διαπλέω
diapléō
G1277 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To sail through, to pass by sea through or across a body of water; to traverse a region by sailing. The primary lexical meaning is 'to sail through (something),' with contextual nuances including 'to cross by sea,' 'to make a sea voyage through a certain area,' or 'to navigate across a space or obstacle by ship.'
Semantic Range
to sail through, to traverse by sea, to cross (by ship), to navigate across (a sea, lake, or region by ship)
Root / Etymology
From διά ('through') + πλέω ('to sail'); a compound verb in which the preposition intensifies the verbal notion of passage through or across.
Historical & Contextual Notes
διαπλέω is a Koine compound verb attested in maritime contexts, particularly in Hellenistic and Roman-period texts describing seafaring. In the Septuagint and New Testament, it often appears in narrative contexts referring to specific voyages, especially traversing open water or straits rather than simply sailing along the coast. Earlier Greek (Classical period) uses the simple πλέω for 'sail,' but the compound διαπλέω emphasizes movement 'through' or 'across.' The nuance of intentional crossing or navigation through a distinct region of sea is present in the word. Standard translations such as 'sail over' or 'sail through' are accurate but may not fully capture the purposeful aspect of passing through a maritime area, as distinguished from general seafaring. There is no significant theological or metaphorical usage; the term is primarily technical and geographical in biblical literature.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from διά and πλέω; to sail through:--sail over.
Root Family
πλέω (diapléō) — to sail, to travel by sea
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| G1602 | ἐκπλέω | to set sail |
| G4144 | πλόος | of sea-voyage |
| G636 | ἀποπλέω | they sailed away |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1277-01 |
διαπλεύσαντες | diapleusantes | V AOR ACT PTCP NOM M PL |
we had sailed across | having sailed through | having sailed through | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1277-01 |
Acts 27:5 | διαπλεύσαντες | diapleusantes | V AOR ACT PTCP NOM M PL |
we had sailed across | having sailed through | having sailed through |