3489. nauageó
Lexical Summary
nauageó: To suffer shipwreck

Original Word: ναυαγέω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: nauageó
Pronunciation: now-ag-eh'-o
Phonetic Spelling: (now-ag-eh'-o)
KJV: make (suffer) shipwreck
NASB: shipwrecked, suffered shipwreck
Word Origin: [from a compound of G3491 (ναῦς - vessel) and G71 (ἄγω - brought)]

1. to be shipwrecked (stranded, "navigate")
{literally or figuratively}

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
shipwreck.

From a compound of naus and ago; to be shipwrecked (stranded, "navigate"), literally or figuratively -- make (suffer) shipwreck.

see GREEK naus

see GREEK ago

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from naus and agnumi (to break)
Definition
to suffer shipwreck
NASB Translation
shipwrecked (1), suffered shipwreck (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 3489: ναυαγέω

ναυαγέω, ναυάγω: 1 aorist ἐναυαγης; (from ναυαγός shipwrecked; and this from ναῦς, and ἄγνυμι to break); frequent in Greek writings from Aeschylus and Herodotus down, to suffer shipwreck: properly, 2 Corinthians 11:25; metaphorically, περί τήν πίστιν (as respects (A. V. concerning, see περί, II. b.) the faith), 1 Timothy 1:19.

Topical Lexicon
Overview

Strong’s Greek 3489 depicts the catastrophic loss of a vessel at sea and, by extension, the ruin that overtakes a life or ministry when faith and a clear conscience are abandoned.

New Testament Occurrences

2 Corinthians 11:25 – “Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea.”
1 Timothy 1:19 – “holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith.”

Historical Setting: First-Century Seafaring

Commerce, military movement, and missionary travel relied heavily on coastal shipping routes that were perilous from autumn through early spring. Ships were powered by sail and oar, navigated by rudimentary charts, and highly vulnerable to sudden Mediterranean storms. A shipwreck meant not only loss of cargo but often loss of life; even survivors could be stranded for weeks, far from ports or supplies. Paul’s repeated maritime disasters underscore both the common danger of sea travel and the extraordinary perseverance demanded of itinerant apostolic ministry.

Paul’s Personal Testimony (2 Corinthians 11:25)

Written before the Acts 27 wreck on Malta, Paul’s catalog of hardships reveals at least three earlier nautical disasters. His endurance confirms the authenticity of his apostleship and offers a tangible example of the Lord’s sustaining grace amid physical peril. For churches wrestling with false apostles (2 Corinthians 11:13), Paul’s scarred résumé lends weight to his message and models steadfast service that does not shrink from risk.

Pastoral Warning to Timothy (1 Timothy 1:19)

In Ephesus, doctrinal error threatened to capsize fledgling believers. By coupling “faith and a good conscience,” Paul identifies correct belief and moral integrity as twin bulwarks. To jettison either is to puncture the hull. Hymenaeus and Alexander (1 Timothy 1:20) illustrate how persistent rebellion can strand professing Christians on spiritual shoals. The verb’s vivid imagery conveys finality: once a vessel breaks apart mid-sea, retrieval is humanly impossible. Thus Timothy must teach, correct, and if necessary discipline in order to prevent ruin.

Theological Significance

1. Perseverance: Faith is portrayed not as a harbor but a voyage; hazards are expected, yet Christ remains the Captain who brings His people safely to shore (compare Hebrews 2:10).
2. Conscience: Acting as the vessel’s rudder, a conscience informed by Scripture keeps one on course. When seared (1 Timothy 4:2) it loses sensitivity, and the vessel drifts toward destruction.
3. Divine Sovereignty and Human Responsibility: God preserves, yet sailors must lash ropes, lighten cargo, and heed warnings (Acts 27:18-31). Likewise, believers depend on grace while actively pursuing holiness and sound doctrine.

Pastoral and Practical Applications

• Discernment: Test teachings against “the trustworthy word” (Titus 1:9) to avoid doctrinal shoals.
• Suffering: Hardship does not imply divine abandonment. Paul’s shipwrecks became platforms for testimony and evangelism (Acts 28:1-10).
• Restoration: While the term pictures irretrievable loss, Paul’s subsequent handing of Hymenaeus and Alexander “over to Satan” (1 Timothy 1:20) aims at eventual repentance, showing that even a shattered vessel may be rebuilt by grace.

Symbolic and Typological Connections

• Noah’s ark and the Church: both divinely designed vessels that carry the righteous through judgment waters.
• Jonah: disobedience leads to a storm; obedience calms it, foreshadowing Christ’s authority over wind and wave (Mark 4:39).
Psalm 107:23-30: sailors cry to the LORD in their trouble and are delivered, echoing the believer’s dependence amid chaos.

Church-Historical Reflections

Early Christian writers frequently adapted the maritime metaphor. Clement of Rome urged unity so that “our whole congregation may be saved with one mind, as through one ship.” Augustine likened temptations to waves and exhorted believers to keep Christ in the vessel of the heart. Reformers emphasized sola Scriptura as the compass that prevents ecclesial drift.

Summary

Strong’s 3489 gathers the concrete terror of broken timbers with the spiritual peril of fractured faith. Paul’s experiences and admonitions transform an everyday maritime tragedy into an enduring call: maintain trust in Christ and an unstained conscience, lest the soul be dashed upon hidden reefs of unbelief.

Forms and Transliterations
εναυαγησα εναυάγησα ἐναυάγησα εναυαγησαν εναυάγησαν ἐναυάγησαν enauagesa enauagēsa enauágesa enauágēsa enauagesan enauagēsan enauágesan enauágēsan
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
2 Corinthians 11:25 V-AIA-1S
GRK: ἐλιθάσθην τρὶς ἐναυάγησα νυχθήμερον ἐν
NAS: three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day
KJV: thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day
INT: I was stoned three times I was shipwrecked a night and a day in

1 Timothy 1:19 V-AIA-3P
GRK: τὴν πίστιν ἐναυάγησαν
NAS: have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard
KJV: concerning faith have made shipwreck:
INT: faith made shipwreck

Strong's Greek 3489
2 Occurrences


ἐναυάγησα — 1 Occ.
ἐναυάγησαν — 1 Occ.

3488
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