παραχειμάζω (paracheimazō)
paracheimazō
to winter
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 4 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb paracheimazō means to spend the winter in a specific location, effectively describing a prolonged stay that extends beyond a brief visit. It combines a prefix indicating proximity or continuation with the root for "winter," creating a sense of settling in for the season. This action is not merely about enduring cold weather but involves establishing a temporary home base during the months when travel was difficult or impossible.
Scripture uses this word to mark significant pauses in journeys, often highlighting unexpected delays that became opportunities for ministry. In Acts 27:12, the travelers consider wintering at Phoenix, while Acts 28:11 records Paul and his companions actually spending the winter on Malta. The term also appears in personal correspondence, such as when Paul plans to winter with the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 16:6) or when Titus is advised to join Artemas at Nicopolis for the season (Titus 3:12).
These instances reveal how the word anchors narrative timelines. The decision to paracheimazō often shifts the story from movement to stationary interaction, allowing for deeper teaching and relationship building. Translators typically render it as "spend the winter" or "winter there," preserving the concrete reality of time passing in one place rather than moving onward.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
Travel in the ancient world was often at the mercy of the seasons. When storms blocked the sea or roads became impassable, travelers had to stop and wait. The word paracheimazō describes this necessary pause: spending the winter in a specific place. It is not just about enduring cold weather, but about settling down for a season when movement was impossible.
For Paul, these unexpected delays became opportunities for ministry. In Acts 28, he spent three months on Malta after his shipwreck, using that time to care for the locals and share the Gospel. What looked like a frustrating stoppage turned into a period of deep connection and service. These pauses allowed relationships to deepen in ways that hurried travel never could.
Your own life likely has seasons where progress feels stalled. Perhaps you are waiting on a decision, recovering from illness, or simply resting. These times are not wasted time. They are opportunities to build community, offer hospitality, and rest in God’s provision. Even when you cannot move forward, you can still make a difference right where you are.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 4 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- to winter.1×
- to winter [there] —1×
- having wintered1×
- I will winter,1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- παραχειμάσω,1×
- παραχειμάσαι.1×
- παραχειμάσαι1×
- παρακεχειμακότι1×
Key Verses
-
Acts 28:11
After three months, we set sail in a ship of Alexandria which had wintered in the island, whose figurehead was “The Twin Brothers.”
This verse shows Paul using his forced winter stay on Malta as a time to serve the islanders, turning a delay into an opportunity for ministry.
-
Acts 27:12
Because the haven was not suitable to winter in, the majority advised going to sea from there, if by any means they could reach Phoenix and winter there, which is a port of Crete, looking southwest and northwest.
Here the decision to winter is debated, highlighting how weather and geography dictated the timeline of Paul’s journey to Rome.
-
I Corinthians 16:6
But with you it may be that I will stay with you, or even winter with you, that you may send me on my journey wherever I go.
Paul invites the Corinthians to host him through the winter, showing how this season allowed for deeper fellowship and mutual support.