123. aigialos

Lexical Summary

aigialos: Shore, beach, coast

Original Word: αἰγιαλός
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: aigialos
Pronunciation: ahee-ghee-al-os'
Phonetic Spelling: (ahee-ghee-al-os')
KJV: shore
NASB: beach
Word Origin: [from aisso "to rush" and G251 (ἅλς - Salt) (in the sense of the sea)]

1. a beach (on which the waves dash)

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

shore.

From aisso (to rush) and hals (in the sense of the sea; a beach (on which the waves dash) -- shore.

see GREEK hals

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from aix (a wave)
Definition
the seashore
NASB Translation
beach (6).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 123: αἰγιαλός

αἰγιαλός, (οῦ, ὁ, the shore of the sea, beach, (from Homer down): Matthew 13:2, 48; John 21:4; Acts 21:5; Acts 27:39, 40. (Many derive the word from ἄγνυμι and ἅλς, as though equivalent to ἀκτή, the place where the sea breaks; others from αἶγες billows and ἅλς (Curtius, § 140; Vanicek, p. 83); others from ἀΐσσω and ἅλς (Schenkl, Liddell and Scott, under the word), the place where the sea rushes forth, bounds forward).

Topical Lexicon

Overview

Strong’s Greek 123 refers to the sea-shore or beach—a liminal zone where land meets water. In the New Testament this physical setting becomes a stage for teaching, revelation, fellowship, intercession, and rescue. With only six appearances, the word nevertheless frames decisive moments in the ministry of Jesus, the life of the disciples, and the spread of the gospel through the early church.

Geographical and Cultural Setting

In first-century Galilee and the wider Mediterranean, the shoreline was a hub of commerce, travel, and daily labor. Fishermen launched their boats, merchants shipped goods, and travelers embarked on voyages. Such places were naturally crowded, making them ideal venues for public teaching. The Jewish audience knew the prophetic backdrop of seashore imagery—countless descendants promised to Abraham (Genesis 22:17) and the gathering of nations to Zion (Isaiah 60:5). Jesus and the apostles stepped into that cultural memory when they ministered at the water’s edge.

Occurrences in the New Testament

• Matthew 13:2 — “Such large crowds gathered around Him that He got into a boat and sat down, while all the people stood on the shore.”
• Matthew 13:48 — “When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away.”
• John 21:4 — “Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not recognize that it was Jesus.”
• Acts 21:5 — “All the disciples, with their wives and children, accompanied us out of the city, and we knelt on the beach and prayed.”
• Acts 27:39-40 — In the storm narrative Luke writes of a “bay with a beach,” and the sailors “made for the beach,” seeking deliverance from shipwreck.

The Shore in the Parables of Jesus

Matthew places two shoreline scenes around the “Kingdom Parables” discourse. First, the shore functions as a natural amphitheater (Matthew 13:2), allowing Christ’s voice to carry across the water. Second, the shore reappears inside His parable of the dragnet (Matthew 13:48), where the beach becomes the sorting ground of final judgment—good fish gathered, bad discarded. The location where the sermon is delivered mirrors the theme of the sermon: crowds on the literal shore hear about the ultimate shore where eternal destinies are separated.

The Shore as a Place of Post-Resurrection Revelation

John 21 highlights the beach at daybreak. After a night of fruitless fishing, the risen Lord stands on the shore and directs the disciples to cast the net on the right side. The shoreline becomes the point of recognition: “It is the Lord!” (John 21:7). Here Jesus restores Peter, provides breakfast, and recommissions His followers. The beach thus signifies new beginnings and restored fellowship after failure.

Intercession and Fellowship on the Beach

Acts 21:5 depicts believers from Tyre escorting Paul to the shore. There, entire families kneel in prayer. The openness of the beach provides both privacy—away from city noise—and visibility—a testimony to passers-by. The scene blends affectionate farewell with corporate intercession, showcasing the church’s unity.

Deliverance in Maritime Crisis

In Acts 27:39-40 the term frames a life-or-death maneuver. After fourteen nights of tempest, the sailors sight a bay with a beach and aim to run the ship aground. Though the vessel breaks apart, every soul reaches safety, vindicating Paul’s God-given promise that “not one of you will perish” (Acts 27:22). The beach here is a tangible fulfillment of divine preservation.

Theological and Symbolic Significance

1. Boundary of Hearing and Obedience: Crowds on the shore heard Jesus but had to decide whether to launch into deeper commitment.
2. Place of Sorting: The parable of the dragnet assigns eschatological weight to the beach, foreshadowing the final separation of the righteous and the wicked.
3. Site of Restoration: The post-resurrection shoreline meeting shows that Christ seeks His followers where their labor meets its limits.
4. Stage of Corporate Prayer: Acts 21 demonstrates that public beaches can become sanctuaries when believers gather in humility.
5. Symbol of Safe Haven: Luke’s shipwreck narrative transforms the beach into an emblem of promised deliverance through providence.

Ministry Implications Today

• Outdoor preaching still benefits from natural acoustics and the everyday setting of beaches and waterfronts.
• Evangelists can draw on shoreline imagery—sorting good from bad fish, casting nets, calling disciples—to illustrate the gospel in maritime contexts.
• Post-failure restoration ministries may point to John 21 as a pattern: invitation to fellowship, provision, and reaffirmation of calling at life’s liminal moments.
• Corporate prayer meetings in public spaces testify to faith that God hears anywhere His people kneel.
• Chaplaincy among seafarers and coastal communities finds biblical precedent for offering hope amid storms and shipwrecks.

Conclusion

Though mentioned only six times, the New Testament shoreline emerges as more than geography; it is a theological theater where crowds listen, disciples are tested and restored, saints pray, and God rescues. Strong’s Greek 123 therefore evokes scenes where the kingdom breaks into everyday life, inviting every generation to meet Jesus at the water’s edge and follow Him wherever He leads.

Forms and Transliterations

αιγιαλον αιγιαλόν αἰγιαλόν αἰγιαλὸν aigialon aigialón aigialòn

Englishman's Concordance

Matthew 13:2 N-AMS
GRK: ἐπὶ τὸν αἰγιαλὸν εἱστήκει
NAS: crowd was standing on the beach.
KJV: stood on the shore.
INT: on the shore stood

Matthew 13:48 N-AMS
GRK: ἐπὶ τὸν αἰγιαλὸν καὶ καθίσαντες
NAS: they drew it up on the beach; and they sat down
KJV: they drew to shore, and sat down,
INT: on the shore and having sat down

John 21:4 N-AMS
GRK: εἰς τὸν αἰγιαλόν οὐ μέντοι
NAS: stood on the beach; yet
KJV: stood on the shore: but the disciples
INT: on the shore not however

Acts 21:5 N-AMS
GRK: ἐπὶ τὸν αἰγιαλὸν προσευξάμενοι
NAS: down on the beach and praying,
KJV: on the shore, and prayed.
INT: on the shore having prayed

Acts 27:39 N-AMS
GRK: κατενόουν ἔχοντα αἰγιαλὸν εἰς ὃν
NAS: a bay with a beach, and they resolved
KJV: creek with a shore, into the which
INT: they noticed having a shore on which

Acts 27:40 N-AMS
GRK: εἰς τὸν αἰγιαλόν
NAS: they were heading for the beach.
KJV: and made toward shore.
INT: for the shore

Strong's Greek 123
6 Occurrences

αἰγιαλὸν — 6 Occ.