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πλοῖον

ploîon

G4143 noun

SILEX Entry

Root πλο- to sail, to float, to navigate

Definition

A vessel designed for navigating on water, specifically a boat or ship. In the Koine period, typically refers to maritime vessels used for transport, fishing, or commerce. The term usually denotes seafaring ships but can more generally include larger boats navigating lakes and rivers. Extended senses include any craft providing passage by water, without detailed specification as to size or function, unless context demands.

Semantic Range

boat, ship, vessel for sailing, seafaring craft, fishing boat, merchant ship, means of transport by water

Root / Etymology

From the root πλέω (to sail), with the suffix -ιον forming a noun indicating a vessel or thing related to sailing.

Historical & Contextual Notes

πλοῖον is widely attested from the Classical period onward, becoming the standard Koine and New Testament term for a ship or boat. In Hellenistic and Roman usage, it covers a broad range of watercraft, from fishing boats on the Sea of Galilee to merchant ships on the Mediterranean. In the New Testament, πλοῖον is often used without technical distinction between types of vessels (contrast with ναῦς, used more commonly for larger or warships in classical literature). English translations generally render πλοῖον as 'ship' or 'boat,' but the precise class of vessel is contextual, and such translations can obscure the range from small boats to substantial merchant ships. The term is sometimes used collectively or in reference to shipping activity (Acts 27). In the Septuagint, πλοῖον typically renders Hebrew terms for boat or ship (אֳנִיָּה), similarly lacking specificity. The word does not include river rafts or canoes, and in Greek naval terminology of earlier periods, naus or other terms may be more specific. The semantic field of πλοῖον shifts somewhat in Roman-era sources due to evolving navigation and vessel technology, but it remains a general term for ships and boats.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from πλέω; a sailer, i.e. vessel:--ship(-ing).

Root Family

πλοῖον (ploion) — to sail, to float, to navigate

Word Forms

4 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
G4143-03 πλοῖον ploion N ACC N SG boat a sailing vessel 35
G4143-02 πλοίῳ ploio N DAT N SG boat to a sailing vessel 14
G4143-04 πλοίου ploiou N GEN N SG boat of a sailing vessel 12
G4143-01 πλοῖα ploia N NOM N PL boats sailing vessels 7

Occurrences in Scripture

68 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
G4143-02 Matthew 4:21 πλοίῳ ploio N DAT N SG to a sailing vessel
G4143-03 Matthew 4:22 πλοῖον ploion N ACC N SG a sailing vessel
G4143-03 Matthew 8:23 πλοῖον ploion N ACC N SG a sailing vessel
G4143-03 Matthew 8:24 πλοῖον ploion N ACC N SG a sailing vessel
G4143-03 Matthew 9:1 πλοῖον ploion N ACC N SG a sailing vessel
G4143-03 Matthew 13:2 πλοῖον ploion N ACC N SG a sailing vessel
G4143-02 Matthew 14:13 πλοίῳ ploio N DAT N SG to a sailing vessel
G4143-03 Matthew 14:22 πλοῖον ploion N ACC N SG a sailing vessel
G4143-03 Matthew 14:24 πλοῖον ploion N NOM N SG a sailing vessel
G4143-04 Matthew 14:29 πλοίου ploiou N GEN N SG of a sailing vessel
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