σανίς
a plank, board
Definition
The Greek word σανίς (sanis) refers to a plank or board, typically made of wood. In its singular usage in the New Testament, it specifically denotes the planks or boards from a shipwrecked vessel, used as flotation devices. This meaning is directly tied to its sole biblical occurrence in Acts 27:44, where it describes the material people used to reach shore safely. While the word could theoretically refer to any wooden plank in broader Greek literature, its biblical application is narrow and concrete, centered on maritime survival.
Biblical Usage
Σανίς is used only once in the New Testament, in Acts 27:44. In this context, it describes the planks or broken pieces of the ship that the passengers and crew used to stay afloat and swim to land after the shipwreck on Malta. The usage is purely descriptive and material, with no figurative or theological application in the biblical text. It serves a critical narrative function in detailing the mechanics of the miraculous survival of all 276 people aboard.
Etymology
The word σανίς is a native Greek noun of uncertain deeper origin. It is not derived from a more primitive root within the Greek language itself. It simply means a board or plank, a meaning it retained consistently in classical and Koine Greek. There are no significant cognates or a complex semantic development; it is a straightforward term for a flat piece of wood.
Semantic Range
In the ancient Mediterranean world, ships were primarily constructed of wood, making planks (σανίδες) a fundamental component. The action described in Acts 27:44—using ship debris as improvised life rafts—was a known survival technique. This highlights the practical, perilous reality of sea travel in the 1st century, contrasting with modern safety standards. The cultural understanding of the word is identical to the modern 'plank,' but its use in a life-or-death nautical emergency adds a layer of historical immediacy to the narrative.
ξύλον (xylon, G3586) — A more general term for wood, timber, or even a club/stick, not specifically a shaped plank. σανίς specifies a flat, worked 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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