Plaiting
The Meaning of Plaiting
Plaiting refers to the interweaving or braiding of strands into a pattern. In the Bible, the word appears primarily in connection with hairstyling. The KJV uses "plaiting" in 1 Peter 3:3, where Peter writes: "Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel." The Greek word behind "plaiting" is emploke, meaning "interweaving" or "braiding," and it refers to the elaborate hairstyles that were fashionable among wealthy women in the Roman world.
Peter's Teaching on True Beauty (1 Peter 3:3-4)
Peter's instruction about plaiting comes within a broader passage about the relationship between husbands and wives. He encourages women to focus on inner character rather than outward appearance: "Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight" (1 Peter 3:4).
Peter is not issuing an absolute prohibition against braided hair any more than he is forbidding clothing (the passage also mentions "putting on of apparel"). Instead, he uses the contrast between external adornment and inner character to make a point about where true beauty lies. The emphasis is on priorities: a woman's identity and worth before God are determined by her character, not by her hairstyle, jewelry, or clothing.
Paul's Parallel Teaching
Paul makes a similar point in 1 Timothy 2:9-10: "I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God." The Greek word used here for "elaborate hairstyles" is plegma, closely related to emploke, and refers to the same practice of intricate braiding.
Both Peter and Paul address a specific cultural context in which hairstyling had become an extravagant display of wealth and social status. Roman women of means spent hours having their hair arranged into towering, complex designs, often interwoven with gold thread, pearls, and other ornaments. This practice was a visible marker of social class and could be a source of pride and competition.
The Crown of Thorns: Plaiting as Mockery
The related word "platted" (from the same root as "plaiting") appears in the passion narratives describing the crown of thorns placed on Jesus's head. Matthew 27:29, Mark 15:17, and John 19:2 all describe how Roman soldiers "platted" or "twisted together" a crown of thorns and pressed it onto Jesus's head as part of their mockery of him as king.
The use of plaiting in this context creates a powerful ironic contrast. Where 1 Peter warns against plaiting hair for vanity, the soldiers platted thorns to humiliate the true King. The crown of thorns, woven from branches of a thorny plant, was designed to cause pain and ridicule. Yet Christians have long understood it as an emblem of Christ's willingness to suffer for humanity's sake, transforming an instrument of shame into a symbol of sacrificial love.
Cultural Context in the Roman World
Hair arrangement was a significant cultural practice in the first-century Roman Empire. Elaborate hairstyles indicated wealth, fashion awareness, and social standing. Roman portrait busts and frescoes from this period show women with increasingly complex braided and curled arrangements. Slaves or hired hairdressers could spend hours creating these styles. Both Peter and Paul were addressing a real cultural phenomenon that had the potential to create division, vanity, and distraction within the young church.
The Enduring Principle
The biblical teaching on plaiting is not primarily about hairstyles but about values. The principle that transcends its cultural setting is clear: what God values most is not external appearance but the condition of the heart. A "gentle and quiet spirit" (1 Peter 3:4) is described as imperishable and precious in God's sight. This teaching continues to challenge every generation to examine whether their identity is rooted in outward display or in the inner character that God cultivates through his Spirit.
Biblical Context
Plaiting appears in 1 Peter 3:3, where it describes elaborate hair braiding contrasted with inner spiritual beauty. A parallel passage is found in 1 Timothy 2:9-10. The related verb 'platted' appears in Matthew 27:29, Mark 15:17, and John 19:2, describing the soldiers weaving a crown of thorns for Jesus during his trial.
Theological Significance
Peter's teaching on plaiting addresses the relationship between outward appearance and inner character. The Bible does not condemn personal grooming but warns against allowing external adornment to become a substitute for the 'unfading beauty' of a godly spirit. The crown of thorns, also a product of plaiting, reframes the concept entirely: Christ's kingship is demonstrated not through external splendor but through suffering love.
Historical Background
Elaborate hairstyling was a prominent feature of Roman culture in the first century AD. Archaeological evidence, including portrait sculptures and frescoes from Pompeii and Rome, shows increasingly complex braided and curled hairstyles among upper-class women. These styles often incorporated gold thread, hairpins, and jewels. The early church included women from various social classes, and the apostles' instructions about plaiting addressed potential tensions between wealthy and poorer members of the congregation.