σανίς (sanis)
sanis
plank
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun sanis refers to a single plank or board, specifically one cut from timber for construction. In the New Testament, it appears only once, in Acts 27:44, where it describes the materials used by survivors to reach safety after a shipwreck.
The context is vivid and urgent. As the soldiers prepare to cut off the prisoners to prevent escape, the centurion Julius intervenes to save Paul and others. He orders those who can swim to jump overboard first, while the rest cling to broken pieces of the ship, including planks (sanis) or other debris, to reach land safely.
This rare usage highlights the word’s concrete, physical nature. It is not a generic term for wood but a specific structural element. The image of clinging to a plank conveys fragility and reliance on whatever remains intact in a disaster. Translators typically render it simply as "planks" or "boards," preserving the literal sense without adding metaphorical weight.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word sanis simply means a plank or board, appearing only once in the New Testament. In Acts 27:44, it describes the debris survivors clung to after a shipwreck. This concrete image reminds us that God often provides help in the most unexpected and broken forms.
When life feels like a storm you cannot control, you may feel as fragile as a piece of driftwood. Yet, even a single plank can mean the difference between drowning and safety. Your faith does not need to be strong on its own; it only needs to hold onto what God has provided.
This story shows that deliverance is possible even in total disaster. You are not abandoned when things fall apart. Trust that He will catch you, whether through a miracle or a simple, steady hand reaching out in the dark.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- boards,1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- σανίσιν,1×
Key Verses
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Acts 27:44
and the rest should follow, some on planks and some on other things from the ship. So they all escaped safely to the land.
This verse uses sanis to describe the physical planks survivors grabbed to reach land, highlighting God's provision of safety through broken remnants.