John Gill

About noon, O king, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and my companions.

“At midday, O king,.... So in Act 12:6. This circumstance is omitted in Act 9:3. King Agrippa is called upon by the apostle, to excite his attention to what he was about to relate, it being very wonderful, and of great importance.”

We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice say to me in Hebrew, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?

“And when we were all fallen to the earth,.... Saul, and the men that were with him, for fear of the divine Majesty, who by this extraordinary light was thought to be present: the other narratives only relate Saul's falling to the earth; how this…”

‘Who are You, Lord?’ I asked. ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied.

“And I said, who art thou, Lord? and he said,.... Or "the Lord said", as the Alexandrian copy, the Vulgate Latin, and Syriac versions read, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest; the Syriac and Ethiopic versions read, "Jesus of Nazareth"; See Gill on Act 9:5.”

For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple courts and tried to kill me.

“For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple,.... He means the Asiatic Jews, who finding him in the temple, laid hold on him, and dragged him out of it: and, as he says, went about to kill me; for no other reason, but…”

that the Christ would suffer, and as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to our people and to the Gentiles.”

“That Christ should suffer,.... Great afflictions in soul and body, and death itself; this is recorded by Moses, Gen 3:15 and is the sense of many of the types, as of the passover, brazen serpent, &c.”

Then the king and the governor rose, along with Bernice and those seated with them.

“And when he had thus spoken,.... These words are omitted in the Alexandrian copy, the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Ethiopic versions: the king rose up; from the judgment seat; that is, King Agrippa: and the governor; the Roman governor, Festus: and Bernice: the sister of…”

On their way out, they said to one another, “This man has done nothing worthy of death or imprisonment.”

“And when they were gone aside,.... Into some apartment adjoining to the judgment hall: they talked between themselves; that the common people might not hear their debates, and the result of them, and what were their sentiments concerning Paul and his case: saying, this man…”

After putting out from there, we sailed to the lee of Cyprus because the winds were against us.

“And when we had launched from thence,.... From Sidon: we sailed under Cyprus, because the winds were contrary; that is, they sailed below the island of Cyprus; of which see Act 4:36 whereas if the wind had been right for them, they would have sailed…”

Unable to head into the wind, the ship was caught up. So we gave way and let ourselves be driven along.

“And when the ship was caught,.... By the wind, snatched up by it, and forcibly carried away: and could not bear up into the wind; and against it, or look it in the face, as the word signifies; could not ply to windward, the wind…”

Passing to the lee of a small island called Cauda, we barely managed to secure the lifeboat.

“And running under a certain island,.... Or below a certain island and hard by, it or under the sea shore of it, where the sea might be smoother, the wind not being there so strong: which is called Clauda: by Ptolomy (x) it is called…”

We were tossed so violently that the next day the men began to jettison the cargo.

“And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest,.... Sometimes being lifted up as it were to the heavens, and then presently sinking down, as if they were going into the bottom of the sea; such a condition at sea is described to the life by…”

and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And look, God has granted you the lives of all who sail with you.’

“Saying, fear not, Paul,.... For though the apostle knew and believed he should go to Rome, and appear before Caesar, to whom he had appealed, and where he should bear a testimony for Christ; and though he had previous notice of this storm, and of…”

So take courage, men, for I believe God that it will happen just as He told me.

“Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer,.... Which he repeats with more fervency and earnestness, there being so much reason for it: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me: true faith lays hold and, settles upon the word and…”

However, we must run aground on some island.”

“Howbeit, we must be cast upon a certain island. This circumstance is foretold, that when the whole affair should come to pass, it might be manifest that it was not a casual thing, a fortuitous event, a business of chance, but was predetermined by God…”

They took soundings and found that the water was twenty fathoms deep. Going a little farther, they took another set of soundings that read fifteen fathoms.

“And sounded,.... Or let down their plummet, or sounding line; which was a line with a piece of lead at the end of it, which they let down into the water, and by that means found what depth it was, by which they could judge…”

Fearing that we would run aground on the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daybreak.

“Then fearing lest they should have fallen upon rocks,.... Or rough places, as shelves, rocks, or sands, as they might well fear, when the water shallowed so fast, from 20 to 15 fathoms: they cast four anchors out of the stern; or hinder part of…”

So the soldiers cut the ropes to the lifeboat and set it adrift.

“Then the soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat,.... With which it had been fastened to the sides of the ship, and by which the mariners were letting it down, in order to get into it, and go off: and let her fall off…”

In all, there were 276 of us on board.

“And we were in all in the ship,.... Reckoning the master and owner of the ship, and the centurion and the soldiers, and the apostle and his company, with whatsoever passengers there might be: two hundred and threescore and sixteen souls; the Alexandrian copy reads…”

But the vessel struck a sandbar and ran aground. The bow stuck fast and would not move, and the stern was being broken up by the pounding of the waves.

“And falling into a place where two seas met,.... An "isthmus", on each side of which the sea ran; and which the inhabitants of Malta, as Beza says, show to this day, and call it, "la Cala de San Paulo", or the Descent of Saint…”

But the centurion, wanting to spare Paul’s life, thwarted their plan. He commanded those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land.

“But the centurion, willing to save Paul,.... Not only because he was a Roman citizen, but because he perceived he was some extraordinary person; and chiefly because he was moved there unto by a superior influence, that Satan might not have his end; and that…”

The rest were to follow on planks and various parts of the ship. In this way everyone was brought safely to land.

“And the rest, some on boards,.... Doors, tables, planks, or any such like things: and some on broken pieces of the ship; or what came from it, as masts, beams, &c.”

The islanders honored us in many ways and supplied our needs when we were ready to sail.

“Who also honoured us with many honours,.... Not with divine honours, with religious adorations, as if they had been so many deities; for these they would not have received, nor have recorded them, to the commendation of the inhabitants; but civil honours, expressions of respect…”

There we found some brothers who invited us to spend the week with them. And so we came to Rome.

“Where we found brethren,.... Christians; which is not to be wondered at, since it was a port much frequented, and where many came and went, of different countries and nations; particularly there were many Jews here, to whom the Gospel was first preached, and to…”

They examined me and wanted to release me, because there was no basis for a death sentence against me.

“Who when they had examined me,.... About the things laid to his charge, had heard what his accusers had to object to him, and the defence he made for himself: would have let me go; released him from his bonds, and set him at liberty…”

They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: “The Holy Spirit was right when He spoke to your fathers through Isaiah the prophet:

“And when they agreed not among themselves,.... One part believing what was said, and the other disbelieving; and such a division is the usual effect of the Gospel ministry; see Luk 12:”