ἐκβολή
a throwing out, a jettisoning
Definition
ἐκβολή (ekbolē) refers to the act of throwing something out, specifically the jettisoning of cargo from a ship. In its sole New Testament occurrence in Acts 27:18, it describes the desperate measure taken by sailors during a severe storm to lighten their vessel and prevent it from sinking. The term carries a sense of forced, urgent abandonment, often of valuable goods, for the sake of survival. While its biblical usage is maritime, the core idea extends to any deliberate casting away or expulsion.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the New Testament, in Acts 27:18, within the narrative of Paul's perilous sea voyage to Rome. It describes the specific action of the crew throwing the ship's cargo overboard during a violent storm. The usage is purely descriptive of a physical, emergency nautical procedure, with no figurative application in the biblical text.
Etymology
Derived from the preposition ἐκ (ek, meaning 'out of') and the root of the verb βάλλω (ballō, meaning 'to throw'). It is a compound noun literally meaning 'a throwing out.' Related words include ἐκβάλλω (ekballō, G1544), which means 'to cast out' or 'drive out,' often used in contexts of exorcism or expulsion.
Semantic Range
In the ancient Greco-Roman world, sea travel was hazardous. Jettisoning cargo (ἐκβολή) was a recognized, last-resort legal procedure known as 'jettison.' Merchants and shipowners shared the financial loss of such discarded goods, a principle later formalized in maritime law as 'general average.' This context highlights the extreme danger faced by Paul and his companions, underscoring the narrative's tension and the seeming hopelessness of their situation before divine intervention.
ἐκβάλλω (ekballō, G1544) — a verb meaning 'to cast out' or 'expel,' used for driving out demons or people, focusing on the force of the action. ἀποβολή (apobolē, G580) — a noun meaning 'a casting away' or 'loss,' often used in a more abstract or figurative sense (e.g., Romans 11:15).
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Dodson Greek-English Lexicon, a concise public-domain resource suitable for introductory word study. Brief glosses are supplemented by STEPBible TBESG data (CC BY 4.0). For advanced research, standard scholarly references include BDAG (Danker, 3rd ed.) and LSJ.
Full methodology & sources →