. Abuse of Power: Both civic (Herod) and religious (Pharisees) authorities can misuse God-given roles when untethered from righteousness.
4. Banquet Imagery: Scripture contrasts corrupt earthly feasts with the future “marriage supper of the Lamb” (Revelation 19:9), where righteousness reigns.

Historical Reception

Early church art sometimes depicted John’s head on a platter, interpreting him as the last Old Testament prophet and first New Testament martyr. Church fathers urged rulers to heed prophetic voices lest their tables be stained with injustice. Medieval homilies linked Luke 11:39 to Lenten self-examination, urging believers to cleanse the dish within through repentance.

Ministry Implications

• Leaders must guard against rash promises and the desire to impress.
• Believers are called to cultivate internal holiness that matches external religious practice.
• The church should honor modern “Johns” who suffer for speaking truth to power.
• Every communion service offers a counter-feast—remembrance of Christ’s self-giving love rather than Herod’s self-serving cruelty.

Summary

A simple platter becomes, in Scripture, a mirror reflecting the human heart. In Herod’s hall it exposes murderous ambition; in a Pharisee’s home it unveils hidden sin. The same item, when surrendered to the Lord, can serve noble purposes (2 Timothy 2:20-21). Thus the believer is summoned to lay both table and heart before Christ, that every act of hospitality, leadership, and worship might proclaim His righteousness.

Forms and Transliterations
πινακι πίνακι πινακος πίνακος πινίνου pinaki pínaki pinakos pínakos
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Matthew 14:8 N-DFS
GRK: ὧδε ἐπὶ πίνακι τὴν κεφαλὴν
NAS: me here on a platter the head
KJV: head in a charger.
INT: here upon a dish the head

Matthew 14:11 N-DFS
GRK: αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ πίνακι καὶ ἐδόθη
NAS: was brought on a platter and given
KJV: was brought in a charger, and given
INT: of him on a dish and was given

Mark 6:25 N-DFS
GRK: μοι ἐπὶ πίνακι τὴν κεφαλὴν
NAS: of John the Baptist on a platter.
KJV: in a charger the head
INT: to me upon a dish the head

Mark 6:28 N-DFS
GRK: αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ πίνακι καὶ ἔδωκεν
NAS: his head on a platter, and gave
KJV: head in a charger, and gave
INT: it upon a dish and gave

Luke 11:39 N-GMS
GRK: καὶ τοῦ πίνακος καθαρίζετε τὸ
NAS: of the cup and of the platter; but inside
KJV: of the cup and the platter; but your
INT: and of the dish you cleanse

Strong's Greek 4094
5 Occurrences


πίνακι — 4 Occ.
πίνακος — 1 Occ.

4093
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