### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Greek word **schoiníon**, represented by `{{G4979}}`, refers to a rushlet, or more generally, a tie such as a **small cord** or **rope**. It is a diminutive term derived from a word for a rush or flag-plant. It appears **2 times** across **2 unique verses** in the Bible, highlighting its specific but impactful use.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In the biblical narrative, `{{G4979}}` is used in two distinct and dramatic contexts. In the Gospel of John, it is used to form an instrument of authority, where Jesus makes a scourge of **small cords** to drive merchants and animals from the temple [[John 2:15]]. In Acts, it appears in a nautical setting where soldiers **cut off** the **ropes** of a boat during a storm, letting the boat fall off to save the larger ship [[Acts 27:32]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words clarify the context in which `{{G4979}}` is used:
* `{{G5416}}` **phragéllion** (a whip, i.e. Roman lash as a public punishment:--scourge): This word is directly associated with `{{G4979}}` in the cleansing of the temple, where the **small cords** are fashioned into a **scourge** [[John 2:15]].
* `{{G609}}` **apokóptō** (to amputate; reflexively (by irony) to mutilate (the privy parts):--cut off): This verb describes the decisive action taken upon the ropes in Acts. The soldiers **cut off** the ropes of the boat, severing it from the ship [[Acts 27:32]].
* `{{G1544}}` **ekbállō** (to eject (literally or figuratively):--bring forth, cast (forth, out), drive (out), expel, leave, pluck (pull, take, thrust) out, put forth (out), send away (forth, out)): This action is the result of using the scourge made from small cords, as Jesus **drove** all the merchants and animals out of the temple [[John 2:15]].
### Theological Significance
The significance of `{{G4979}}` comes not from the word itself, but from its application within the narrative.
* **Instrument of Authority:** In the temple, simple cords are woven into a **scourge**, transforming a common material into a symbol of divine judgment and the authority to purify a sacred space [[John 2:15]].
* **Object of Sacrifice:** During the storm at sea, the **ropes** represent a connection that must be severed for survival. The act of cutting them is a deliberate and necessary sacrifice of an asset to save the whole [[Acts 27:32]].
* **Mundane to Meaningful:** The word demonstrates how ordinary objects—ropes and cords—are elevated to narrative importance through the actions they are involved in, whether it be an act of righteous cleansing or one of desperate survival.
### Summary
In summary, **schoiníon** `{{G4979}}` is a simple word for a **rope** or **small cord** that carries significant weight in its two biblical appearances. It functions as both a tool of divine authority when braided into a scourge for cleansing the temple and as an object of necessary sacrifice when the ropes of a boat are cut away in a storm. The word's usage illustrates how the meaning of a common object is defined by the critical events in which it plays a part.
TRV