Greek word · G5138

τραχύς

trachys

rough

Rough, uneven, rugged, jagged, whether of roads, ground, coastlines or (figuratively) temperament.

Appears 2 times in 2 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

τραχύς, -εῖα, -ύ

[in LXX: Isaiah 40:4 (רֶכֶס), etc. ;]

rough: ὁδοί (Is, l.with), Luke 3:5 (LXX); τοποί (i.e. rocky), Acts 27:29.†

(AS)

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 27:29

Range of meaning

Rough, uneven, rugged, jagged, whether of roads, ground, coastlines or (figuratively) temperament.

Against the English

'Rocks' (BSB, KJV, NIV) is a fair rendering. YLT's 'rough places' is more literal.

Used elsewhere in the period

Luke 3:5 (quoting Isaiah 40:4 LXX): 'the rough ways (αἱ τραχεῖαι) shall become smooth'. These are the only two New Testament uses.

Where it appears

Luke · 1

  1. Luke 3:5 τραχεῖαι rough

    Every valley shall be filled in, and every mountain and hill made low. The crooked ways shall be made straight, and the rough ways smooth.

    Here: Rugged, stony, broken ground, hard on feet and animals. Luke uses it for "rocky places" on a coast in Acts 27:29.

Acts · 1

  1. Acts 27:29 τραχεῖς rocky

    Fearing that we would run aground on the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daybreak.

    Here: Rough, broken ground. At sea it means rocky reef or shoreline, as opposed to a smooth beach where a ship could run ashore safely.

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