### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Greek word **kolymbáō**, represented by `{{G2860}}`, is defined as to plunge into water or **swim**. It is a very specific term, derived from a word for a diver. It appears only **1 times** across **1 unique verses** in the Bible, making its sole appearance highly contextual.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The single use of `{{G2860}}` occurs in the dramatic account of the shipwreck in Acts. As the ship was breaking apart, the centurion, wishing to save Paul, issued a command. He ordered "that they which could **swim** should cast themselves first into the sea, and get to land" [[Acts 27:43]]. Here, the word describes a literal, physical act of survival, the primary method for the able-bodied to escape the wreckage and reach the shore.
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words in the immediate context of [[Acts 27:43]] help clarify the action and its purpose:
* `{{G641}}` **aporrhíptō** (to hurl off, i.e. precipitate (oneself):--cast): This word describes the initial action taken by the swimmers, who had to first **cast** themselves from the failing ship into the sea.
* `{{G1826}}` **éxeimi** (to issue, i.e. leave (a place), escape (to the shore):--depart, get (to land), go out): This defines the goal of swimming; it was the means to **get to land** and escape the peril of the sea.
* `{{G1295}}` **diasṓzō** (to save thoroughly, i.e. (by implication or analogy) to cure, preserve, rescue, etc.:--bring safe, escape (safe), heal, make perfectly whole, save): This reveals the centurion's motivation. His command to swim was part of a plan to **save** Paul, and ultimately all aboard, as they "escaped all safe to land" [[Acts 27:44]].
### Theological Significance
While `{{G2860}}` itself is a practical term, its context gives it significance within the theme of divine preservation.
* **A Means of Preservation:** The act of swimming was the commanded method for survival, directly linked to the centurion's desire "to **save** Paul" [[Acts 27:43]]. It illustrates how a natural human ability can be the instrument of a divinely overseen rescue.
* **Physical Deliverance:** The outcome of the swimming and other measures was that "they **escaped** all **safe** to land" [[Acts 27:44]], with the same word `{{G1295}}` used to describe Paul's later escape from the sea [[Acts 28:4]] and his safe delivery to Felix [[Acts 23:24]].
* **Salvation Through Water:** The event of being saved by moving through water finds a parallel in the account of Noah, where eight souls "were **saved** by water" [[1 Peter 3:20]]. The shipwreck survivors' passage through the sea to safety serves as a literal picture of physical deliverance.
### Summary
In summary, `{{G2860}}` is a rare biblical word with a clear and unambiguous meaning. Its sole occurrence in [[Acts 27:43]] depicts the literal act of swimming as a means of survival. While not a theological term in itself, its importance is derived from the context of Paul's shipwreck, where it functions as a key part of the narrative of providential rescue and the fulfillment of the promise that all would be saved from the sea.
TRV