The Greek word dithálassos, represented by G1337, is a descriptive term meaning where two seas meet. Derived from δίς (twice) and θάλασσα (sea), it refers to a sound or shoal with a double outlet. It is an exceptionally rare word in scripture, appearing only 1 time in 1 unique verse.
The single biblical occurrence of G1337 is in the dramatic account of Paul's shipwreck. In Acts 27:41, the vessel is described as falling G4045 into a place G5117 where two seas met. In this specific location, the crew ran the ship G3491 aground. The result was that the forepart of the ship stuck fast and remained unmoveable G761, while the stern was broken G3089 by the violence G970 of the waves G2949.
Several related words help illustrate the scene where G1337 is found:
- G4045 peripíptō (to fall among): This word describes how the ship came upon the hazardous location, by falling into it. The same word is used figuratively for when believers fall into temptations James 1:2.
- G2027 epokéllō (run aground): This is the action taken by the crew to beach a vessel at the place where the two seas met. Its only biblical use is in this passage Acts 27:41.
- G761 asáleutos (unmoveable): The ship's bow became lodged and unmoveable on the shoal. This same word is used in a positive sense to describe the eternal kingdom believers receive, which cannot be moved Hebrews 12:28.
- G3089 lýō (to loosen, break, destroy): The violent waves at the dithálassos caused the ship's hinder part to be broken. This word is also used theologically, as when the Son of God was manifested to destroy the works of the devil 1 John 3:8.
- G970 bía (force, violence): This term describes the power of the waves that destroyed the ship. The same word is used to describe the violence of a crowd from which soldiers had to protect Paul Acts 21:35.
While G1337 is a geographical term, its context offers a powerful illustration of being caught in overwhelming circumstances.
- A Place of Trial: The act of falling G4045 into the dithálassos uses the same language as falling into trials James 1:2, framing the location as a physical manifestation of a severe test.
- Destructive Power: The place is defined by the violence G970 of the waves that ultimately break G3089 the ship, serving as a vivid picture of destructive forces at work.
- Trapped and Broken: The ship becomes simultaneously unmoveable G761 at the front and broken at the back. This contrasts the perilous immovability of being stuck in a trial with the secure and eternal nature of God's kingdom, which also cannot be moved Hebrews 12:28.
In summary, G1337 is a highly specific term for a place where two seas meet. Its sole appearance in Acts 27:41 pinpoints the exact location of a shipwreck. Though not a theological term itself, its context within this narrative—a place of trial where a vessel is both stuck fast and broken apart—provides a potent metaphor for being caught between powerful, destructive forces, drawing a sharp contrast with the unshakable security found in God's kingdom.
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