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THE APOSTLE’S JOURNEY BY SEA FROM CESAREA TO ROME
Act_27:1 to Act_28:15
A.—THE VOYAGE TO ITALY, AND ITS DANGERS, BUT ALSO THE DIVINE PROTECTION GRANTED TO THE APOSTLE AND THOSE WHO WERE WITH HIM. THE SHIPWRECK, AND THE ESCAPE FROM DEATH AT THE ISLAND OF MALTA
Act_27:1-44
6And there [There] the centurion found a ship of Alexandria [which was] sailinginto [to] Italy; and he put us therein [us on board of it]. 7And when we had [But we] sailed slowly many days, and scarce were come over against Cnidus, the wind not suffering us, [and with difficulty reached the region of Cnidus; but as the wind did not allow us to land,] we sailed under Crete, over against Salmone; 8And, hardly [with difficulty] passing it, came unto a place which is called the [om. the] Fair Havens; nigh whereunto was the city of Lasea.
9Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now [was already] dangerous, because [also, ÷áὶ ] the fast was now already [was now] past, Paul admonished them,10And said unto them, Sirs [Ye men, Ἄíäñåò ], I perceive that this [the, ôὸí ] voyage will be [will terminate, ìÝëëåéí ἔóåóèáé ] with hurt [injury] and much damage, not only of the lading [cargo] and ship, but also of our lives. 11Nevertheless [However, äὲ ] the centurion believed the master [steersman] and the owner of the ship [ship-owner],more than those [the, ôïῖò ] things which were spoken by Paul. 12And [But] because the haven [harbor] was not commodious [suited] to winter in, the more [greater] part advised [resolved] to depart thence also, if by any means [if perhaps, åἴðùò ] they might attain to Phenice [might be able to reach Phoenix], and there to winter [and winter there]; which is a haven of Crete, and lieth toward the southwest and north-west.13And when [as] the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing [setting sail] thence, they sailed close by [close along the coastof] Crete. 14But not long after [this,] there arose against it [against the ship] a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon [which is called Northeasterly]. 15And when [Now as] the ship was caught [carried along], and could not bear up into [against]the wind, we let her drive [wind, we gave her up, and were driven onward]. 16And running under a certain [But when we came near to a small] island which is called Clauda, we had much work to come by [much difficulty in obtaining control of] theboat: 17Which when they had taken [raised] up, they used helps [aids], undergirding the ship; and, fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands [should be drivenupon the sand-banks], strake sail [lowered the tackling], and so were driven. 18And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest [And as we suffered exceedingly from the storm], the next day they lightened the ship [they threw merchandise overboard];19And [on] the third day we cast out with our own hands the tackling [the furniture]of the ship. 20And [Now ( äὲ )] when neither sun nor stars in [for] many days appeared, and no small [slight] tempest lay [pressed] on us, all hope that we should be saved was then [all hope that our lives would be saved was at last ( ëïéðὸí )] taken away. 21But after [a] long abstinence [from food], Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, [Ye men], ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed [sailed] from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss [Crete; ye would thus haveavoided this injury and this damage]. 22And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall [will] be no loss of any man’s life among you, but [only that] of theship. 23For there stood by me this night the [an] angel of God, whose I am, andwhom I serve, 24Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Cesar [must stand before the emperor]: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.25Wherefore, sirs [ye men], be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall [will] be even as it was told me. 26Howbeit [Yet ( äὲ )] we must be cast upon [be wrecked at] a certain island.
27But when the fourteenth night was come [came], as we were driven up and down in Adria [in the Adriatic sea], about midnight the shipmen [mariners] deemed [conjectured] that they drew near to some country [that some land was approaching them];28And sounded, and [heaving the lead, they] found it twenty fathoms [deep]: and when they had gone a little further, they sounded again, and found it [deep; after ashort interval they again cast the lead, and found] fifteen fathoms. 29Then fearing lest we [lest they, ἐ÷ðÝóùóéí ] should have fallen [should be wrecked] upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of [at] the stern, and wished for the day [wished that daywould come]. 30And as the shipmen were about [But when the mariners sought, æçôïýíôùí ] to flee out of the ship, when they had [ship, and] let down the boat into the sea, under colour as though they would have cast anchors out of [on the pretextthat they were about ( ìåëëüíôùí ) to let go anchors at] the foreship, 31Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these [If these do not] abide in the ship, ye can-not be saved. 32Then the soldiers cut off [cut away] the ropes of [from] the boat, andlet her fall off. 33And while the day was coming on [But until it began to be day], Paul besought [exhorted] them all to take meat [nourishment], saying, This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried [waited] and continued fasting, having [and have]taken nothing. 34Wherefore I pray [exhort] you to takesome meat [nourishment]; for this is for your health [preservation, óùôçñßáò ]: for there shall not a hair fall from the head of any of you [for not a hair of the head of any one of you will perish]. 35And when [When] he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them all; and when he had broken it, he [all, broke it, and] began toeat. 36Then were they all of good cheer, and they also took some meat [took nourishment.37And [But] we were in all in the ship two hundred threescore and sixteen [two hundred and seventy-six] souls. 38And [But] when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, and cast out the wheat [grain] into the sea. 39And [But] when it was day, they knew not the land: but they discovered a certain creek [inlet] with a shore [beach], into the [om. the] which they were minded [they resolved], if it werepossible, to thrust in [drive] the ship. 40And when they had taken up the anchors [Therefore, cutting away the anchors], they committed themselves unto the sea [they let them fall into the sea], and loosed the rudder bands [and, at the same time ( ἅìá ) loosened the fastenings of the rudders], and hoised [hoisted] up the mainsail [foresail]to the wind, and made toward the shore [beach]. 41And [But] falling into a place where two seas met [which had the sea on both sides], they ran the ship aground; and the forepart stuck fast, and remained unmoveable, but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves [broken by the violence (om. of thewaves)]. 42And the soldiers’ counsel was [But the soldiers formed the resolution] to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out and escape [that no one mightescape by swimming]. 43But the centurion, willing [The centurion, however ( äὲ ), wished] to save Paul, [and] kept them from their purpose; and commanded that they which [who] could swim should cast themselves first into the sea [water], and get toland: 44And the rest, some [partly] on boards, and some [partly] on broken pieces [on pieces] of the ship. And so [thus] it came to pass, that they escaped all [they all came] safe to land.
Act_27:2. And entering into a ship.—The prisoners, with a body of Roman soldiers, who served as a guard, accordingly embarked at Cesarea on a trading vessel which came from Adramyttium, a seaport of Asia Minor, in the province of Mysia, not far from Troas and Assos, and opposite to the island of Lesbos. The ship was homeward bound, but previously to the conclusion of the voyage, was yet to touch at several seaports along the coast, of Asia proconsularis.[ Ðëåῖí ôïὺò - - ôüðïõò is the reading of the text. rec. with G. H.—Lachm. inserts åἰò after ðëåῖí , on the authority of A. B., to which Cod. Sin. is now also to be added. Alford. with de Wette and Meyer, rejects the preposition as a later attempt to correct an apparently harsh construction; for the latter, see Winer: Gr. § 32. 1 ult. on the passage.—Tr.]. It was intended that this ship should be exchanged for another which was on its way to Italy, and which could be readily found in some one of the seaports of Asia Minor.—The nautical and topographical points which occur in the narrative of Luke, have been explained in a manner which claims all our gratitude, in the work of a learned Englishman, entitled: “The Voyage and Shipwreck of St. Paul: with Dissertations on the Life and Writings of St. Luke, and the Ships and Navigation of the Ancients. By James Smith, Esq., of Jordanhill, F.R.S. 1848. Second edition, London, 1856.” This writer employed a winter’s residence in Malta, in carefully examining all the localities of the island; he consulted educated and experienced seamen on the subject of the navigation of the Levant, and collected all the information which modern log-books and descriptions of seavoyages could furnish. He devoted special attention to the ship-building and the navigation of the ancients, and availed himself of all accessible documents and aids, in order to shed all possible light on the narrative in the Acts. The result was, that he clearly explained many points which had hitherto been involved in obscurity, and, at the same time, essentially contributed to the evidences of the historical truth and of the credibility of the Book of the Acts. He has, in particular, demonstrated in the clearest manner, in many passages of the work, that the writer of the narrrative before us, 1, could not have himself been a seaman, inasmuch as his language, when he speaks of nautical matters, is not that which any one who was professionally and practically acquainted with the subject, would have employed. He has demonstrated that, for this very reason, the writer must, 2, have been an eye-witness of all that he records; this point is proved both by the statements respecting all that occurred on board, and by the geographical details which are interwoven with the narrative; for no man who was not professionally acquainted with marine affairs, could have furnished a description of a sea-voyage so consistent in all its parts, unless he related that which he had personally observed and experienced. [Similar testimony is borne to the value of the services of J. Smith, by Meyer, Alford, Alexander, Hackett, Howson, etc., in their respective works; all gladly express their sense of the obligations which he has conferred on those who interpret the Acts of the Apostles.—Tr.]
Act_27:3. And the next day we touched [landed] at Sidon.—If they reached Sidon the day after they left Cesarea, the wind must have been favorable, as the distance between the two places is about 67 miles. [Sidon is mentioned in Act_12:20.—Tr.]. At the season of the year which had now arrived, Act_27:9, westerly winds prevail in that part of the Mediterranean, and such a wind would be desirable for the ship, in view of the course in which it was proceeding. The courteous treatment of Paul by the centurion may possibly have been originally due to certain instructions received from the procurator, although there can be no doubt that, at the same time, the personal character and conduct of the apostle must have made a most favorable impression on every unprejudiced and intelligent mind. The vessel doubtless touched at Sidon for the purposes of trade; during the delay, Paul was permitted to spend his time among the Christians of that city, accompanied, of course, by a guard.
Act_27:4-5. When they sailed from Sidon, contrary winds compelled them to sail under Cyprus, that is, instead of sailing in the open sea, they tacked, and sailed on the lee side of the island. Interpreters had hitherto been divided in their opinions respecting the side of the island along which the vessel proceeded. Some (e. g., Falconer; J. F. v. Meyer [not the commentator, H. A. W. Meyer], etc.), understand the text as if the vessel had left Cyprus on the right, and sailed along its southern coast; but Erasmus, wetstein, Bengel, etc., suppose that they passed by Cyprus on the left, that is, north of it. The latter is, without doubt, the correct view [and accords with that of J. Smith.—Tr.]; for we are informed in Act_27:5, that they sailed through [the whole length of (Alf.)] the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia ( äéáðëåýóáíôåò ); hence, they must have, at first, sailed between Syria and the eastern coast of Cyprus, and then between the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, on the one hand, and the northern coast of Cyprus, on the other. (J. Smith). [“Modern nautical investigation has brought to light that from Syria to the Archipelago, along the coast of Asia Minor, there is a constant current to the westward .… By getting into this strong current they would be able to make some way westward, even in the face of an unfavorable wind.” (Alex.).—Tr.].—Myra, where they landed, was, at that time, a flourishing seaport of Lycia, about twenty stadia [between two and three miles] distant from the sea, according to Strabo, but was situated on a stream which was navigable to the city.
Act_27:6-8. a. And there the centurion found a ship.—At Myra the centurion Julius transferred the soldiers who accompanied him, together with the prisoners, to a merchant-vessel which had arrived from Alexandria, and was on its way to Italy. The cargo consisted of wheat, according to Act_27:38, Egypt at that time being one of the granaries of Italy. Grain was usually transported from that country to Italy in very large vessels; according to a statement of Lucian, they could not have been inferior in size to the largest merchant-vessels of modern times. [“Josephus states (Life, § 3) that the ship in which he was wrecked in his voyage to Italy, contained six hundred persons.” (Hackett).—Tr.].—This circumstance explains the fact that not less than 276 persons (Act_27:37) found room on board of this vessel.
b. The travellers had at first proceeded from Cesarea to Myra, Act_27:1-5; the second part of the voyage, from Myra to Crete, is next described, Act_27:6-8. They now made unusually slow progress, as they encountered contrary winds; that it was not merely a calm which occasioned the delay, J. Smith infers from the word ìüëéò , which implies an effort, a struggle with the wind; besides, the words ìÞ ðñïòåῶíôïò ἡìᾶò ôïῦ ἀíÝìïí seem intended to explain ìüëéò ãåí . êáôὰ ôὴí Êíßäïí . Cnidus, a peninsula between Cos and Rhodes, was not too distant from Myra [130 miles], to have been reached in a single day, with favorable winds. The voyage from the vicinity of Cnidus to Italy, should, properly, have been in a south-western direction, so that the travellers would pass along the northern coast of Crete. But as the wind continued to be contrary, they chose another course, namely, to the south-south-west, towards the eastern shore of Crete, the extreme point of which, to the east, is formed by the promonotory of Salmone. The voyage was thence continued along the southern shore of the island, and the ship was constantly struggling with the wind and the waves ( ìüëéò ) [occurring in Act_27:7, find repeated in Act_27:8.—Tr.], until it reached a place called Fair Havens, not far from the city of the name of Lasea. [ Áὐôὴí , Act_27:8, refers to ô . ÊñÞôçí . (Meyer).—Tr.]. There is a bay on the southern shore of Crete, which, as J. Smith has proved, still bears the name of ËéìÝíåò Êáëïß , and in which a ship is sheltered from north-west winds.
Act_27:9-12. Paul admonished them.—[ Ðëïὸò , in later Greek, occurred also as a genitive, instead of ðëïῦ , Winer, Gr. § 8. 2.—Tr]. A crisis had now arrived in the affairs of the voyagers. The favorable season for sailing had passed by, for the time of the fast ( íçóôåßá )—that is, the fast of expiation—was already over, and they had accordingly reached a period which was subsequent to the autumnal equinox. [This fast of the day of atonement was observed on the tenth day of the seventh month (Lev_16:29 ff; Lev_23:26 ff.), that is, of Tisri; this was the seventh month of the Jewish ecclesiastical or sacred year, but the first of the civil year. The fast occurred about the close of September, or the beginning of October, soon after which navigation was suspended in those waters. It is here mentioned simply to specify the season of the year, and is designated as the fast ( ôὴí íὴó .), as it was the only annual, public and rigid fast, which Moses instituted. See Horne’s Introd. Part III. Ch. 5 Sect. II. p. 132; Keil’s Bibl. Arch. § 69; Winer’s Realw, art. Fasten; Herzog’s Real-Encyk. IV. 332.—Tr.]. Hence Paul warned the centurion and the owner of the vessel not to continue the voyage, and advised that they should winter in the harbor which they had succeeded in reaching, as any other course of action would expose the vessel to great danger.—The construction, in Act_27:10, is loose: ὅôé — ìÝëëåéí ἔóåó . [The sentence begins with ὅôé but closes with the infinitive and accusative ( ìÝëëåéí ἔó . ôὸí ðëïῦí ), as if ὅôé had not been used. Analogous cases occur in the best classic writers. (Winer: Gr. § 44. 8. Anm. 2, and § 63. 2. c.)—Tr.].—Meyer and Ewald understand ὕâñéò , in Act_27:10, in a moral sense, viz., presumption; but then it would be necessary to take the word in the same sense in Act_27:21, where it is again combined with æçìßá , but where, according to the context, it would be inappropriate in that sense (see the Exeg. note below on Act_27:21-26). It must, accordingly, be understood in the natural sense, according to the usual interpretation, as referring to the evils occasioned by the violence of the storm. The language of Paul on this occasion expresses the results of his own intelligent observation ( èåùñῶ ) and reflection; afterwards, he speaks in consequence of a divine revelation which he had received, Act_27:21 ff. The event demonstrated that his fears had been well founded, although all escaped with their lives. At the consultation which was held, the centurion attached more weight to the opinion of the steersman and the ship-owner than to the advice of Paul—and naturally, as the former were professionally and practically acquainted with such subjects. Besides, the reason which they assigned for objecting to the plan of wintering in that spot, claimed consideration: the bay was not suited for that purpose; for the words ἀíåíè .— ðáñá÷åéì . in Act_27:12, obviously state the grounds of their opposition to Paul’s advice. They agreed with him that the voyage to Italy could not at present be continued; but the majority of those who had a voice in the matter ( ïἱ ðëåßïíò ) decided in favor of selecting a more favorable place for passing the winter, namely, a harbor on the south-western coast of Crete, named Phœnix, provided that they could reach it. Luke describes this harbor as lying toward Ëßø , Africus [the south-west wind], and ×ῶñïò [Corus, or Caurus, the north-west wind]. This language has usually been understood to mean that of the two sides of the harbor, the one extended in the direction of the south-west, the other, in that of the north-west, [the irregular coast itself, in the interior of the harbor, looking due west.—Tr.]. J. Smith adopts the opposite view, p. 47 ff. [second ed. pp. 84–89], in order to sustain his opinion that a harbor which is now known as Lutro [Loutro] is identically the same spot. In that case êáôὰ Ëßâá êáὶ êáôὰ ×ῶñïí would denote the direction in which these winds blew, that is, the north-east and the south-east. But such an interpretation does violence to the usus loquendi, and is adopted merely to sustain a certain hypothesis. See the Commentary of Hackett, of North America, 1858, p. 420 ff. [Prof. Hackett, in his second edition (1863, p. 421 f.), adheres to his original opinion, which agrees with that of Lechler, as given here; he is not willing to identify Phœnix with the modern Lutro, which, as J. Smith states: “looks or is open to the east.” Alford agrees with J. Smith; Howson (Conyb. and H. II. 382) also adopts the conclusion at which Smith arrives, but admits that at least the philological arguments of the latter, are not conclusive.—Tr.].
Act_27:13. And when the south wind blew softly.—The voyage from Crete to Malta, terminating with the shipwreck, is next described, Act_27:13-44. A moderate south wind began to blow ὑðïðí . is applied to a gentle breeze). It was supposed to be favorable for their purpose, inasmuch as at Cape Matala, not far from Fair Havens [four or five miles], the coast of Crete turns to the north-west, and for a voyage in that direction a south wind was precisely the one which sailors would desire. Hence they weighed anchor ( áἴñåéí was a common term in nautical language, used in this sense, even without the addition of ôὰò ἀãêýñáò ).—The word ἆóóïí was formerly believed to be the name of a city of Crete [see note 9 above, appended to the text.—Tr.], and was connected with ἄñáíôåò , as the place from which they sailed, or else as indicating the direction in which they proceeded. [Assos, in Mysia, Asia Minor, is mentioned in Act_20:14.—Tr.]. It should, however be written with a small initial letter, as it is here the comparative of ἐããýò [of ἄã÷é (Passow).—Tr.], and signifies “nearer,” that is, nearer than was usual, or, quite near to the coast.
Act_27:14-15. But not long after.— Ἔâáëå , i.e., struck against [intransitively, fell upon, beat against, as frequently in classic writers, after the age of Homer. (Meyer).—Tr.].— Êáô ʼ áὐôῆò ; Luther supposed that these words referred to ðñïèÝóåùò , Act_27:13 [“their purpose”], which, however, would be a forced construction: Meyer refers them to ÊñÞôçí . But it is more natural, in accordance with the context, to assume that íáῦò is the subject, [Win. Gr. § 47. 5. k. note.—Tr.], although this word does not here actually occur. [“Luke employs áὐôῆò , because the mental antecedent is íáῦò , which actually occurs in Act_27:41, though his ordinary word is ðëïῖïí .” (Hackett).—Tr.].— Ôõöùíéêüò is derived from ôõöþí , a whirlwind, a hurricane.— Åὐñáêýëùí is compounded of Eurus and Aquilo, that is, northeast; this reading [see note 11 above, appended to the text.—Tr.] is preferable to Åὐñïêëýäùí . [The latter form, adopted by the Engl. version is, according to de Wette, derived from åὖñïò , the south-east wind, and êëýäùí , billow, wave. Other explanations have been furnished, but no one has met with general approbation. Howson remarks (Conyb. and H. II. 825 n. 7): “The addition of the words ὁ êáëïýìåíïò seems to us to show that it was a name popularly given by the sailors to the wind: and nothing is more natural than that St. Luke should use the word which he heard the seamen employ on the occasion.”—Tr.]. The term ôõöùíéêüò describes the violence of the wind, åὐñáêýëùí states its direction; for it was only a north-east wind which could have produced the effects that are subsequently described. The wind had veered around in an opposite direction.— Ἀíôïöèáëìåῖí , i.e., to look [the wind] in the face, to bear up against, to strive against.— Ἐðéäüíôåò , i.e., ôὸ ðëïῖïí . [“They were compelled to scud before the gale.” (Howson, l. c.)—Tr.]
Act_27:16; Acts 17. a. And running under a certain island [But when we came near to a small island],— ὙðïôñÝ ÷åéí is, as J. Smith remarks (p. 61, Note [2d ed. p. 100, Note], the most appropriate nautical term which could have here been employed. It states, first, that the ship had the wind behind it, and, secondly, that the wind was between the ship and the island, so that the former went to the south-east of the island. Clauda (also called Claudus by Ptolemy), [“a small island about twenty miles from the south coast of Crete” (Sir C. Penrose)—Tr.], now bears the name of Gozzo. Here they endeavored to hoist on board the boat with which the ship had been provided, so that, if the circumstances should render it necessary, they might make use of it; otherwise, the violence of the winds and the waves might tear it loose from the ship by which it had been towed, and it would then have been irretrievably lost. This work was performed with some difficulty [ ìüëéò , a third time, see Act_27:7-8]; Luke does not, however, explain wherein the difficulty consisted. [“After towing so long, it must have been nearly filled with water.” (Conyb. and H. II. 337.)—Tr.]. It was, next, considered to be indispensably necessary, that the ship should be undergirded, in order to prevent it from foundering at sea. This work was accomplished by means of certain âïÞèåéáé ; such aids or helps consisted of cables, chains, etc., which were passed under the keel of the vessel, in order to bind the planks together as tightly as possible. In mechanics, the ancients understood by âïÞèåéáé , props or supports. [Undergirding, technically termed frapping, consists in “passing cables or other large ropes under the keel and over the gunwales, and then drawing them tight by means of pullies and levers.” (Sir C. Penrose, quoted in Conyb. and H. II. 336, note 6).—Tr.]
b. And fearing lest, etc.—They were apprehensive of being driven on the Syrtis, i.e., Syrtis Major, between Tripoli and Barca on the African coast, which, on account of the rocks found in it, is still regarded by navigators as a dangerous shallow ( ἐêðÝóùóé , i.e., driven from the open sea against the land or rocks). The men had reason to entertain such fears, as the north-east wind was blowing at the time directly toward that quarter. The other, Syrtis Minor, cannot be here meant, it lay too far to the west [near Carthage]; they were, accordingly, in imminent danger of being driven upon the greater Syrtis. (There is, therefore, no reason to assume that Óýñôéí is here an appellative, in the general sense of sand-bank, particularly as the definite article is prefixed). [Nevertheless Lechler translates the word in the text above, Act_27:17, “sandbanks.”—Tr.]. In order to avoid this danger, they lowered the tackling. [“They lowered the gear. This is the most literal translation of the Greek expression.” (Conyb. and H. II. 337.)—“Strake sail (Engl. version) is regarded by the latest nautical interpreters as not only incorrect but contradictory, denoting not a wise precaution against danger, but a reckless rushing into it.” (Alex.).—Tr.]. The expression ôὸ óêåῦïò no doubt here means, in accordance with the context, the sails, which were furled, in order that the storm might not have too much power over the vessel; in that case, the words õὅôùò ἐöÝñïíôï mean that the latter was allowed to be driven without sails. But it is precisely this expression which shows that, if the narrator had been practically acquainted with nautical affairs, he would, unquestionably, if he at all mentioned the subject, have been more definite and full in his statements. [“What precise change was made we are not able to determine, in our ignorance of the exact state of the ship’s gear at the moment. It might mean that the mainsail was reefed and set. (Such is Mr. Smith’s view). Or it might mean that the great yard was lowered upon deck, and a small storm sail hoisted, etc.” (Conyb. etc. II. 337, 338).—Tr.]. J. Smith, who it is true, interprets here a priori, that is, according to the course which under the circumstances, ought to have been adopted, rather than according to the direct sense of the words themselves, speaks of the lowering of the gear, of the hoisting of the storm sail, and of tacking, p. 68 ff. [Second ed. p. 108, 109].—These (Act_27:13-17) were the events of the first day, after the vessel had left Pair Havens.
Act_27:18-19. And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest.—In consequence of the violence of the storm, many things were, on the following day, thrown overboard; the articles thus sacrificed for the purpose of lightening the ship, were probably the heavier and less valuable parts of the cargo. But on the third day, they were compelled to proceed even further [as the leaks no doubt admitted an increasing quantity of water.—Tr.], and cast out even a part of the furniture of the ship, such as tables, chests, etc. And the passengers themselves were now required to lend their assistance ( áὐôü÷åéñåò ). [Lechler, namely, prefers the reading which exhibits the verb ἐῤῥéø . in the first person. See note 13, above, appended to the text.—Tr.]
Act_27:20. And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared.—[“The sun and stars were the only guides of the ancients when out of sight of land.” (Alf.).—Tr.]. The voyagers were now exposed to the most severe trial; during eleven days they were in imminent danger of perishing; comp. Act_27:27. As the violence of the storm did not abate, and heavy clouds obscured the sky both by day and by night, they abandoned all hope of escaping with their lives, especially as the vessel appears to have suffered serious damage. [The leaky state of the ship increased upon them. (J. Smith).—Tr.]
Act_27:21-26. But after long abstinence.—This ðïëëὴ ἀóéôßá , that is, the long-continued and rigid abstinence from regular meals, cannot have been occasioned by an actual want of provisions, as the ship’s cargo consisted of wheat, which had not yet been cast overboard, Act_27:38. It was, partly, the impossibility of properly cooking food, and, partly, the incessant labors which were performed, together with the mental distress occasioned by fear and despair, which had prevented the voyagers from eating.—Paul stood forth … and said.—During this period of danger and painful anxiety, Paul came forward (the precise time previously to the catastrophe mentioned below, is not stated), and spoke to the company in encouraging terms; he promised all, on the authority of a divine revelation which he had received, that they should escape with their lives. If he, nevertheless, begins by saying that the advice which he had previously given (Act_27:10), should have been adopted, he is not influenced by an undue tenaciousness in adhering to his own opinion, but simply desires to demonstrate that he is justified in claiming the faith and confidence of his hearers, by reminding them that the result had so far fully established the soundness of his advice. [ ÌÝí after ὲäåé is not connected with êáὶ at the beginning of Act_27:22; the clause expressing the contrast (e. g., “but such I was not the case”) is omitted. See Kuehner. Gram. § 322. 5: 100. Rem. 4. (Meyer).—Tr.]. He uses the word êåñäáßíåéí in a sense in which it often occurs in later Greek, after the time of Aristotle; it indicates, in that case, a certain gain which consists, not, positively, in securing an advantage, but, negatively, in avoiding an injury or a loss against which precautions had been successfully adopted: and it is precisely for this reason that ὕâñéò cannot here with any propriety be understood in a moral sense, which is the interpretation of Meyer and Ewald. [See the Exeg. note above on Act_27:9-12.—Tr.]. The construction of the clause in Act_27:22, beginning with ἀðïâïëÞ , is the following: ‘for there will be no loss of life in the case of any of you, unless it be of the ship,’ that is, there will be a loss: the less precise ðëÞí is used instead of ðëÞí ìüíïõ . [Winer. Gr. § 67. 1. e.—Tr.].—This night. Act_27:23. that is, the preceding night, as Paul undoubtedly made this address to the company in the day-time. Ïὖ åἰìß , that is, ‘whose property I am’; a different thought is conveyed by ῷ ëáôñåýù [comp. Rom_1:9], ‘to whom I offer worship.’ The latter refers to acts of prayer on the part of Paul, which the people on board may at times, have noticed. We can hardly suppose that the vision occurred in a dream (Ewald); it was doubtless granted at a time when Paul was awake. If the promise made in Act_23:11, and which is here more fully explained in reference to the person of the emperor, was to be fulfilled, it also included an assurance of the safety of the life of Paul in the present danger. The words êå÷Üñéóôáß etc. do not merely furnish a general promise that the follow-travellers of the apostle shall escape with their lives, but also state in particular that they will be saved from death for the sake of Paul, inasmuch as God assures Paul of their safety, as an act of grace to him. Paul had, without doubt, offered prayers ( ëáôñåýù ) not only in behalf of himself, but also in behalf of all who were around him, and God had now accepted his intercessory petitions. ÄÝ , in Act_27:26, implies that their lives would indeed be spared, but that they would, nevertheless, experience much evil. The knowledge that they would be cast upon a certain island, appears to have been derived from the vision, but ‘Where?’ and ‘When,’—were questions which Paul could not yet answer.
Act_27:27-28. But when the fourteenth night was come.—The days and nights continue to be counted from the time when the vessel left the bay in Crete. The name of Adria was occasionally employed, it is true, in a restricted sense, even by the ancients, and designated that which is now known as the Adriatic Sea, namely, the gulf on the north of the straits of Otranto (N. lat. 40°—45°). But the name also frequently embraced, as in the present case, in addition to the Adriatic, also the Ionian Sea, so that it was applied to the sea on the east of Lower Italy and Sicily, in which Malta is also found. [For the anecdote of Cæsar, see below, Hom. and Pr. Act_27:27.—Tr.]. The conjecture of the sailors that they were in the vicinity of land, is expressed by the word ὑðåíüïõí , suspiciebant, as this circumstance would necessarily expose them to a new danger. [“The roar of breakers is a peculiar sound, which can be detected by a practised ear.” (Conyb. and H. II. 344).—Tr.]. The language ðñïòÜãåéí - - ÷þñáí is adapted to an optical illusion [“according to which the vessel seems to stand still and the land to move.” (Alex).—Tr.]: the converse is found in the following: “terraque urbesque recedunt.” [Æn. III. 72]. Luke does not state the grounds of the conjecture, but it was no doubt, suggested by the increasing sound which proceeded from the surf. J. Smith refers, on p. 81 ff. [118, 119], to a case which is, in a striking manner, similar to the one before us; it is that of the British frigate Lively, which was wrecked, Aug. 10, 1810, in the same region in which Paul is now found, not far from the point of Koura. He refers to the records of the Admiralty, and exhibits the remarkably analogous circumstances in the case of the English frigate, as given in evidence at the court-martial held on its officers. [“The mean rate of a drift of a ship circumstanced like that of Paul,” says J. Smith, “would be thirty six and a half miles in twenty-four hours. … Hence, according to the calculations, a ship starting late in the evening from Claude (476 miles distant from the point of Koura), would, by midnight on the fourteenth, be less than three miles from the entrance of St. Paul’s Bay.” See the Exeg. note on Act_27:39, bellow.—Tr.].—In order to learn whether there was reason to entertain fear, the sailors sounded and found at first a depth of 20 fathoms (120 feet), and after proceeding a little further, ascertained that the depth was only 15 fathoms (90 feet). [“The ancient fathom and the modern coincide so nearly, that the nautical interpreters, in their calculations, treat them as identical.” (Alex.).—Tr.]. Such a rapid decrease of the depth afforded just grounds for apprehending that they would be carried on the rocks or reef ( ôñá÷åἴò ôüðïõò ).
Act_27:29. They cast four anchors out of the stern.—They had a twofold purpose in anchoring: first, to keep the ship from foundering on a reef, and, secondly, to wait for day-light, so that the vessel might strand at a point which would, with the greatest probability, afford means of escaping to land. Not less than four anchors were let down; for vessels in ancient times did not possess those colossal anchors which modern vessels carry, and therefore took a larger number of them on board. They acted with prudence in letting go the anchors at the stern, for if they had anchored by the bow [the head of the Ship], the north-east wind, which still continued to blow, would have the more easily obtained control of the ship, and the wreck would have occurred under still more unfavorable circumstances [“the vessel would have swung round and gone upon the rocks.” (Conyb. and H. II., 345).—Tr.]. J. Smith has shown that these seamen acted with much prudence, and exhibited great skill. Howson, an English writer, mentions, that when Nelson appeared before Copenhagen, April, 1801, he ordered that each ship [as she arrived nearly opposite her appointed station], should let go her anchors astern—that this procedure was of advantage to the fleet—and that Nelson stated, after the battle, that he had that morning been reading the twenty-seventh chapter of the Acts, which had suggested this measure to him. [Lechler refers to Conybeare and Howson’s Life, etc., of St. Paul, II., 345.—Tr.]
Act_27:30. To flee out of the ship.—The sailors doubtless believed that the ship was in such a shattered state, that it would entirely go to pieces before the night was over; they may have, at the same time, apprehended that the character of the coast was so unfavorable, that when the ship would be finally wrecked, no hope of escape would remain. Hence they designed to flee out of the ship, by resorting to the boat, which had previously been secured on board, Act_27:16-17. The ship itself, and the company, they had cruelly intended to leave to their fate. They accordingly let down the boat into the sea, under the pretext that they proposed to cast anchors out of the foreship or prow. [“ Ìåëëüíôùí must be regarded as the genitive absolute, like the foregoing ( ôῶí äὲ íáõôῶí æçô .), and ðñïöÜóåé (comp. Thuc. V. 53.1, and VI. 76. 1) is used adverbially (Bernhardy, p. 130), while, in the classic writers the accusative, ðñüöáóéí is more usual, etc.” (Meyer).—Tr.]
Act_27:31-32. Except these abide in the ship.—[“For the third time in this memorable voyage and tempest (see Act_27:10; Act_27:21), Paul the prisoner comes forward as the counsellor of those who seemed to have his life and liberty at their disposal.” (Alex.).—It may seem singular that Paul, even after the divine promise (Act_27:22-24), should regard the safety of the whole company as depending on the presence of the sailors. It must, however, be remembered that the efficacy of any divine interposition is not here represented as depending on human means and ends. But when God has prescribed a certain course of action, which men are to pursue, he requires that they should adopt that course, and employ the means appointed by Him, if they desire the aid of His omnipotence. (Calvin).—Tr.] Paul defeated the plan of the faithless and treacherous sailors by communicating it to the Roman military force. [“He penetrated the design of the former, and either from some divine intimation of the instruments which were to be providentially employed for the safety of all on board,—or from an intuitive judgment, which showed him that those who would be thus left behind, the passengers and soldiers, would not be able to work the ship in any emergency that might arise,—he saw that, if the sailors accomplished their purpose, all hope of being saved would be gone. With his usual tact, he addressed not a word to the sailors, but spoke to the soldiers and his friend the centurion; and they, with military promptitude, held no discussion on the subject, but decided the question by immediate action.” (Conyb. and Howson, etc., II. 347 f.).—Tr.]. The soldiers were, as a matter of course, not acquainted with the art of navigation, and would have been left without any resource, if all the sailors had withdrawn. They therefore cut the ropes by which the boat was still attached to the ship, and abandoned it to the waves.
Act_27:33-37. And while the day was coming on.—[But until it began to be day]. Ἄ÷ñé , i.e., before it was day, and, accordingly, before they could begin to work and resort to the final measures which were to be adopted for saving their lives. As the strength of each individual would be taxed to the utmost by the effort to reach the shore, and as each one should be as fully as possible prepared to meet the emergency, Paul encouraged all, both by his words and his acts, to take a full meal. [“For the fourth time Paul the prisoner assumes, as it were, the command of the vessel, or at least the direction of the company, etc. … The words ‘having taken nothing’ are not to be strictly understood, but as a natural and popular hyperbole, denoting the omission of all stated meals, etc.” (Alex.).—Tr.]. The apostle himself showed a good example, after having given thanks to God aloud in the presence of all. [“Paul does not here observe a love-feast (Olsh.), nor does he act as the head of a family (Meyer), but simply proceeds as a devout Jew, who offers the prayer of thanks before he eats.” (De Wette).—Tr.]
Act_27:38. And when they had eaten enough.—It was now time to adopt active measures for their rescue. The first step which they took was that of lightening the ship by casting the wheat [ ôὸí óῖôïí ] overboard. Meyer maintains that this word designates the ship’s provisions; these could not, however, under any circumstances, have been merely grain, but must have consisted of biscuit and other articles of food, and had, no doubt, been already so far reduced in quantity that their weight could not attract attention in the present emergency. It was, namely, the main object of the voyagers to bring the vessel as near to the shore as possible, before it actually struck. [“The cargo of wheat was now probably spoilt by the salt water. … Besides this, it is probable that, the ship having been so long in one position, the wheat had shifted over to the port side, and prevented the vessel from keeping that upright position, which would be most advantageous when they came to steer her towards the shore.” … “Sir C. Penrose says: ‘I doubt not that it was found, that, from the ship having been so long pressed down on one side, the cargo had shifted—towards the larboard side, etc.’ ” (Conyb. and Howson, II. 349, and note 3).—Tr.]. The cargo, accordingly, consisted chiefly of grain, and this opinion is the more probable, as the ship had come from Alexandria, and was proceeding to Italy, while it is well known that grain was the principal article which was exported from Egypt. This view, viz., that ὁ óῖôïò was the cargo of the ship, had already been entertained by Erasmus, Luther, Beza, etc., and has recently been sustained by James Smith, Hackett, and also Baumgarten. Hackett, the American commentator, has, in particular, here adduced a very ingenious remark of Blunt, namely, that various incidental notices in different parts of the chapter, when properly combined, throw light on this subject. Thus, we are told in Act_27:6, that the ship belonged to Alexandria, and was on its way to Italy; we learn next, from Act_27:10, where the “lading”