Greek word · G1277

διαπλέω

diapleō

to sail across

To sail across or through, to complete a crossing. It is the ordinary verb for sailing (pleō) with the prefix dia-, 'through'.

Appears once in the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

to sail across , Thuc.; εἰς Αἴγιναν (Aristophanes Comicus): metaphorically, δ. βίον to make life's voyage , (Plato Philosophus) (ML)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Acts 27:5

Range of meaning

To sail across or through, to complete a crossing. It is the ordinary verb for sailing (pleō) with the prefix dia-, 'through'.

Against the English

'Sailed across' (BSB, WEB), 'sailed over' (KJV, YLT) and 'sailed through' (NASB) are all fine. The completed-action force of the Greek participle comes through in 'when we had sailed'.

Used elsewhere in the period

Standard in Greek travel and historical writing (e.g. Polybius, Josephus) for crossing a strait or sea. This is its only New Testament use.

Where it appears

Acts · 1

  1. Acts 27:5 διαπλεύσαντες having sailed across [the sea]

    And when we had sailed across the open sea off the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra in Lycia.

    Here: An aorist participle that sums up the whole leg as one completed action: 'having sailed right across'. The prefix dia- ('through') stresses getting from one end of that stretch of sea to the other. This is its only use in the New Testament.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.