ναύκληρος (nauklēros)
nauklēros
captain
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun nauklēros refers to a shipowner or master, essentially the person who owns and commands a vessel. It combines the words for "ship" and "lot," suggesting someone who holds a share in or responsibility for the craft. In the New Testament, this term appears only once, in Acts 27:11.
In that narrative, Paul warns the crew about the dangers of winter sailing, but the shipowner dismisses the warning. This single usage highlights the tension between practical maritime authority and spiritual insight. The word captures a figure of significant status and control on the water, yet also one who can be blind to impending peril.
Translators typically render it as "captain" or "shipmaster," focusing on the leadership role rather than just ownership. This distinction matters because it emphasizes the human decision-making involved in the storm narrative. The term grounds the story in the real-world hierarchy of ancient seafaring, where one person’s choice could determine survival.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word nauklēros describes a person who held both ownership and command over a vessel. In ancient maritime culture, this individual possessed significant authority and practical expertise. Their decisions directly impacted the safety of everyone on board, making their role one of immense responsibility.
In Acts 27:11, we see this figure facing a critical choice. Despite Paul’s warning about the dangers of winter sailing, the shipowner chose to trust his own experience over spiritual insight. This moment reminds us that human expertise, while valuable, has its limits when faced with circumstances beyond our control.
Our faith invites us to recognize where our own confidence might blind us to God’s guidance. We are not called to discard wisdom but to submit it to the Lord. When we acknowledge our limitations, we create space for divine direction that surpasses our understanding.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- ship owner1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ναυκλήρῳ1×
Key Verses
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Acts 27:11
But the centurion gave more heed to the master and to the owner of the ship than to those things which were spoken by Paul.
This verse highlights the tension between human authority and spiritual warning as the shipowner disregards Paul's counsel regarding the storm.