The noun bía denotes raw physical force or violent compulsion. In classical Greek it ranged from heroic strength to acts of brutality, and the NT uses cluster tightly around the latter — all four occurrences appear in Acts describing tense confrontations. The temple guard restrains themselves from violence when arresting the apostles (Acts 5:26); soldiers must carry Paul through a mob by force (Acts 21:35); and the ship at Malta is broken apart by the violence of the waves (Acts 27:41). Spanish and French both render it 'violencia/violence,' capturing the coercive overtone.