βολίζω

I cast the line for sounding, I sound

Definition

Βολίζω (bolizō) means to measure the depth of water by using a weighted line, a practice known as 'sounding' or 'heaving the lead.' In its sole New Testament occurrence in Acts 27:28, it describes the sailors' action of taking soundings to determine the sea's depth during Paul's stormy voyage to Rome. The term specifically denotes the technical nautical procedure of casting a lead-weighted line to gauge the seabed's proximity, a critical maneuver for navigation, especially near shorelines or in poor visibility. While its core meaning is consistently this maritime measurement, no other nuanced biblical senses are attested.

Biblical Usage

This verb is used only once in the New Testament, in the narrative of Acts 27:28. It occurs within the detailed account of Paul's perilous sea voyage to Rome, where the sailors, fearing they were near land, 'sounded' (ἐβόλισαν) and found a depth of twenty fathoms. The usage is purely technical and descriptive, serving to illustrate the precise, desperate actions taken during the storm to avoid shipwreck. Its context is exclusively nautical and narrative, with no figurative or theological application in the biblical text.

Etymology

The verb βολίζω derives from the noun βολίς (bolis), meaning 'a throw' or 'a cast,' particularly of a missile or a sounding lead. It is related to the verb βάλλω (ballō, G906), meaning 'to throw.' Thus, βολίζω literally means 'to cast (a lead),' directly describing the physical action. The word's semantic development is straightforward, retaining its core sense of throwing a weighted object for the specific purpose of measuring depth.

Semantic Range

In the 1st-century Greco-Roman world, 'sounding' was a standard and vital nautical practice for safe navigation. Without modern depth finders, sailors used a lead weight attached to a line, often with a cavity in the base filled with tallow to bring up a sample of the seabed (sand, mud, shells). This provided crucial information about location, proximity to land, and suitable anchoring grounds. The action in Acts 27:28 highlights the sailors' skill and their realistic assessment of danger, grounding the miraculous survival story in authentic, everyday seafaring procedures.

βαθύνω (bathynō, G900) — to deepen; generally refers to making something deep, not the act of measuring depth. μετρέω (metreō, G3354) — to measure; a general term for measuring, not specific to nautical sounding.

Word Details

Scripture References