The Greek adjective autocheir (from autos, self, and cheir, hand) means "with one's own hand" or "self-handed." It appears only once in the New Testament (Acts 27:19), describing Paul's fellow passengers throwing cargo overboard during the storm at sea — they threw it "with their own hands."
The dramatic storm narrative of Acts 27 demonstrates God's sovereignty over natural catastrophe and His faithfulness to His promises. The sailors' manual labor — throwing precious cargo overboard with their own hands — was the required human effort within a divine deliverance. God's miracles rarely bypass human participation; they sanctify it. Paul's promise — "not one of you will be lost" (Acts 27:22) — was fulfilled through both divine protection and human action working together.