πλοῖον
ploîon
G4143 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A vessel designed for navigating on water, specifically a boat or ship. In the Koine period, typically refers to maritime vessels used for transport, fishing, or commerce. The term usually denotes seafaring ships but can more generally include larger boats navigating lakes and rivers. Extended senses include any craft providing passage by water, without detailed specification as to size or function, unless context demands.
Semantic Range
boat, ship, vessel for sailing, seafaring craft, fishing boat, merchant ship, means of transport by water
Root / Etymology
From the root πλέω (to sail), with the suffix -ιον forming a noun indicating a vessel or thing related to sailing.
Historical & Contextual Notes
πλοῖον is widely attested from the Classical period onward, becoming the standard Koine and New Testament term for a ship or boat. In Hellenistic and Roman usage, it covers a broad range of watercraft, from fishing boats on the Sea of Galilee to merchant ships on the Mediterranean. In the New Testament, πλοῖον is often used without technical distinction between types of vessels (contrast with ναῦς, used more commonly for larger or warships in classical literature). English translations generally render πλοῖον as 'ship' or 'boat,' but the precise class of vessel is contextual, and such translations can obscure the range from small boats to substantial merchant ships. The term is sometimes used collectively or in reference to shipping activity (Acts 27). In the Septuagint, πλοῖον typically renders Hebrew terms for boat or ship (אֳנִיָּה), similarly lacking specificity. The word does not include river rafts or canoes, and in Greek naval terminology of earlier periods, naus or other terms may be more specific. The semantic field of πλοῖον shifts somewhat in Roman-era sources due to evolving navigation and vessel technology, but it remains a general term for ships and boats.
Translation Consistency
'Boat' is the most natural, commonly used English term in these contexts (27 of 68 occurrences in P2) and clearly conveys the basic sense of a watercraft for transport, fishing, or commerce. It covers the range from smaller craft to seafaring vessels in idiomatic English and will read naturally across all forms.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from πλέω; a sailer, i.e. vessel:--ship(-ing).
Root Family
πλοῖον (ploion) — to sail, to float, to navigate
Word Forms
4 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G4143-03 |
πλοῖον | ploion | N ACC N SG |
boat | a sailing vessel | a boat | 35 |
G4143-02 |
πλοίῳ | ploio | N DAT N SG |
boat | to a sailing vessel | boat | 14 |
G4143-04 |
πλοίου | ploiou | N GEN N SG |
boat | of a sailing vessel | of a boat | 12 |
G4143-01 |
πλοῖα | ploia | N NOM N PL |
boats | sailing vessels | boats | 7 |
Occurrences in Scripture
68 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G4143-02 |
Matthew 4:21 | πλοίῳ | ploio | N DAT N SG |
boat | to a sailing vessel | boat |
G4143-03 |
Matthew 4:22 | πλοῖον | ploion | N ACC N SG |
boat | a sailing vessel | a boat |
G4143-03 |
Matthew 8:23 | πλοῖον | ploion | N ACC N SG |
the boat | a sailing vessel | a boat |
G4143-03 |
Matthew 8:24 | πλοῖον | ploion | N ACC N SG |
boat | a sailing vessel | a boat |
G4143-03 |
Matthew 9:1 | πλοῖον | ploion | N ACC N SG |
the boat | a sailing vessel | a boat |
G4143-03 |
Matthew 13:2 | πλοῖον | ploion | N ACC N SG |
a boat | a sailing vessel | a boat |
G4143-02 |
Matthew 14:13 | πλοίῳ | ploio | N DAT N SG |
boat | to a sailing vessel | boat |
G4143-03 |
Matthew 14:22 | πλοῖον | ploion | N ACC N SG |
boat | a sailing vessel | a boat |
G4143-03 |
Matthew 14:24 | πλοῖον | ploion | N NOM N SG |
boat | a sailing vessel | a boat |
G4143-04 |
Matthew 14:29 | πλοίου | ploiou | N GEN N SG |
boat | of a sailing vessel | of a boat |