ἐμβιβάζω
I embark, put on board
Definition
The verb ἐμβιβάζω means 'to put on board' or 'to embark.' It describes the action of causing someone or something to go into a ship, either by loading cargo or by having people step aboard. In its single New Testament occurrence in Acts 27:6, it is used transitively, with a centurion as the subject who 'embarked' Paul and other prisoners onto a ship bound for Italy. The word implies an authoritative act of placing persons onto a vessel for transport.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the New Testament, in Acts 27:6. It appears in the narrative of Paul's voyage to Rome as a prisoner. The context is a logistical military action, where the centurion Julius finds an Alexandrian ship and 'embarks' (ἐνέβιβασεν) his prisoners onto it. The usage is purely descriptive of a physical action within a travel narrative, with no figurative or theological application in the biblical text.
Etymology
ἐμβιβάζω is a compound verb formed from the preposition ἐν (en, 'in') and the verb βιβάζω (bibazō, 'to cause to go' or 'to mount'). The root conveys the idea of causing someone to step or go into something. It is related to the simpler verb ἐμβαίνω (embainō, G1684), which means 'to go into' or 'to step into,' often used for boarding a ship. ἐμβιβάζω adds a causative force, meaning 'to put or cause to go on board.'
Semantic Range
In the 1st-century Roman world, sea travel was common but perilous. The act of 'embarking' was a routine but significant step in a journey, often involving the authority of figures like a centurion who commanded the movement of prisoners and soldiers. The word reflects the practical realities of imperial travel and logistics, where ships were the primary means of long-distance transport across the Mediterranean. Its use underscores the historical specificity of Paul's journey to Rome under guard.
ἐμβαίνω (embainō, G1684) — means 'to go on board' or 'to step into,' focusing on the subject's own action of entering, whereas ἐμβιβάζω is causative, meaning 'to put on board.'
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.
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