Lexical Summary nautés: Sailor, seaman Original Word: ναύτης Strong's Exhaustive Concordance sailor, shipman. From naus; a boatman, i.e. Seaman -- sailor, shipman. see GREEK naus NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom naus Definition a seaman NASB Translation sailor (1), sailors (2). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 3492: ναῦτηςναῦτης, ναυτου, ὁ, a sailor, seaman, mariner: Acts 27:27, 30; Revelation 18:17. (From Homer down.) Topical Lexicon Occurrences and ContextsActs 27:27 records, “On the fourteenth night we were still being driven across the Adriatic Sea. About midnight the sailors sensed they were approaching land”. Acts 27:30 continues the narrative: “Meanwhile, the sailors attempted to escape from the ship and had lowered the lifeboat into the sea, pretending they were going to lower anchors from the bow”. Revelation 18:17 depicts worldwide lament over Babylon the Great: “For in a single hour such splendid wealth has been brought to ruin! And every shipmaster, passenger, and sailor, and all who earn their living from the sea, stood at a distance”. Historical Background First–century seafaring knit together the Roman Empire. Crewed chiefly by hired sailors, merchant vessels followed seasonal wind patterns, transporting grain, textiles, and travelers. Crews were multinational and generally pagan, regularly invoking sea-deities for protection. Their labor was perilous—shipwrecks, piracy, and storms were common—yet vital to the empire’s economy and to the spread of the gospel, as most long-distance mission travel in Acts depended on shipping lanes. Sailors and Paul’s Voyage (Acts 27) Luke’s detailed account of the storm off Crete places sailors at center stage. Their nautical skills detect approaching land (Acts 27:27), introduce practical solutions (sounding the depth, undergirding the ship), yet their self-preserving instincts nearly imperil all on board (Acts 27:30). Paul’s intervention—“Unless these men remain with the ship, you cannot be saved” (Acts 27:31)—highlights the interplay of divine promise (Acts 27:24) and human responsibility. The sailors, though unbelieving, become instruments in God’s providence once they heed Paul and remain. The episode illustrates: • Competence is God’s ordinary means of deliverance, but obedience to revelatory truth ensures the outcome. Symbolic Lament in Revelation 18 In Revelation, sailors personify global commerce devastated by God’s final judgment. Their distant lament parallels Ezekiel 27’s oracle against Tyre, underscoring continuity in God’s dealings with arrogant trading powers. Whereas Acts 27 shows sailors saved through obedience alongside God’s servant, Revelation 18 shows sailors mourning because they have cast their lot with a corrupt system doomed to fall. Together the passages form a moral polarity: participation in worldly trade is not condemned, but allegiance to its idolatrous excess invites ruin. Old Testament Antecedents Sailors appear in Jonah 1, where pagan mariners cry out “each to his own god” before coming to fear the LORD. Psalm 107:23–30 exalts the LORD who stills the storm for “those who go down to the sea in ships.” These texts form a theological backdrop: the sea represents chaos under divine restraint, and sailors, ever exposed to its fury, become vivid witnesses to God’s sovereignty. Ministry Significance 1. Missionary Mobility: Shipping lanes enabled Paul to reach Cyprus, Asia Minor, Greece, and ultimately Rome, accelerating gospel spread decades before established road networks could carry written revelation as broadly. Theological Reflections • Providence at Sea: Scripture consistently portrays God as Lord over wind and wave. Sailors illustrate human vulnerability and the necessity of divine grace. Practical Application Believers engaged in modern commerce and transportation mirror the ancient sailor’s calling. They are urged to: • Exercise professional excellence under Christ’s lordship. Conclusion Strong’s Greek 3492 spotlights sailors as significant yet understated participants in redemptive history. From the storm-tossed Adriatic to the eschatological downfall of Babylon, their presence underscores God’s sovereignty over the sea, His use of ordinary vocations for extraordinary ends, and the ultimate fate of every human endeavor in light of the gospel. Forms and Transliterations ναυται ναύται ναῦται ναυτικοί ναυτικούς ναυτων ναυτών ναυτῶν nautai naûtai nauton nautôn nautōn nautō̂nLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Acts 27:27 N-NMPGRK: ὑπενόουν οἱ ναῦται προσάγειν τινὰ NAS: midnight the sailors [began] to surmise KJV: midnight the shipmen deemed INT: supposed the sailors neared some Acts 27:30 N-GMP Revelation 18:17 N-NMP Strong's Greek 3492 |
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