Κνίδος

Cnidus

Definition

Κνίδος (Cnidus) was a significant ancient Greek city and port located on the southwestern coast of Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey) in the region of Caria. It was situated on the long, narrow Resadiye peninsula, near the island of Cos. In the biblical context, Cnidus is mentioned solely in Acts 27:7 as a landmark during Paul's perilous sea voyage to Rome as a prisoner. The city was known in antiquity for its strategic harbor, its famous statue of Aphrodite by Praxiteles, and as a center of the Dorian Hexapolis. The single biblical reference uses it purely as a geographical location to mark the difficult progress of the ship against contrary winds.

Biblical Usage

Κνίδος is used only once in the New Testament, in Acts 27:7. It functions strictly as a proper noun identifying a specific geographical location. The usage is narrative and descriptive, serving to plot the course of Paul's journey from Caesarea to Rome. The verse states that after sailing slowly for many days, the ship arrived with difficulty off Cnidus, and because the wind did not allow them to go further, they sailed under the lee of Crete. This pinpoints a specific stage in the voyage detailed in Acts 27.

Etymology

The name Κνίδος (Knidos) is of ancient Greek origin, though its precise etymology is uncertain. It is the proper name of the city itself, not derived from a more common root word. The city was historically a Dorian Greek settlement. As a proper noun, its meaning is fixed to the location, and it does not have a developed semantic range or cognates with theological significance in the biblical text.

Semantic Range

In the 1st century, Cnidus was a well-known and prosperous Greco-Roman city. For readers of Acts, it would have been recognized as a major port and navigational point on the maritime routes of the eastern Mediterranean. Its mention grounds Paul's dramatic voyage in real-world geography, adding historical credibility to the narrative. The difficulty of sailing past it (Acts 27:7) reflects the known challenge of the prevailing northwest winds in that area, which often forced ships to seek alternative routes along the coast of Crete.

There are no direct synonyms for this proper noun of a specific city. Geographically, it is associated with other ports mentioned in Acts, such as Μύρα (Myra, G3460) — a Lycian port where the centurion found another ship, and Καισάρεια (Caesarea, G2542) — the Judean port from which the journey began.

Word Details

Scripture References