σύρτις
sýrtis
G4950 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A sandbank or shallow, especially those off the northern coast of Africa known for being treacherous to navigation; by extension, any dangerous or shifting sandbar. In New Testament usage, specifically refers to the region of the Syrtis (the Great or Little Syrtis), a notorious area for shipwrecks due to shifting sands and shoals.
Semantic Range
sandbank, shoal, shallow, sandbar, the Syrtis region(s) off North Africa, treacherous or shifting seabed, maritime hazard
Root / Etymology
From the root σύρ- (to drag, sweep), likely referencing the way the sand is dragged together by the sea. The name was applied to the dangerous sandbanks in the southern Mediterranean, especially off the Libyan coast (modern Tunisia and Libya).
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical and Hellenistic Greek, σύρτις referred generically to a sandbank or shoal—an area in the sea where sand or silt accumulates, often dangerously shallow for ships. Notably, two specific regions were called the Syrtis: the Greater Syrtis (Syrtis Major) and the Lesser Syrtis (Syrtis Minor), both perilous for sailors because of unpredictable sandbanks. In Acts 27:17, the term denotes the feared North African sandbank (Syrtis Major), illustrating the practical and geographic specificity the word carried in Koine Greek. English translations such as 'quicksands' are functional but fail to capture this precise geographic and historical reference, and may mislead readers into thinking the danger was from underwater sand that rapidly engulfs, rather than from shallow, shifting seabeds notorious among ancient mariners. The term is rare in biblical Greek outside this context, but was widely recognized among Greek speakers as a byword for maritime danger.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from σύρω; a shoal (from the sand drawn thither by the waves), i.e. the Syrtis Major or great bay on the north coast of Africa:--quicksands.
Root Family
σύρ- (sýrtis) — to drag, to sweep
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G4950-01 |
Σύρτιν | surtin | N ACC F SG |
Syrtis | Syrtis sandbank | Syrtis | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G4950-01 |
Acts 27:17 | Σύρτιν | surtin | N ACC F SG |
Syrtis | Syrtis sandbank | Syrtis |