4126. pleó
Lexical Summary
pleó: to sail, to navigate

Original Word: πλέω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: pleó
Pronunciation: pleh'-o
Phonetic Spelling: (pleh'-o)
KJV: sail
NASB: sailing, sail
Word Origin: [probably a form of G4150 (πλύνω - wash) (through the idea of plunging through the water)]

1. to sail

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
sail.

Another form for pleuo (plyoo'-o); which is used as an alternate in certain tenses; probably a form of pluno (through the idea of plunging through the water); to pass in a vessel -- sail. See also pletho.

see GREEK pluno

see GREEK pletho

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
a prim. word
Definition
to sail
NASB Translation
passenger* (1), sail (1), sailing (4).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 4126: ΠΛΑΩ

ΠΛΑΩ, see πίμπλημι.

STRONGS NT 4126: πλέωπλέω; imperfect 1 person plural ἐπλέομεν; (allied with πλύνω, Latinpluo, fluo, our float, flow, etc.; Curtius, § 369); from Homer down; to sail, navigate, travel by ship: Luke 8:23; Acts 27:24; followed by εἰς with an accusative of place, Acts 21:3; Acts 27:6; ἐπί τόπον, Revelation 18:17 G L T Tr WH; by a use common only to the poets (cf. Matthiae, § 409, 4{a}; Kühner, ii. § 409, 6; (Jelf, § 559; Winer's Grammar, 224 (210))), with a simple accusative indicating the direction: Acts 27:2 (Euripides, Med. Acts 27:7), where L T Tr WH add εἰς (Compare: ἀποπλέω, διαπλέω, ἐκπλέω, καταπλέω, παραπλέω, ὑποπλέω.)

Topical Lexicon
Overview

Strong’s Greek 4126 depicts the action of voyaging by water. Although the verb appears only six times, it anchors pivotal moments in Gospel narrative, apostolic mission, and prophetic warning. The passages trace a line from Galilee’s inland lake to the Great Sea and finally to the apocalyptic commerce of Babylon, revealing Scripture’s seamless unity in presenting divine sovereignty over the nations and the elements.

Occurrences in Scripture

Luke 8:23; Acts 21:3; Acts 27:2; Acts 27:6; Acts 27:24; Revelation 18:17

Literal Maritime Context

1. Luke 8:23 pictures the disciples crossing the Sea of Galilee with Jesus: “As they sailed, He fell asleep. A violent windstorm came down on the lake, and the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger”. The verb frames the ordinary rhythm of seasoned fishermen that swiftly turns into a crisis showcasing Christ’s authority over creation.

2. Acts 21:3 and 27:2,6 portray Paul’s strategic journeys. Sailing links Antioch, Caesarea, Crete, and Italy, underscoring Roman roads’ maritime counterpart and God’s providence in spreading the gospel beyond the Levant.

3. Acts 27:24 records the angelic assurance, “God has graciously given you the lives of all who are sailing with you”. Here the verb gathers a ship’s diverse company—soldiers, prisoners, merchants—into a single sphere of divine mercy, prefiguring the church’s global reach.

4. Revelation 18:17 moves from narrative to eschatological lament: “Every shipmaster, passenger, and sailor, and all who make their living on the sea, stood at a distance”. The maritime guilds that once prospered by Babylon’s trade now mourn her sudden judgment, illustrating the fragility of worldly security.

Symbolic and Prophetic Resonance

Sailing imagery often conveys human enterprise at the mercy of forces beyond control—weather, politics, or divine decree. In Luke 8:23 the storm tests faith; in Acts 27 the voyage to Rome becomes a microcosm of salvation history, with Paul as the gospel witness whose presence preserves lives; in Revelation 18:17 commerce-driven navigation epitomizes earthly systems destined for collapse. The verb therefore bridges everyday labor and eschatological destiny.

First-Century Nautical Background

Mediterranean shipping relied on seasonal winds (Etesians) and well-charted routes hugging coastlines. Grain ships from Alexandria, like the one in Acts 27:6, could exceed one hundred feet in length and carry several hundred people. Passengers were subject to the shipowner’s timetable, the centurion’s authority, and nature’s unpredictability—realities reflected in Luke’s meticulous travel notes.

Pastoral and Missional Insights

• Dependence on God in Transition: Each occurrence happens while believers are en route. Ministry often unfolds “while sailing,” not merely at disembarkation points.
• Gospel Witness in Mixed Company: Paul’s shipmates include pagans and prisoners. The church must expect evangelistic opportunities amid routine travel and crisis alike.
• Divine Protection and Purpose: The promise in Acts 27:24 affirms that no circumstance can thwart God’s commission; ventures undertaken in obedience are preserved until their purpose is fulfilled.

Christ and the Gospel at Sea

Jesus sleeps through the storm yet stills it with a word, revealing both true humanity and sovereign deity. Paul, conformed to Christ’s image, becomes the calm center of another tempest, interceding for all on board. Thus, the verb invites believers to emulate their Lord in faith-borne composure amid chaos.

Eschatological Warnings

Revelation 18:17 contrasts present prosperity with sudden ruin. Those “sailing” for profit without regard to righteousness stand far off in fear. The passage warns modern economies, globalized and maritime-dependent, that they too answer to the Judge of all.

Application for Today

Believers engage an increasingly interconnected world where travel is swift and commerce vast. The scriptural uses of Strong’s 4126 encourage Christians to:
• View every journey as a stage for witness.
• Trust God’s sovereignty over logistical uncertainties.
• Hold material gain lightly, remembering Babylon’s fall.
• Anticipate Christ’s final deliverance when all voyages cease and the redeemed reach the eternal shore.

Conclusion

From calming a Galilean squall to proclaiming judgment on a mercantile empire, Scripture’s employment of this maritime verb affirms that the same Lord who directs the currents of history also guides the individual vessel of each believer’s life.

Forms and Transliterations
επλεομεν επλέομεν ἐπλέομεν πλειν πλείν πλεῖν πλεον πλέον πλεοντας πλέοντας πλέοντες πλεοντων πλεόντων πλεύσαι πλεων πλέων epleomen epléomen plein pleîn pleon pleōn pléon pléōn pleontas pléontas pleonton pleontōn pleónton pleóntōn
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Englishman's Concordance
Luke 8:23 V-PPA-GMP
GRK: πλεόντων δὲ αὐτῶν
NAS: But as they were sailing along He fell asleep;
KJV: But as they sailed he fell asleep: and
INT: they sailed moreover of them

Acts 21:3 V-IIA-1P
GRK: αὐτὴν εὐώνυμον ἐπλέομεν εἰς Συρίαν
NAS: it on the left, we kept sailing to Syria
KJV: on the left hand, and sailed into
INT: it on the left we sailed to Syria

Acts 27:2 V-PNA
GRK: Ἀδραμυττηνῷ μέλλοντι πλεῖν εἰς τοὺς
NAS: which was about to sail to the regions
KJV: meaning to sail by
INT: of Adramyttium about to navigate to the

Acts 27:6 V-PPA-ANS
GRK: πλοῖον Ἀλεξανδρινὸν πλέον εἰς τὴν
NAS: ship sailing for Italy,
KJV: of Alexandria sailing into
INT: a ship of Alexandria sailing to

Acts 27:24 V-PPA-AMP
GRK: πάντας τοὺς πλέοντας μετὰ σοῦ
NAS: those who are sailing with you.'
KJV: thee all them that sail with thee.
INT: all those sailing with you

Revelation 18:17 V-PPA-NMS
GRK: ἐπὶ τόπον πλέων καὶ ναῦται
INT: to a place sail and sailors

Strong's Greek 4126
6 Occurrences


ἐπλέομεν — 1 Occ.
πλεῖν — 1 Occ.
πλέων — 1 Occ.
πλέον — 1 Occ.
πλέοντας — 1 Occ.
πλεόντων — 1 Occ.

4125
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