ὀργυιά (orguia)
orguia
a fathom
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun orguia refers to a specific unit of length known as a fathom. It originally described the distance spanned by a person’s outstretched arms, from fingertip to fingertip across the chest. In practical terms, this measurement equated to approximately five or six feet, or about two meters.
Lexical sources note that the word derives from a root meaning "to stretch out," highlighting its physical origin in the human body. This concrete imagery distinguishes it from abstract measurements, grounding the concept in everyday experience. The term appears only once in the New Testament, providing a precise detail in a narrative context.
This single occurrence is found in Acts 27:28, where sailors use the measurement to gauge water depth during a storm. By citing this specific verse, the overview anchors the word’s meaning in a vivid historical moment, showing how ancient travelers relied on bodily proportions for navigation and safety at sea.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word orguia, translated as a fathom, represents a very human way of measuring the world. In ancient times, people did not rely on complex instruments for every task; instead, they used their own bodies as reference points. A fathom was simply the span of outstretched arms, offering a tangible sense of distance that anyone could understand without needing specialized tools.
This imagery appears in Acts 27:28, where sailors are navigating through a dangerous storm. They use this simple measurement to check the water's depth, moving from twenty fathoms to fifteen. It reminds us that even in moments of fear or uncertainty, we often rely on practical, grounded steps to find our way. God provides for our needs through the very resources and senses He has given us.
There is comfort in knowing that faith does not require abstract theories alone. Sometimes it involves taking concrete actions, like checking the depth before proceeding. This word invites us to trust that God is present in the details of our lives, guiding us through storms with both divine power and practical means.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- fathoms2×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ὀργυιὰς2×
Key Verses
-
Acts 27:28
They took soundings and found twenty fathoms. After a little while, they took soundings again, and found fifteen fathoms.
This verse uniquely demonstrates the word's practical use as sailors measure decreasing water depth to avoid running aground during a storm.