ναύτης (nautēs)
nautēs
sailor
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 3 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun nautēs refers simply to a sailor or seaman, describing those who work on ships. Its meaning is grounded in its root, naus, which means ship, making the word a direct descriptor of someone whose life and labor are tied to the sea. In the New Testament, this term appears only three times, giving it a focused presence in the biblical narrative.
Two of these occurrences are found in Acts 27, where Paul is transported as a prisoner to Rome. Here, nautēs identifies the professional crew navigating the storm-tossed waters, highlighting their skill and authority over the vessel even amidst danger. The third mention appears in Revelation 18:17, where all such sailors stand at a distance, watching the great merchant ship burn. In both contexts, the word underscores the reality of maritime life—whether as experienced workers or distant observers of disaster.
Translators consistently render this term as "sailor" or "seaman," reflecting its straightforward nature. Unlike more abstract theological terms, nautēs points to a concrete human role within the ancient world’s trade and travel networks. Its limited use in Scripture suggests it was included not for doctrinal weight, but to accurately depict the settings and characters of these specific accounts.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word nautēs appears in Scripture to describe those whose livelihood depends on the sea. In Acts 27, these sailors navigate a violent storm while Paul remains a prisoner. Their professional skill becomes the means through which God preserves life during a crisis. This shows that ordinary work often carries hidden divine purpose.
Revelation 18 uses the same term to depict observers watching a city’s fall. Here, sailors stand apart from the destruction, realizing their own vulnerability. The text reminds us that human security is fragile. We find our true stability not in our skills or possessions, but in God’s faithful care.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- sailors3×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ναῦται2×
- ναυτῶν1×
Key Verses
-
Acts 27:27
But when the fourteenth night had come, as we were driven back and forth in the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors surmised that they were drawing near to some land.
This verse highlights the sailors' professional discernment as they recognize land during a storm, showing how God uses human expertise to guide His people.
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Revelation of John 18:17
For in an hour such great riches are made desolate.’ Every ship master, and everyone who sails anywhere, and mariners, and as many as gain their living by sea, stood far away,
The sailors here serve as distant witnesses to economic collapse, illustrating the suddenness of worldly judgment and the limits of earthly wealth.