ποταμοφόρητος
potamophórētos
G4216 substantive adjective
SILEX Entry
Definition
Primarily means 'carried along or swept away by a river or stream.' The term describes something that is borne upon, carried by, or overwhelmed by moving water, with the sense of being transported by the force of a river or flood. In extended uses, it can refer metaphorically to being overtaken or destroyed by a powerful current or flow.
Semantic Range
carried by a river, swept away by a stream, overwhelmed or engulfed by a flood (literal and metaphorical)
Root / Etymology
Formed from ποταμός ('river') and the verbal adjective suffix combining with φέρω/φορέω ('to bear, to carry repeatedly, to bear away'). Thus, ποταμοφόρητος literally means 'carried by a river.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
This rare compound appears in post-classical and later Greek, including specific apocalyptic literature, notably in Revelation 12:15, where it describes the earth helping a woman by swallowing what had been 'carried away by the river' released by a serpent. The term is not attested in classical literature and appears to be a creative compound formed to communicate overwhelming power or destruction caused by a flood. The nuance emphasizes passive experience—being the object carried away rather than the agent. In the Septuagint and other Greek sources, more common terms for being carried by water are not constructed in this way. Standard English translations ('carried away by the flood') capture the imagery but may understate the participatory sense of being 'overwhelmed' in the original.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from ποταμός and a derivative of φορέω; river-borne, i.e. overwhelmed by a stream:--carried away of the flood.
Root Family
ποταμοφόρητος (potamophorētos) — carried by a river, swept away, borne along by water
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G4216-01 |
ποταμοφόρητον | potamophoreton | ADJ.S ACC F SG |
carried away by the river | river-swept one | river-swept one | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G4216-01 |
Revelation 12:15 | ποταμοφόρητον | potamophoreton | ADJ.S ACC F SG |
carried away by the river | river-swept one | river-swept one |