χειμάζω
cheimázō
G5492 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To be exposed to winter weather or a storm; primarily, to be in the midst of violent weather conditions (especially a storm at sea). In context, frequently used in the passive voice to describe being assailed, tossed, or battered by storms or severe winds, often with the implication of danger or hardship resulting from such exposure.
Semantic Range
to be exposed to winter weather, to be battered by storms (wind and waves), to suffer hardship due to storms, to be tossed about at sea, to undergo severe weather conditions
Root / Etymology
From χειμών (cheimōn, 'winter, storm'), with the denominative verb-forming suffix -ζω (-zō).
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical Greek, χειμάζω is attested with the sense of exposing to winter or subjecting to harsh weather, particularly referencing being caught in a violent winter storm. In later Hellenistic and Koine usage, the term often becomes specialized for maritime contexts—'to be storm-tossed' at sea (usually in the passive, e.g. Acts 27:18 in the New Testament). The Septuagint generally reserves the term for literal meteorological events. English translations often render it as 'to be tossed with tempest' or 'to be in danger from a storm,' which captures the sense but may underemphasize the linkage to winter weather or the broader notion of being exposed to adverse seasonal conditions. Contrasts with other Greek meteorological verbs such as λαιλαπτέω (to be seized by a squall) or σεισμοποιέω (to shake with an earthquake/storm). The root χειμών is widely attested from Homer onward to denote winter or a storm, and the verb form retains this meteorological specificity throughout its usage.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from the same as χειμών; to storm, i.e. (passively) to labor under a gale:--be tossed with tempest.
Root Family
χειμ- (paracheimázō) — winter, to endure winter, to spend the winter
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| G3914 | παραχειμάζω | to spend the winter |
| G3915 | παραχειμασία | wintering period |
| G5494 | χειμών | storm-season |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G5492-01 |
χειμαζομένων | cheimazomenon | V PRS PASS PTCP GEN M PL |
being storm-tossed | of those being storm-tossed | being storm-tossed | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G5492-01 |
Acts 27:18 | χειμαζομένων | cheimazomenon | V PRS PASS PTCP GEN M PL |
being storm-tossed | of those being storm-tossed | being storm-tossed |