From G1909 (epi, upon) and G2027 (okello, to drive/run). A nautical term for running a ship aground โ driving it onto a shore or reef. Used in Acts 27:41 to describe the shipwreck on Malta during Paul's voyage to Rome.
The ship carrying Paul epokello-ed on Malta (Acts 27:41) โ a catastrophic ending to a terrifying voyage. Yet this 'disaster' was divinely orchestrated. God had promised Paul: 'There shall be no loss of any man's life among you, but of the ship' (27:22). The wreck fulfilled both divine promise and human experience simultaneously. The theological pattern: God's promises do not eliminate suffering or disruption โ they guarantee purpose within it. The shipwreck brought the gospel to Malta. Every epokello in the Christian life โ every grounding of our plans โ can become a landing on unexpected mission fields.