What Does Acts 27:2 Mean in the King James?
And entering into a ship of Adramyttium, we launched, meaning to sail by the coasts of Asia; one Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The Greek names a ship and its sailing with words from one family, so the vessel already carries the motion it is meant for.
THE MEANING
This passage is in motion: the ship is set to sail along Asia’s coasts, and its arrival remains ahead. Aristarchus is named as being with us, so companionship is part of the movement itself.
THE ROOT
πλοίῳ
ploiō
GROWS FROM
πλέω
pleō
To sail or travel by water.
The word translated “ship,” πλοῖον (ploion), belongs to the same word family as πλέω (pleō), “to sail.” English separates the vessel from its motion, while Greek lets the ship and the sailing echo one another.
ALSO GROWS
pleîn: To sail or travel by water.
πλεῖν
This is the sailing verb in the verse, from the same family as the word for ship.
ploûs: A voyage or passage by sea.
πλοῦς
The word family holds the vessel, its motion, and the journey together.
Ἀρίσταρχος
Aristarchos
GROWS FROM
ἀριστ- + ἀρχ-
Best or excellent + leader or ruler.
The name joins the sense of “best” with “leader.” The verse gives that name within a simple description of presence: Aristarchus is with us.
ALSO GROWS
áristos: Best, most excellent.
ἄριστος
This carries the first part of Aristarchus’s name.
árchos: A leader or ruler.
ἄρχος
This carries the second part of the name.
THE PATTERN
A journey becomes visible through its route and the companions moving within it.
So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.Now it came to pass on a certain day, that he went into a ship with his disciples: and he said unto them, Let us go over unto the other side of the lake. And they launched forth.And there accompanied him into Asia Sopater of Berea; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timotheus; and of Asia, Tychicus and Trophimus.THE THREAD
And there the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing into Italy; and he put us therein.The Greek noun πλοῖον (ploion, “ship”) appears again, and “sailing” comes from πλέω (pleō, “to sail”), the same word family that links ship and sailing here. The route now points toward Italy, while the language still joins the vessel to its motion.
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