2831. kludónizomai

Lexical Summary

kludónizomai: To be tossed by waves, to be agitated or unsettled.

Original Word: κλυδωνίζομαι
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: kludónizomai
Pronunciation: kloo-do-NEE-zom-ahee
Phonetic Spelling: (kloo-do-nid'-zom-ahee)
KJV: toss to and fro
NASB: tossed here and there by waves
Word Origin: [middle voice from G2830 (κλύδων - surf)]

1. to surge
2. (figuratively) to fluctuate

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

toss to and fro.

Middle voice from kludon; to surge, i.e. (figuratively) to fluctuate -- toss to and fro.

see GREEK kludon

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from kludón
Definition
to be tossed by waves
NASB Translation
tossed here and there by waves (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 2831: κλυδωνίζομαι

κλυδωνίζομαι, participle κλυδωνιζόμενος; (κλύδων); to be tossed by the waves; metaphorically, to be agitated (like the waves) mentally (A. V. tossed to and fro): with the dative of instrum. παντί ἀνέμῳ τῆς διδασκαλίας, Ephesians 4:14 (cf. James 1:6; οἱ ἄδικοι κλυδωνισθήσονται καί ἀναπαύσασθαι οὐ δυνήσονται, Isaiah 57:20; ὁ δῆμος ταρασσόμενος καί κλυδωνιζόμενος οἰχήσεται φεύγων, Josephus, Antiquities 9, 11, 3; κλυδωνιζόμενος ἐκ τοῦ ποθου, Aristaenet. epistles 1, 26, p. 121, Boissonade edition (ep. 27, 14 edition Abresch)).

Topical Lexicon

Maritime Imagery in the Ancient Mediterranean

Sailors on the first-century Mediterranean dreaded the sudden, churning gales that produced steep, confused seas. A small craft caught in such a storm rose sharply on one swell only to plunge into the next, the mast jerking violently. Luke’s detailed account of the Adriatic storm in Acts 27 reveals how common—and feared—these conditions were. Paul borrows that picture in Ephesians 4:14, evoking hearers who had either sailed themselves or watched cargo ships pitch in the Aegean below the city of Ephesus. To be “wave-tossed” communicated immediate danger, helplessness, and disorientation.

Biblical Theology of Wave-Tossed Instability

Scripture frequently employs restless seas to symbolize moral and spiritual chaos:
• Psalm 107:25-27 records sailors whose “courage melted away,” paralleling the terror of spiritual upheaval.
• Isaiah 57:20 depicts the wicked as “the tossing sea, which cannot rest.”
• James 1:6 warns that the doubter “is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.”

Against this backdrop, κλυδωνίζω highlights immaturity and vulnerability to deception. In contrast, the Lord is portrayed as the One who “stilled the storm to a whisper” (Psalm 107:29) and whose word grants solidity (Matthew 7:24-25).

Context in Ephesians 4:14

Paul’s single use of κλυδωνίζω sits within a tightly constructed paragraph (Ephesians 4:11-16). Apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastor-teachers are given

“to equip the saints for works of ministry, to build up the body of Christ… so that we may no longer be infants, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by the cunning of men in their deceitful scheming” (Ephesians 4:12-14).

The apostle contrasts two states:

1. Infancy: spiritually unformed, easily driven off course.
2. Maturity: “attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”

κλυδωνίζω therefore accents the danger of remaining undeveloped in doctrine and character.

Pastoral and Discipleship Implications

1. Doctrinal grounding safeguards believers from manipulative teachers who “market” novel ideas.
2. Corporate growth is communal; the whole body steadies the individual.
3. Teachers carry grave responsibility to anchor hearers in “the faith once for all entrusted” (Jude 3).
4. Spiritual gifts are not ends in themselves but serve stability and Christ-likeness.

Connection with Other Scriptures

While κλυδωνίζω itself appears only once, its thematic relatives span both Testaments:
• Matthew 14:30–31: Peter sinks amid boisterous waves until Christ’s outstretched hand steadies him—an enacted sermon on Ephesians 4:14.
• Hebrews 6:19: “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure,” providing the antidote to being wave-tossed.
• Acts 20:29-30: Paul’s farewell to the Ephesian elders anticipates “savage wolves” and distorted teaching, matching the imagery of deceptive winds.

Historical Ministry Significance

Early church writers seized on Ephesians 4:14 during seasons of doctrinal turbulence. Irenaeus appealed to it against Gnostic speculations; Athanasius cited it while defending Nicene orthodoxy. Reformers likewise invoked the verse to oppose the vacillation of popular but unscriptural trends.

Practical Application for the Church Today

• Catechize: systematic, Scripture-saturated instruction remains essential.
• Discern media: the digital age multiplies “winds of teaching” at unprecedented speed.
• Cultivate corporate worship: singing, reading, and preaching the Word together retrains hearts to the fixed compass of Christ.
• Mentor: mature believers stabilize newcomers, embodying the steadying presence Paul envisions.

Summary

κλυδωνίζω paints a vivid scene of perilous instability. Paul wields the image to urge the church toward doctrinal solidity and spiritual adulthood under Christ the Head. The storm still rages—ideologies, half-truths, and enticing distortions swirl about—but Scripture, Spirit-empowered teachers, and a connected body provide the ballast that keeps believers from being swept away.

Forms and Transliterations

κεκλωσμένη κεκλωσμένην κεκλωσμένης κεκλωσμένον κεκλωσμένου κεκλωσμένω κλυδωνιζομενοι κλυδωνιζόμενοι κλυδωνισθήσονται κλώνες kludonizomenoi kludōnizomenoi klydonizomenoi klydonizómenoi klydōnizomenoi klydōnizómenoi

Englishman's Concordance

Ephesians 4:14 V-PPM/P-NMP
GRK: ὦμεν νήπιοι κλυδωνιζόμενοι καὶ περιφερόμενοι
NAS: to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about
KJV: children, tossed to and fro, and
INT: we might be infants being tossed and carried about

Strong's Greek 2831
1 Occurrence

κλυδωνιζόμενοι — 1 Occ.