Divine Providence: τεσσαρεσκαιδέκατος (Strong’s G5065: tessareskaidekatos) Marks Salvation’s Journey

Strong’s G5065: A compound ordinal number meaning “fourteenth,” combining “four” (τέσσαρες), “and” (καί), and “tenth” (δέκατος). Appears in Acts 27:27, marking time during Paul’s providentially guided sea voyage to Rome.

U – Unveiling the Word

τεσσαρεσκαιδέκατος represents precise divine timing in the narrative of Paul’s journey to Rome. In Acts 27:27, it marks the fourteenth night of a storm that would ultimately demonstrate God’s sovereign protection and purpose. This compound number’s single appearance in Acts 27 occurs at a crucial moment when human hope seemed lost, yet divine providence prevailed. The early church saw in this precise timing evidence of God’s detailed oversight of His servants’ lives. Today, it reminds us that God remains sovereign over every detail of our journey, even in seemingly hopeless situations.

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N – Necessary Information

• Greek Word: τεσσαρεσκαιδέκατος, tessareskaidekatos, tes-sa-res-kahee-dek’-at-os
• Phonetic Guide: tes (as in “test”) + sa + res + kai (as in “eye”) + dek + at + os
• Part of Speech: Numeral (Ordinal)

Etymology:

• τέσσαρες (tessares) – four
• καί (kai) – and
• δέκατος (dekatos) – tenth
• Compound ordinal number meaning “fourteenth”

D – Defining Meanings

• Fourteenth
• Marking the fourteenth in sequence

For compound words:

• τέσσαρες provides the value four
• καί connects the numbers
• δέκατος adds the value ten

Translation Options:

• “fourteenth” – standard ordinal translation
• “the fourteenth” – when used as a substantive
• “fourteen” – in contextual counting

E – Exploring Similar Words

• τέσσαρες (tessares) – four See G5064
• δέκατος (dekatos) – tenth See G1182
• τεσσαράκοντα (tessarakonta) – forty See G5062

R – Reviewing the Word’s Morphology

Numerical Features:

• Case: Nominative, Genitive, Dative, Accusative
• Number: Singular
• Gender: Masculine, Feminine, Neuter
• Declension: First/Second declension (ordinal adjective)

Examples:

• Masculine nominative: τεσσαρεσκαιδέκατος
• Feminine nominative: τεσσαρεσκαιδεκάτη
• Neuter nominative: τεσσαρεσκαιδέκατον

S – Studying Lexicon Insights

Lexical sources illuminate τεσσαρεσκαιδέκατος’s significance. BDAG emphasizes its precision in narrative time-keeping. Thayer’s notes its compound structure. LSJ documents its use in administrative and historical records. Vine’s connects it to the broader pattern of numerical precision in Luke-Acts. Strong’s emphasizes its ordinal nature. Moulton and Milligan cite examples from papyri dating events. The combined evidence suggests τεσσαρεσκαιδέκατος represented precise chronological marking in both sacred and secular contexts.

T – Tracing the Scriptures

First appearance:
“But when the fourteenth [τεσσαρεσκαιδεκάτη] night came, as we were being driven about in the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors began to surmise that they were approaching some land.” Acts 27:27

Additional References:
This word appears only once in the New Testament.

A – Analyzing Classical Usage

N – Noteworthy Summary

τεσσαρεσκαιδέκατος demonstrates God’s precise timing in preserving His servants and accomplishing His purposes. In Paul’s journey to Rome, this specific night marked the turning point toward deliverance, showing God’s sovereign control even in life-threatening circumstances. The good news includes God’s detailed care for His people’s journeys, using every moment to accomplish His saving purposes, just as He used Paul’s perilous voyage to advance the gospel to Rome.

D – Did You Know?

• Luke’s precision in dating reflects his careful historical methodology
• Ancient shipping records often used exact day counting for voyages
• The fourteenth day often marked critical points in ancient medical texts

Strong’s G5065: A compound ordinal number meaning “fourteenth,” combining “four” (τέσσαρες), “and” (καί), and “tenth” (δέκατος). Appears in Acts 27:27, marking time during Paul’s providentially guided sea voyage to Rome.

Part of speech: Numeral (Ordinal)

Tags: fourteen, ordinal-numbers, Paul, shipwreck, Acts, providence, time-marking, voyage, Luke, chronology​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​