Online Resource Library
Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadBob Utley You Can Understand the Bible - Acts 27:27 - 27:32
(Show All Books | Show All Chapters)
This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Act_27:27-32
27But when the fourteenth night came, as we were being driven about in the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors began to surmise that they were approaching some land. 28They took soundings and found it to be twenty fathoms; and a little farther on they took another sounding and found it to be fifteen fathoms. 29Fearing that we might run aground somewhere on the rocks, they cast four anchors from the stern and wished for daybreak. 30But as the sailors were trying to escape from the ship and had let down the ship's boat into the sea, on the pretense of intending to lay out anchors from the bow, 31Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, "Unless these men remain in the ship, you yourselves cannot be saved." 32Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the ship's boat and let it fall away.
Act_27:27 "the fourteenth night" This time fits exactly the distance covered in their drifting configuration (i.e., sea anchor). They traveled 476 miles at 36 miles per 24-hour period.
▣ "Adriatic Sea" This refers to the south central Mediterranean (Adria). It does not refer to the Adriatic Sea of our day.
▣ "began to surmise that they were approaching some land" They possibly heard the breakers or saw certain birds or fish.
Act_27:28 "sounding" This is from the verb that means "to heave the lead," which refers to dropping a weighted rope, marked to denote the depth of the water.
▣ "fathom" This was the space between the arms outstretched. It denoted the measurement used by sailors to express the depth of the water.
Act_27:29 It was still dark. They did not know exactly where they were. They wanted to slow down or stop the ship's approach to land until they could see where the ship was heading.
Act_27:30 These sailors were not men of faith. They would do whatever they could to save themselves.
Act_27:31 There were some conditions (third class conditional sentence) connected to Paul's updated vision and God's promise.
▣ "saved" This is the OT sense of physical deliverance (cf. Jas_5:15). Knowing Paul, these sailors, soldiers, and fellow passengers also heard the gospel, which brings the NT sense of the term spiritual salvation. What a tragedy to be saved from physical death to die an eternal death!