Lexical Summary ereidó: To support, to prop, to fix firmly Original Word: ἐρείδω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance stick fast. Of obscure affinity; to prop, i.e. (reflexively) get fast -- stick fast. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. word Definition to prop, to fix firmly NASB Translation stuck fast (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 2043: ἐρείδωἐρείδω: to fix, prop firmly; intransitive, 1 aorist participle ἐρείσασα (ἡ πρῷρα), stuck (R. V. struck), Acts 27:41. (From Homer down.) Topical Lexicon Root Meaning and Word-Picture Strong’s Greek 2043 paints a vivid scene of something being driven hard until it is wedged immovably in place. The verb evokes the image of a forceful bracing, embedding, or jamming that leaves the object firmly fixed and unable to shift. Single New Testament Occurrence Acts 27:41 supplies the lone New Testament use. As Paul’s ship races toward the Maltese coast, Luke writes that the vessel “struck a sandbar and ran the ship aground. The bow stuck fast and would not move” (Berean Standard Bible). The participle translated “stuck fast” is ἐρείσασα, the aorist form of the verb in question. Luke’s nautical detail underscores how decisively the bow was rammed into the shoal—no human ingenuity could dislodge it. Historical and Nautical Background First-century sailors dreaded underwater shoals near Malta’s St. Paul’s Bay. A driven wind from the east (“Euraquilo,” Acts 27:14) pushed the Alexandrian grain ship toward a reef that separated two channels of water. When the prow hit, the entire momentum of the storm hurled many tons of timber into an immovable sandbar. Ancient maritime writers used the same term for ramming an enemy vessel or wedging a beam into position, highlighting the violent force implicit in 2043. Theological Insights 1. Human helplessness before divine sovereignty: The ship’s crew exercised every maritime skill—lightening the load, undergirding the hull, setting a sea anchor—yet the vessel was still “driven” and “stuck fast.” The verb underscores the moment when all human control ceased and God’s promise to preserve Paul (Acts 27:24-25) took center stage. Connections to Scriptural Themes of Firmness • Psalm 93:1 speaks of the world “firmly established; it cannot be moved.” The force that fixes creation in place is seen again in Acts 27:41 bracing the ship’s bow. Practical Ministry Applications • Suffering saints can trust that circumstances which pin them down are under the same sovereign hand that delivered Paul. What appears to immobilize may actually advance gospel witness. Historical Influence in Christian Preaching Early church fathers such as Chrysostom pointed to the ship’s lodging as evidence that “the winds work in service to the saints.” Reformers emphasized Acts 27 as a testimony to providence, employing the episode to teach confidence amid ecclesiastical storms. Modern expositors likewise draw on the force of 2043 to illustrate immovable promises in Christ. Summary Strong’s Greek 2043 conveys decisive, forceful wedging. In Acts 27:41 it describes a ship’s bow jammed immovably into a sandbar, highlighting human helplessness and divine control. The term enriches biblical themes of firmness, judgment mingled with mercy, and the unstoppable advance of God’s redemptive plan. It challenges believers to embrace trials as occasions for unwavering trust and bold testimony. Forms and Transliterations ερείδει ερείδεται ερειδέτω ερειδόμενος ερείδονται ερείσαι ερεισασα ερείσασα ἐρείσασα ερείσει έρεισμα ερέοις ερέου ερέω ήρεισε ereisasa ereísasaLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts |
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