παραβάλλω (paraballō)
paraballō
to arrive
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb paraballō literally means to throw beside or lay next to something else. While its basic sense involves placing one object near another for comparison, in the New Testament it takes on a specific nautical meaning. It describes the action of a ship arriving at or landing on a shore.
This usage appears only once in the New Testament, in Acts 20:15. The text notes that Paul’s party sailed to Chios and the next day reached Samos, but they did not land there; instead, they "arrived" (paraballō) at Miletus. Here, the word captures the moment of reaching a destination by sea.
Though rare in Scripture, this single occurrence highlights how Greek words can shift from general actions to precise technical terms. Translators often render it as "arrived" or "came to," reflecting the physical act of docking or making landfall rather than a simple metaphorical comparison.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word paraballō appears only once in the New Testament, in Acts 20:15. It describes Paul’s ship arriving at Miletus after sailing past Chios and Samos. The term originally meant to throw something beside another object, but here it takes on a nautical sense of reaching land. This rare usage reminds us that God uses ordinary language to describe extraordinary journeys.
Paul’s travel narrative in Acts shows how faith moves through real places and times. The arrival at Miletus was not just a physical stop but a moment for Paul to meet with the Ephesian elders. It highlights how God orchestrates meetings and moments in our lives, even when we are simply traveling from one place to another.
When you read about Paul’s journey, remember that your own path may have similar moments of arrival. These stops can be times for reflection, connection, or preparation for what comes next. Trust that God is with you in every step of your journey, whether you are moving forward or pausing to rest.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- we arrived1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- παρεβάλομεν1×
Key Verses
-
Acts 20:15
Sailing from there, we came the following day opposite Chios. The next day we touched at Samos and stayed at Trogyllium, and the day after we came to Miletus.
This verse uses paraballō to describe Paul's ship arriving at Miletus after sailing past other locations, showing the word's specific nautical meaning of reaching a destination by sea.