"the deep, the open sea, Mt. 18:6; a sea, distinguished from the sea in general, and named from an adjacent country, Acts 27:5*"
Definition and meaning
the deep, the open sea, Mt. 18:6; a sea, distinguished from the sea in general, and named from an adjacent country, Acts 27:5*
In the original Greek the word is written: πέλαγος
Historical context
Rome had controlled Judea since 63 BC. Herod the Great rebuilt the Temple into one of the most magnificent structures in the ancient world — and simultaneously murdered members of his own family. The common people paid multiple layers of taxation and were politically powerless. Into that world a carpenter from Galilee began teaching that the kingdom of God had arrived.
The people who first heard this word were not reading a book — they were living through empires, oppression, exile, and covenant. Every word carried the weight of that reality. Understanding it changes how you read Scripture.
Scripture references
These are the most notable occurrences of pelagos (G3989) across the King James Bible.
But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
And when we had sailed over the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia.
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Common questions
Strong's G3989 (pelagos) is a Greek word that means: the deep, the open sea, Mt. 18:6; a sea, distinguished from the sea in general, and named from an adjacent country, Acts 27:5* It appears 2 times in the King James Bible.
The word pelagos (G3989) appears 2 times in the original Greek text.
Strong's G3989 is pelagos, a Greek word defined as: the deep, the open sea, Mt. 18:6; a sea, distinguished from the sea in general, and named from an adjacent country, Acts 27:5*. James Strong catalogued this in his 1890 concordance to help English readers study the original languages of the Bible.
pelagos is a Greek word found in the New Testament.