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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.comRobertson Word Pictures - Acts 27:16 - 27:16
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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
Running under the lee of (hupodramontes). Second aorist active participle of hupotrechō. Same use of hupo as in hupepleusamen (Act 27:4, Act 27:8) for “under the lee”, under the protection of. Nēsion is diminutive of nēsos, a small island. The MSS. vary between Cauda (B) and Clauda (Aleph).
To secure the boat (perikrateis genesthai tēs skaphēs). “To become masters (perikrateis from peri and kratos, power over, found in Susannah and ecclesiastical writers, and here only in N.T.) of the boat (“dug out,” like Indian boats, literally, from skaptō, to dig, old word, here only in N.T. and Act 27:30, Act 27:32). The smooth water behind the little island enabled them to do this.
When they had hoisted it up (hēn ārantes). “Which (the little boat) having hoisted up (arantes, Act 27:13).” Even so it was “with difficulty” (molis). Perhaps the little boat was waterlogged.
Used helps (boētheiais echrōnto). Imperfect middle of chraomai with instrumental case. The “helps” were ropes or chains, no doubt.
Under-girding the ship (hupozōnnuntes to ploion). Present active participle of hupozōnnumi. Old verb, here only in N.T. Probably cables (hupozōmata) or ropes were used under the hull of the ship laterally or even longitudinally, tightly secured on deck. This “frapping” was more necessary for ancient vessels because of the heavy mast. The little island made it possible to do this also.
Lest we be cast upon the Syrtis (mē eis tēn Surtin ekpesōsin). Final clause after verb of fearing (phoboumenoi) with mē and the second aorist active subjunctive of ekpiptō, old verb to fall out or off, to be cast away. So here and Act 27:26, Act 27:29, a classical use of the verb for a ship driven out of its course on to shoals or rocks (Page who cites Xenophon, Anab. VII. 5, 12). The Syrtis was the name for two quicksands between Carthage and Cyrenaica, this clearly being the Syrtis Major most dangerous because of the sandbanks (surtis, from surō). The wind would drive the ship right into this peril if something were not done.
They lowered the gear (chalasantes to skeuos). First aorist active participle of chalaō (cf. Luk 5:4 for lowering the nets). Skeuos means vessel or gear. They slackened or reduced sail, especially the mainsail, but leaving enough to keep the ship’s head as close to the wind as was practicable.
So were driven (houtōs epheronto). Imperfect passive indicative again as in Act 27:15with the addition of houtōs (thus). The ship was now fixed as near to the wind (E N E) as possible (seven points). That would enable the ship to go actually W by N and so avoid the quicksands. J. Smith has shown that, a day being lost around Cauda, the ship going 36 miles in 24 hours in 13 days would make 468 miles. The Island of Malta (Melita) is precisely in that direction (W by N) from Cauda and is 480 miles. Page sees a difficulty about this explanation of the steady drift of the ship in the word diapheromenon in Act 27:27, but that was at the end of the drifting and the varied winds could have come then and not before. The whole narrative as explained carefully in Smith’s Voyage and Shipwreck of St. Paul is a masterpiece of precise and accurate scholarship. A resume of his results appears in my Luke the Historian in the Light of Research.