Place New Testament
Cenchreae
Also known as Cenchreae =ESV, NIV; Cenchrea =KJV
Cenchreae was the eastern port of Corinth, where Paul had his hair cut in connection with a vow, and was the home of Phoebe, a deaconess of the church. Mentioned in 3 verses across 2 books, first at Acts 18:18.
Why it matters. Port of Corinth; home of Phoebe
- Primary passages
- Location
- 37.885, 22.993 (approximate, within about 2 km)
Coordinates from STEPBible TIPNR (palopenmaps.org link). Approximate; not independently verified.
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-30 by the FaithGraph team
About Cenchreae
Cenchreae was a seaport located on the eastern side of the Isthmus of Corinth, about seven miles from the city of Corinth. It served as the port for Corinth's trade with Asia Minor and the East. Cenchreae is mentioned twice in the Bible, both in connection with Paul's ministry.
In Act.18.18, Paul departed from Corinth and sailed from Cenchreae to Syria, after having his hair cut due to a vow he had taken. This vow was likely a Nazirite vow (Numbers 6:1-21), which involved abstaining from cutting one's hair until the vow was completed. Paul's actions at Cenchreae indicate his continued observance of Jewish customs and his commitment to his Jewish heritage.
In Romans 16:1-2, Paul commends Phoebe, a deaconess of the church in Cenchreae, to the believers in Rome. He describes her as a servant of the church and a benefactor to many, including Paul himself. This passage provides insight into the role of women in the early church and their significant contributions to the spread of the gospel.
Description from STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0, lightly reformatted. This is background reference material, not Scripture and not a FaithGraph editorial claim.
Connections
No reviewed connections yet.
Appears in Scripture
Named in 3 verses across 2 books. Occurrence data from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0); references only, no translation text.