ἀποπλέω
apopléō
G636 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To set sail away from a place; to depart by ship or to put out to sea, specifically with the sense of leaving a particular location by boat. In extended senses across Greek literature, can also signify to move away from or abandon a location using a watercraft. The primary meaning is nautical and restricted to physical departure by sea.
Semantic Range
to sail away from, to set sail, to embark from a port, to depart by ship, to put out to sea
Root / Etymology
ἀπό ('from, away from') + πλέω ('to sail'). The prefix ἀπό imparts a sense of separation or departure.
Historical & Contextual Notes
ἀποπλέω appears in Hellenistic, classical, and Koine Greek, always with the foundational sense of departing by water. In the Septuagint and New Testament, the term is used in nautical contexts, usually describing actual departure from a port or shore (cf. Acts 13:4, 21:1). The standard English translation 'sail away' generally preserves the sense but does not always capture the specificity of departure from a particular locale. Unlike the simple πλέω ('to sail'), ἀποπλέω emphasizes the action of leaving or setting off. There are no significant metaphorical or figurative uses attested; the term is consistently literal. The word is not unique to biblical Greek and has parallels in maritime Greek of the wider Mediterranean.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from ἀπό and πλέω; to set sail:--sail away.
Root Family
ἀποπλέω (apopleō) — to sail, to depart, to set out by sea
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G636-01 |
ἀπέπλευσαν | apepleusan | V AOR ACT IND 3P PL |
sailed | they sailed away | they sailed away | 2 |
G636-02 |
ἀποπλεῖν | apoplein | V PRS ACT INF |
we should sail | to set sail away | to set sail | 1 |
G636-03 |
ἀποπλεύσαντες | apopleusantes | V AOR ACT PTCP NOM M PL |
having sailed away | having sailed away | having sailed away | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
4 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G636-01 |
Acts 13:4 | ἀπέπλευσαν | apepleusan | V AOR ACT IND 3P PL |
sailed | they sailed away | they sailed away |
G636-01 |
Acts 14:26 | ἀπέπλευσαν | apepleusan | V AOR ACT IND 3P PL |
they sailed | they sailed away | they sailed away |
G636-03 |
Acts 20:15 | ἀποπλεύσαντες | apopleusantes | V AOR ACT PTCP NOM M PL |
having sailed away | having sailed away | having sailed away |
G636-02 |
Acts 27:1 | ἀποπλεῖν | apoplein | V PRS ACT INF |
we should sail | to set sail away | to set sail |