Actschapter 27
44 verses · Luke · about AD 62 · Acts
When it was decided that we would sail for Italy, Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a centurion named Julius, who belonged to the Imperial Regiment.
Introduction
Luke, Acts, Acts Overview.
Luke wrote this chapter as a passenger on the ship, and it is the most detailed account of a sea voyage to survive from the ancient world. He writes for readers who wanted to see how the Lord brought Paul to Rome. The chapter sets the skill of sailors beside the word of a prisoner who has heard from God. Listen for the names of ports and winds and for the season of the year. Listen also for who takes command as hope fails. Read it as a story of the Lord keeping His word through danger at sea.
Context
- Who
- Theophilus and Gentile readers, following one of the most detailed sea narratives to survive from the ancient world.
- What
- The voyage from Caesarea toward Rome, the stop at Fair Havens, the storm called the northeaster, the fourteen days adrift, Paul's word of encouragement, and the shipwreck on the coast of Malta.
- Where
- The eastern Mediterranean, from Caesarea past Sidon, Cyprus and Myra to Crete, then across open sea driven by the storm to the island of Malta.
- When
- The late autumn of AD 59, after the Day of Atonement, when sailing on the open sea was already dangerous.
- Why
- To show that the Lord who had promised Paul that he would stand before Caesar kept him and all who sailed with him through the storm.
Historical context
Sailing on the Mediterranean was seasonal. The safe season ran roughly from late spring to mid-September; after that shipping was risky, and from November to March it effectively stopped. Luke marks the danger by saying the Fast had already passed, the Day of Atonement, in late September or October. They were sailing on borrowed time.
Show the rest of the historical context, 3 more paragraphs
The second ship is from Alexandria and carries wheat. Egypt fed Rome, and the grain fleet was so vital that the state insured its shippers against loss to keep them sailing late. That is why a captain and owner would gamble on reaching a better harbour rather than wintering at Fair Havens, and why a centurion escorting prisoners could get passage for two hundred and seventy-six people on a cargo vessel.
The northeaster Luke names, Euraquilo, a hybrid Greek-Latin sailors' word, drives them under the lee of a small island where they haul the towed dinghy aboard and pass cables under the hull to hold the ship together. Then they run before it for two weeks with no sun or stars, which in an age of celestial navigation means no idea where they are.
The soundings tell the story of the last night: twenty fathoms, then fifteen. Sailors could hear surf before they could see land. Roman law made a guard answerable for escaped prisoners, which is why the soldiers propose killing them all, and why the centurion's decision to spare Paul saves every prisoner aboard.
Significance
For the first readers the chapter proved something about the promise God had made. Paul had been told he would stand before Caesar; the storm did not cancel it, and the assurance he passed on to the crew, not one life would be lost, was kept exactly.
Show the rest of the significance, 1 more paragraph
It also showed a prisoner becoming the steadiest man on the ship: warning the officers, exposing the sailors' attempt to abandon it, and finally taking bread and giving thanks in front of everyone before they ate. The centurion ends up listening to him rather than to the captain.
The heads below are this chapter's scenes. The numbered points under each are its verses.
Sailing for Rome Against Paul's Warning
Acts 27:1-3
we would sail for Italy: When it was decided that we would sail for Italy, the we of the narrative returns, as Luke boards with Paul and Aristarchus. The chapter that follows is the most detailed voyage narrative surviving from antiquity, prized by historians of seamanship.
Acts 27:1
“And when it was determined - By Festus Act 25:12, and when the time was come when it was convenient to send him. That we should sail - The use of the term “we” here shows that the author of this book, Luke, was with Paul. He had been his traveling companion, and though he had not been accused, yet it was resolved that he should still accompany him. Whether he went at his own expense, or whether he was sent at the expense of the Roman government, does not appear.”
2 more voices on this verseWhat preachers and commentators have said about this verse, in their own words.
Acts 27:1
“I know not what band that was which Luke calleth the band of Augustus, unless, peradventure, it be that which was commonly called the praetor's band, before the monarchy of the Caesars. And Luke setteth down in plain words, that they were put in a ship of Adramyttium; because they should sail by the coast of Asia. For Adramyttium is a city of Aeolia.”
John Calvin · Commentaries (1554)reformed
Acts 27:1
“Not that he had left the apostle from the time when he last included himself (Ac 21:18), but the apostle was parted from him by his arrest and imprisonment, until now, when they met in the ship. delivered Paul and certain other prisoners--State prisoners going to be tried at Rome; of which several instances are on record.”
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)reformed
Adramyttian ship: The ship came from Adramyttium, a port of Mysia, and Albert Barnes notes that she was bound only for the ports of Asia. The centurion planned to change ships on the way. John Chrysostom sees purpose in Aristarchus coming along, since he could carry word back to Macedonia.
Acts 27:2
“A ship of Adramyttium - There were several places of this name; and in different MSS. the name is variously written. The port in question appears to have been a place in Mysia, in Asia Minor. And the abbé Vertot, in his history of the Knights of Malta, says it is now called Mehedia.”
Adam Clarke · Commentary on the Bible (1810-1826)evangelical
2 more voices on this verse
Acts 27:2
“Aristarchus is profitably present and accompanies Paul, since he must report in Macedonia everything that happened to Paul.”
Theophylact of Ohrid · written before 1107 · Commentary on Actspatristic
Acts 27:2
“And it is likewise an instance of Paul's fidelity. He did not go about to make his escape, which he might have easily done; but, being out upon his parole of honour, he faithfully returns to his imprisonment. If the centurion is so civil as to take his word, he is so just and honest as to keep his word.”
Matthew Henry · Commentary on the Whole Bible (1707-1721)puritan
we landed at Sidon: Sidon lay about sixty-seven miles north of Caesarea, a day's sail, as Albert Barnes reckons. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown take Paul's friends to be disciples from the churches planted along the Phoenician coast after the scattering of Acts 11:19. Felix had allowed the same kind of visits in Acts 24:23.
Acts 27:3
“We touched at Sidon - See the notes on Mat 11:21. Sidon was about 67 miles north of Caesarea, and the passage could be easily accomplished, under favorable circumstances, in 24 hours. It is probable that the vessel, being a “coaster,” put in there for purposes of trade. Sidon is the last city on the Phoenician coast in which the presence of the apostle can be traced. And Julius courteously entreated Paul - Treated him kindly or humanely. And gave him liberty ... - The same thing had been done by Felix, Act 24:23. Unto his friends - In Sidon.”
1 more voice on this verse
Acts 27:3
"Julius, treating Paul kindly." And it was natural to lead and support Paul, who was weighed down by chains and fear. Notice how the writer does not conceal the fact that Paul was in need of care for himself.
Theophylact of Ohrid · written before 1107 · Commentary on Actspatristic
Acts 27:4-8
the winds were against us: With the winds against them, the ship sailed to Myra, then with difficulty to Fair Havens on Crete. James Smith found every bearing and delay consistent with the late-season winds of the Levant, the log of an eyewitness.
Acts 27:4
“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 above the island; leaving it on the right hand, in a straight course to Myra; but now they were obliged to go below it, leaving it on the left hand, going in part about it, through the seas of Cilicia and Pamphylia to Lycia, as follows.”
1 more voice on this verse
Acts 27:4
“We sailed under Cyprus - For an account of Cyprus, see the notes on Act 4:36. By sailing “under Cyprus” is meant that they sailed along its coasts; they kept near to it; they thus endeavored to break off the violent winds. Instead of steering a direct course in the open sea, which would have exposed them to violent opposing winds, they kept near this large island, so that it was between them and the westerly winds. The force of the wind was thus broken, and the voyage was rendered less difficult and dangerous.”
Myra in Lycia: Albert Barnes places Lycia in the southwest of Asia Minor, with Pamphylia to its east and the Mediterranean to its south. John Chrysostom notes that God left the contrary winds in place and kept the ship safe by holding it close to the land. At Myra the centurion changed ships.
Acts 27:5
“The sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia - The sea which lies off the, coast from these two regions. For their situation, see the notes on Act 6:9, and Act 13:13. We came to Myra, a city of Lycia - Lycia was a province in the southwestern part of Asia Minor, having Phrygia and Pisidia on the north, the Mediterranean on the south, Pamphylia on the east, and Carla on the west.”
an Alexandrian ship: Egypt was the granary of Italy, and Jamieson, Fausset and Brown note that such a grain ship could carry the 276 people of verse 37. Albert Barnes suggests that adverse winds had driven her north to the coast of Asia Minor. Her cargo was wheat for Rome.
Acts 27:6
“A ship of Alexandria - It appears, from Act 27:38, that this ship was laden with wheat, which she was carrying from Alexandria to Rome. We know that the Romans imported much corn from Egypt, together with different articles of Persian and Indian merchandise.”
Adam Clarke · Commentary on the Bible (1810-1826)evangelical
1 more voice on this verse
Acts 27:6
“Alexandria was now the chief city of Egypt, and great trading there was between that city and Italy; from Alexandria they carried corn to Rome, and the East-India goods and Persian which they imported at the Red Sea they exported again to all parts of the Mediterranean, and especially to Italy.”
Matthew Henry · Commentary on the Whole Bible (1707-1721)puritan
arrived off Cnidus: With a fair wind, Jamieson, Fausset and Brown reckon, the run from Myra to Cnidus was about one hundred thirty miles, a single day's sail. They add that a strong westerly current then pushed the ship south toward Crete. Salmone was the cape at the island's eastern tip.
Acts 27:7
“And after we had sailed slowly for many days, and with difficulty had come against Chios. It is better read as against Cnidus, which is an island opposite Asia.”
Bede · written before 735 · Commentary on Actspatristic
1 more voice on this verse
Acts 27:7
“But for the contrary wind they might have made the distance from Myra (one hundred thirty miles) in one day. They would naturally have put in at Cnidus, whose larger harbor was admirable, but the strong westerly current induced them to run south. under--the lee of Crete--(See on Tit 1:5). over against Salmone--the cape at the eastern extremity of the island.”
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)reformed
a place called Fair Havens: Albert Barnes describes Fair Havens as an open roadstead on Crete's south side, safe for a time and poor for a whole winter. John Wesley notes that the bay still kept its old name, while the town of Lasea had vanished. Verse 12 turns on this harbor's weakness.
Acts 27:8
“We came to a certain place, which is called Fair Havens. THESE Fair Havens, not THIS Fair Havens.”
Bede · written before 735 · Retractions on Actspatristic
2 more voices on this verse
Acts 27:8
“The Fair Havens - This port still remains, and is known by the same name; it was situated towards the northern extremity of the island. Was the city of Lasea - There is no city of this name now remaining: the Codex Alexandrinus reads Αλασσα, Alassa; probably Lysia, near the port of Gortyna, to the eastward.”
Adam Clarke · Commentary on the Bible (1810-1826)evangelical
Acts 27:8
“The Fair Havens still retain the name. But the city of Lasea is now utterly lost, together with many more of the hundred cities for which Crete was once so renowned.”
John Wesley · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)evangelical
Acts 27:9-12
the voyage had already become dangerous: because it was after the Fast of the Day of Atonement, in October, when shipping closed for winter. Paul warned of great loss to ship, cargo and lives, yet the centurion was persuaded by the pilot and the owner.
Acts 27:9
“When much time was spent - In sailing along the coast of Asia; in contending with the contrary winds. It is evident that when they started they had hoped to reach Italy before the dangerous time of navigating the Mediterranean should arrive. But they had been detained and embarrassed contrary to their expectation, so that they were now sailing in the most dangerous and tempestuous time of the year. Because the fast was now already past - By the “fast” here is evidently intended the fast which occurred among the Jews on the great day of atonement.”
2 more voices on this verse
Acts 27:9
“I think Paul is speaking here of the Jewish fast, since he had departed a long time after Pentecost, so that he arrived at the borders of Crete almost by winter.”
Theophylact of Ohrid · written before 1107 · Commentary on Actspatristic
Acts 27:9
“The fast, or day of atonement, was kept on the tenth of Tisri, that is, the 25th of September. This was to them an ill time of sailing; not only because winter was approaching, but also because of the sudden storms, which are still common in the Mediterranean at that time of the year.”
John Wesley · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)evangelical
I can see that our voyage: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown read Paul's warning as sound judgment from experience of the sea, and John Chrysostom sees modesty in his words. The warning included loss of life. Oecumenius explains that the danger was real and the lives were spared only because God preserved them, as verse 22 announces.
Acts 27:10
“I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt, etc. - Paul might either have had this intimation from the Spirit of God, or from his own knowledge of the state of this sea after the autumnal equinox, and therefore gave them this prudent warning.”
Adam Clarke · Commentary on the Bible (1810-1826)evangelical
1 more voice on this verse
Acts 27:10
“Sirs, I perceive, that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, &c.--not by any divine communication, but simply in the exercise of a good judgment aided by some experience. The event justified his decision.”
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)reformed
the pilot and by the owner: Albert Barnes distinguishes the two men: the pilot steered and directed the crew, while the owner held the ship and employed the pilot. John Wesley grants the centurion's rule, that a craftsman is believed in his own trade. In great need, he adds, a Christian often advises better.
Acts 27:11
“The master - The person who is here meant was the helmsman, who occupied in ancient ships a conspicuous place on the stern, and steered the ship, and gave directions to the crew. The owner of the ship - Probably a different person from “the master.” He had the general command of the ship as his own property, but had employed “the master,” or the pilot, to direct and manage it. His counsel in regard to the propriety of continuing the voyage would be likely to be followed.”
2 more voices on this verse
Acts 27:11
“The centurion regarded the master - And indeed it is a general rule, believe an artificer in his own art. Yet when there is the greatest need, a real Christian will often advise even better than him.”
John Wesley · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)evangelical
Acts 27:11
“Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and owner . . . more than . . . Paul--He would naturally think them best able to judge, and there was much to say for their opinion, as the bay at Fair Havens, being open to nearly one-half of the compass, could not be a good winter harbor.”
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)reformed
facing both southwest and northwest: A harbor open to the west would give poor shelter from winter gales, and Jamieson, Fausset and Brown work through the puzzle. Following James Smith, they suggest the phrase gives the line of those winds, with the harbor itself lying east of them. They identify Phoenix as the modern Lutro.
Acts 27:12
“Phenice--"Phenix," now called Lutro. which lieth toward the southwest and northwest--If this means that it was open to the west, it would certainly not be good anchorage! It is thought therefore to mean that a wind from that quarter would lead into it, or that it lay in an easterly direction from such a wind [SMITH].”
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)reformed
Euroclydon: Days Without Sun or Stars
Acts 27:13-17
gentle south wind began to blow: Soon after a gentle south wind, a cyclone called the Northeaster swept down from Crete's mountains, and the ship was driven. The crew used ropes to undergird the ship and lowered the sea anchor, and Luke's vocabulary is the working sailor's.
Acts 27:13
“The south wind - The wind before had probably been a head-wind, blowing from the west. When it veered round to the south, and when it blew gently, though not entirely favorable, yet it was so that they supposed they could sail along the coast of Crete. Had obtained their purpose - The object of their desire; that is, to sail safely along the coast of Crete. Loosing thence - Setting sail from the fair havens. Close by Crete - Near the shore. It is evident that they designed, if possible, to make the harbor of Phenice to winter there.”
a cyclone called the Northeaster: Luke calls it a typhonic wind, a whirling storm. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown explain it as a tornado and prefer the reading Euraquilo, an east-northeast wind, over the older Euroclydon. John Wesley compares these storms to the levanters of his own day, which swing round from northeast to southeast.
Acts 27:14
“A Typhonic wind sent itself against them. Another Latin translation says: A tempestuous wind. For Typhus in Greek is called inflation in Latin.”
Bede · written before 735 · Commentary on Actspatristic
2 more voices on this verse
Acts 27:14
“A tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon - Interpreters have been greatly perplexed with this word; and the ancient copyists not less so, as the word is variously written in the MSS. and versions. Dr. Shaw supposes it to be one of those tempestuous winds called levanters, which blow in all directions, from N.E. round by the E. to S.E.”
Adam Clarke · Commentary on the Bible (1810-1826)evangelical
Acts 27:14
“There arose against it - The south wind; a tempestuous wind, called in those parts Euroclydon. This was a kind of hurricane, not carrying them any one way, but tossing them backward and forward. These furious winds are now called levanters, and blow in all directions from the northeast to the southeast.”
John Wesley · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)evangelical
Unable to head into the wind: Luke's verb means to look the wind in the eye, and Adam Clarke explains that sailors in a squall turn the bow into the wind. This ship was helpless against the gale, so she ran before it. Oecumenius calls the phrase a figure borrowed from the human face.
Acts 27:15
“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 being so high and the sea so strong: we let her drive; about the sea, at pleasure, it being in vain to attempt to get her forward against the wind, or to direct her course.”
a small island called Cauda: Albert Barnes places Cauda about twenty miles southwest of Crete, where the island broke the force of the wind for a short stretch. Adam Clarke suggests the boat had been towed astern and was in danger of being smashed. The crew used this brief shelter to haul it aboard.
Acts 27:16
“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 Claudus, and was near the island of Crete, and now called Gozo.”
1 more voice on this verse
Acts 27:16
“A certain island - called Clauda - Called also Gaudos; situated at the south-western extremity of the island of Crete, and now called Gozo, according to Dr. Shaw. Much work to come by the boat - It was likely to have been washed overboard; or, if the boat was in tow, at the stern of the vessel, which is probable, they found it very difficult to save it from being staved, or broken to pieces.”
Adam Clarke · Commentary on the Bible (1810-1826)evangelical
undergird the ship: Adam Clarke explains the undergirding as frapping, passing cables under the hull and tightening them on deck to keep the planks from starting. Seamen still did it in his day. The sandbars of Syrtis lay off Libya to the southwest, and a northeast wind was driving the ship toward them.
Acts 27:17
“Which when they had taken up - When they had raised up the boat into the ship, so as to secure it. They used helps - They used ropes, cables, stays, or chains, for the purpose of securing the ship. The danger was that the ship would be destroyed, and they therefore made use of such aids as would prevent its loss. Undergirding the ship - The ancients were accustomed to pass cables or strong ropes around a vessel to keep the planks from springing or starting by the action of the sea. This is now called “frapping” a vessel.”
1 more voice on this verse
Acts 27:17
They were being carried under control with a newly lowered sail. Another translation places it thus: "Fearing that they might fall into the Syrtic, they loosened the ropes and thus were being carried."
Bede · written before 735 · Commentary on Actspatristic
Acts 27:18-20
We were tossed so violently: Neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and without sky there was no navigation. Luke writes the despair in the first person, we abandoned all hope of being saved, recording the day he too gave up.
Acts 27:18
“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 the Psalmist, in Psa 107:25. the next day they lightened the ship; of its burden, its lading, the goods and merchandise that were in it; as the mariners did in the ship in which Jonah was, Jon 1:5 the Ethiopic version renders it, "they cast the goods into the sea"; the Arabic version, the "merchandise".”
tackle overboard: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown take this second lightening, by passengers and crew together, as a sign that the ship was now leaking. Albert Barnes notes that some anchors stayed aboard. Verse 29 shows four of them in use.
Acts 27:19
“The tackling of the ship - The anchors, sails, cables, baggage, etc. That is, everything that was not indispensable to its preservation, for it seems still Act 27:29 that they retained some of their anchors on board.”
neither sun nor stars appeared: James Smith, quoted by Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, judged that the crew's fear came more from the ship's state than from the storm. Ancient ships leaked easily and were hard to repair at sea. Matthew Henry adds that despair took away their appetite, which explains the fast of verse 21.
Acts 27:20
“Neither sun nor stars in many days appeared - And consequently they could make no observation; and, having no magnetical needle, could not tell in what direction they were going.”
Adam Clarke · Commentary on the Bible (1810-1826)evangelical
Acts 27:21-26
Paul stood up among them: Paul called them to courage, since only the ship would be lost. An angel of God told him he must stand before Caesar, as 23:11 promised, and gave him every life aboard. Paul's I believe God sets faith between promise and outcome.
Acts 27:21
“But after long abstinence - By the violence of the storm, by their long continued labor, and by their apprehension of danger, they had a long time abstained from food. And to have gained this harm - To have procured this harm, or have subjected yourselves to it. Had you remained there you would have been safe. It seems to be bad English to speak of gaining a loss, but it is a correct translation of the original κερδῆσαί kerdēsai, which expresses the idea of acquiring or procuring, whether good or evil. See Act 27:9-10.”
keep up your courage: Albert Barnes observes that Paul's warning at Fair Havens had proved right, so the men had reason to listen to him now. John Chrysostom notes that he foretold an island landing, the loss of the ship and the saving of every life. All of it came true on Malta.
Acts 27:22
“There shall be no loss of - life - This must be joyous news to those from whom all hope that they should be saved was taken away: Act 27:20.”
Adam Clarke · Commentary on the Bible (1810-1826)evangelical
whose I am and whom I serve: Matthew Henry unfolds the first phrase: Paul belongs to God by creation, preservation and redemption, so God has the right to give him law. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown set it beside 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, where believers belong to the God who bought them. Earlier visions came in 16:9 and 23:11.
Acts 27:23
“There stood by me - There appeared to me. The angel of God - The messages of God were often communicated by angels. See Heb 1:14. This does not mean that there was any particular angel, but simply an angel. Whose I am - Of the God to whom I belong. This is an expression of Paul’s entire devotedness to him. Whom I serve - In the gospel. To whom and to whose cause I am entirely devoted.”
2 more voices on this verse
Acts 27:23
“Because God made us and not we ourselves, therefore we are not our own but his. His we are by creation, for he made us; by preservation, for he maintains us; by redemption, for he bought us. We are more his than our own. [2.] As his sovereign ruler and master, who, having given him being, has right to give him law: Whom I serve.”
Matthew Henry · Commentary on the Whole Bible (1707-1721)puritan
Acts 27:23
Both good and bad angels are among people. Not by chance or without reason was that angel, for example, allotted to be the guardian of Peter or that other one for Paul or those of the children of the church, those that always "behold the face of their Father, who is in heaven."
Origen of Alexandria · written before 253 · Homilies on Joshua 23.3patristic
you must stand before Caesar: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown set this beside Plutarch's story of Julius Caesar telling a frightened pilot to take heart, since he carried Caesar. Paul's confidence rests on God's word to him. Theophylact of Ohrid adds that the promise refutes the claim of Homer that no one can escape his fate.
Acts 27:24
“God hath given thee all them that sail with thee - Two hundred and seventy-six souls saved for the sake of one man! This was a strong proof of God’s approbation of Paul; and must at least have shown to Julius the centurion that his prisoner was an injured and innocent man.”
Adam Clarke · Commentary on the Bible (1810-1826)evangelical
4 more voices on this verse
Acts 27:24
“You cannot deny that the prisoner and the jailers were of unequal merit. And what were the circumstances of that shipwreck involving the apostle and the soldiers? The apostle Paul described a vision afterwards and said that those who were on the ship had been given to him by the Lord. Are we to suppose that he to whom they were given and they who were given to him were of the same merit? Ten righteous people can save a sinful city. Lot together with his daughters was delivered from the fire.”
Jerome · written before 420 · Against Jovinianus 2.24patristic
Acts 27:24
“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 the loss and damage which should be sustained, and which he expected; yet the flesh was weak, and he might be under some fears and misgivings of heart, for these sometimes attend the best of men.”
Acts 27:24
“And rather will many bad men be preserved with a few good, (so it frequently happens,) than one good man perish with many bad. So it was in this ship: so it is in the world. Thee - At such a time as this, there was not the same danger, which might otherwise have been, of St. Paul's seeming to speak out of vanity, what he really spoke out of necessity.”
John Wesley · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)evangelical
Acts 27:24
“What a contrast to this is the speech of Cæsar in similar circumstances to his pilot, bidding him keep up his spirit because he carried Cæsar and Cæsar's fortune! [PLUTARCH].”
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)reformed
I believe God: Matthew Henry notes that Paul grounds his assurance on a revelation from God, as sure of it as that God is true. John Gill calls this the mark of true faith, which settles on the word and promise of God and trusts His power and faithfulness. Paul's courage rests there.
Acts 27:25
“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 promises of God; and the true believer, knowing his power and faithfulness, firmly persuaded that there shall be a performance of what is said by him, with respect to matter, manner, and circumstances.”
2 more voices on this verse
Acts 27:25
“THE presence of a brave man in the hour of danger is a very great comfort to his companions. It is a grand thing to observe Paul so bold, so calm in the midst of all the hurly-burly of the storm. He was talking so cheerfully and so encouragingly to the crew and to the soldiers and to the prisoners. You must have seen, in many events in history, that it is the one man, after all, that wins the battle. All the rest play their parts well when the one heroic spirit lifts the standard.”
Acts 27:25
“Then be of good cheer, be of good courage. God is ever faithful, and therefore let all that have an interest in his promise be ever cheerful. If with God saying and doing are not two things, then with us believing and enjoying should not.”
Matthew Henry · Commentary on the Whole Bible (1707-1721)puritan
The angel left the island unnamed, as Adam Clarke observes. John Gill explains that the detail was foretold so that everyone aboard would know the wreck came by God's appointment. The island proved to be Malta.
Acts 27:26
“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, made known to the apostle, and predicted by him. This island was Melita; and the fulfilment of this part of the prediction is related in Act 28:1.”
1 more voice on this verse
Acts 27:26
“We must be cast upon a certain island - The angel which gave him this information did not tell him the name of the island. It turned out to be Melita, on which, by the violence of the storm, they were wrecked some days after.”
Adam Clarke · Commentary on the Bible (1810-1826)evangelical
Soundings at Midnight and Bread Before Dawn
Acts 27:27-29
the fourteenth night: On the fourteenth night, about midnight, the sailors sensed they were approaching land. The soundings read twenty fathoms, then fifteen, and James Smith found the depths fit the approach to Saint Paul's Bay on Malta.
Acts 27:27
“The fourteenth night - From the time when the tempest commenced. In Adria - In the Adriatic Sea. This sea is situated between Italy and Dalmatia, now called the Adriatic Gulf. But among the ancients the name was given not only to that gulf, but to the whole sea lying between Greece, Italy, and Africa, including the Sicilian and Ionian Sea. It is evident from the narrative that they were not in the Adriatic Gulf, but in the vicinity of Malta. Deemed - Judged. Probably by the appearance of the sea.”
twenty fathoms deep: Albert Barnes explains the sounding line, a weighted lead let down to find the depth, and reckons a fathom as six feet. Twenty fathoms is about one hundred twenty feet, and fifteen is about ninety. Such readings, John Gill notes, told sailors how near land lay.
Acts 27:28
“And sounded - Βολισαντες, Heaving the lead. Twenty fathoms - Οργυιας εικοσι, About forty yards in depth. The οργυια is thus defined by the Etymologicon: Σημαινει την εκτασιν των χειρων, συν τῳ πλατει του Ϛηθους· It signifies the extent of the arms, together with the breadth of the breast. This is exactly the quantum of our fathom.”
Adam Clarke · Commentary on the Bible (1810-1826)evangelical
prayed for daybreak: John Gill notes that the fear was reasonable, for the water had shoaled from twenty to fifteen fathoms in a short run. Adam Clarke judges that the wind must have eased somewhat by now for anchors to hold. Rocks lay somewhere ahead in the dark.
Acts 27:29
“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 the ship; the Ethiopic version calls it, "the head of the ship": and adds, "where the governor sat"; that is, at the helm, to steer it.”
1 more voice on this verse
Acts 27:29
“And when the fear was, as here, that they might fall on the rocks to leeward, and the intention was to run the ship ashore as soon as daylight enabled them to fix upon a safe spot, the very best thing they could do was to anchor by the stern [SMITH].”
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)reformed
Acts 27:30-32
attempted to escape from the ship: The sailors tried to escape, pretending to lower anchors from the bow. Paul told the centurion, Unless these men remain with the ship, you cannot be saved. The promise of verse 24 stood absolute, and the means were still commanded.
Acts 27:30
“The shipmen - The sailors - let down the boat. Having lowered the boat from the deck into the sea, they pretended that it was necessary to carry some anchors ahead, to keep her from being carried in a dangerous direction by the tide, but with the real design to make for shore, and so leave the prisoners and the passengers to their fate. This was timely noticed by the pious and prudent apostle; who, while simply depending on the promise of God, was watching for the safety and comfort of all.”
Adam Clarke · Commentary on the Bible (1810-1826)evangelical
1 more voice on this verse
Acts 27:30
"This could have been of no advantage in the circumstances, and as the pretext could not deceive a seaman, we must infer that the officers of the ship were parties to the unworthy attempt, which was perhaps detected by the nautical skill of St. Luke, and communicated by him to St. Paul" [SMITH].
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)reformed
Albert Barnes points out that Paul speaks to the centurion and the soldiers because they held authority on board and could stop the sailors. Bede adds that in danger of shipwreck the sailors' knowledge of the sea was worth more than the soldiers' weapons.
Acts 27:31
“Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers - The centurion had, it appears, the general direction of the ship, Act 27:11. Perhaps it had been pressed into the service of the government. Except these - These seamen. The soldiers and the centurion were unqualified to manage the ship, and the presence of the sailors was therefore indispensable to the preservation of any. Abide in the ship - Remain on board. Ye cannot be saved - You cannot be preserved from death.”
2 more voices on this verse
Acts 27:31
“That they would not have regarded. The soldiers were not careful for the lives of the prisoners: nor was Paul careful for his own. We may learn hence, to use the most proper means for security and success, even while we depend on Divine Providence, and wait for the accomplishment of God's own promise.”
John Wesley · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)evangelical
Acts 27:31
“Paul speaks as a prudent man, not as a prophet, when he says, These are necessary to your preservation. Duty is ours, events are God's; and we do not trust God, but tempt him, when we say, "We put ourselves under his protection," and do not use proper means, such as are within our power, for our own preservation.”
Matthew Henry · Commentary on the Whole Bible (1707-1721)puritan
cut the ropes to the lifeboat: Albert Barnes notes that the sailors had lowered the boat and were about to board it, so cutting the ropes ended every chance of flight. It left everyone to reach land with the ship. Adam Clarke adds that the soldiers were the only men aboard able to stop the crew.
Acts 27:32
“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; from the sides of the ship into the sea, and so prevented the shipmen quitting the ship; for now they gave more credit to Paul than to them.”
1 more voice on this verse
Acts 27:32
“The soldiers cut off the ropes - These were probably the only persons who dared to have opposed the will of the sailors: this very circumstance is an additional proof of the accuracy of St. Luke.”
Adam Clarke · Commentary on the Bible (1810-1826)evangelical
Acts 27:33-38
kept urging them all to eat: Paul urged them to eat after fourteen days without food, since not a single hair of your head will be lost. He took bread and gave thanks to God, a Jewish grace before pagan sailors and soldiers.
Acts 27:33
“And while the day was coming on - At daybreak. It was before they had sufficient light to discern what they should do. To take meat - Food. The word “meat” was formerly used to denote “food” of any kind. That ye have tarried - That you have remained or been fasting. Having taken nothing - No regular meal.”
for your own preservation: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown point to the union of verse 31: confidence in God's pledge, joined to care for the bodily needs of all aboard. John Chrysostom explains the fourteen days without food by fear, which had taken away all appetite. The promised rescue still required them to eat.
Acts 27:34
“A hair fall from the head - A proverbial expression for, ye shall neither lose your lives nor suffer any hurt in your bodies, if ye follow my advice.”
Adam Clarke · Commentary on the Bible (1810-1826)evangelical
1 more voice on this verse
Acts 27:34
"Therefore I insist you to take food." Paul urges them to partake of food, and he himself partakes first, persuading not by words but by deed.
Oecumenius · written before 550 · Commentary on Actspatristic
gave thanks to God in front of them all: John Chrysostom observes that Paul ate first to persuade them by example as well as words, and his thanksgiving showed a mind sure of rescue. Albert Barnes notes that giving thanks before a meal was the custom of the Hebrews, as in Matthew 14:19. The others ate after him.
Acts 27:35
“And gave thanks ... - This was the usual custom among the Hebrews. See the notes on Mat 14:19. Paul was among those who were not Christians; but he was not ashamed of the proper acknowledgment of God, and was not afraid to avow his dependence on him, and to express his gratitude for his mercy.”
1 more voice on this verse
Acts 27:35
But how" in every place," since we are prohibited (from praying) in public? In every place, he means, which opportunity or even necessity, may have rendered suitable: for that which was done by the apostles (who, in gaol, in the audience of the prisoners, "began praying and singing to God") is not considered to have been done contrary to the precept; nor yet that which was done by Paul, who in the ship, in presence of all, "made thanksgiving to God."
Tertullian · written before 220 · On Prayerpatristic
They were all encouraged: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown note that this was the first full meal since the gale, and that courage like Paul's spreads quickly in desperate straits. John Gill traces the change to his words and his example together. Fourteen days of fasting ended here.
Acts 27:36
“Then were they all of good cheer, and they also took some meat--"took food"; the first full meal since the commencement of the gale. Such courage in desperate circumstances as Paul here showed is wonderfully infectious.”
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)reformed
276 of us on board: John Gill counts the master, owner, centurion, soldiers and passengers in this number, and notes that the Alexandrian manuscript reads two hundred seventy-five. John Chrysostom asks where food for so many came from. Every one of them reached land in verse 44.
Acts 27:37
“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, "two hundred seventy and five"; and the Ethiopic version, "two hundred and six".”
throwing the grain into the sea: Albert Barnes and Adam Clarke explain the purpose: a lighter ship draws less water and can be run closer to the shore. The grain was the cargo loaded at Alexandria for Rome. Paul's warning in verse 10 of loss to ship and cargo was now coming true.
Acts 27:38
“They lightened the ship - They hoped that, by casting out the lading, the ship would draw less water; in consequence of which, they could get nearer the shore.”
Adam Clarke · Commentary on the Bible (1810-1826)evangelical
Shipwrecked on Malta, and Not One Life Lost
Acts 27:39-41
they did not recognize the land: At daylight the Alexandrian sailors did not recognize Malta and decided to run the ship aground. The bow stuck fast and the stern was being broken up by the waves, the loss of the ship alone that verse 22 foretold.
Acts 27:39
“They knew not the land - They had been driven with a tempest, without being able to make any observation, and it is probable that they were entire strangers to the coast and to the whole island, A certain creek with a shore - Greek: a certain bosom κόλπος kolpos or bay. By its having a shore is probably meant that it had a level shore, or one that was convenient for landing. It was not a high bluff of rocks, but was accessible.”
1 more voice on this verse
Acts 27:39
“But the scene of the wreck is remote from the great harbor, and possesses no marked features by which it could be recognized, even by a native if he came unexpectedly upon it [SMITH], not to speak of the rain pouring in torrents (Ac 28:2), which would throw a haze over the coast even after day broke.”
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)reformed
loosened the ropes that held the rudders: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown explain that ancient ships were steered by two paddles, one on each quarter of the stern. Loosing their ropes let the helmsman steer again. Bede adds that the foresail was set more for steering than for speed, which suited a run for the beach.
Acts 27:40
“Taken up the anchors - Weighed all the anchors that they had cast out of the stern. Some think the meaning of the word is, they slipped their cables; and so left the anchors in the sea. Loosed the rudder bands - Or, the bands of the rudders; for large vessels in ancient times had two or more rudders, one at the side, and another at the stern, and sometimes one at the prow.”
Adam Clarke · Commentary on the Bible (1810-1826)evangelical
struck a sandbar: Luke's word describes a place with sea on both sides, and Albert Barnes explains it as a tongue of land or a bar. John Gill, citing Beza, reports that the people of Malta still pointed out the spot and named it after Paul. The Berean renders it sandbar.
Acts 27:41
“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 Paul.”
1 more voice on this verse
Acts 27:41
“And falling - Being carried by the wind and waves. Into a place where two seas met - Greek: into a place of a double sea - διθάλασσον dithalasson. That is, a place which was washed on both sides by the sea. It refers properly to an isthmus, tongue of land, or a sand-bar stretching out from the mainland, and which was washed on both sides by the waves.”
Acts 27:42-44
kill the prisoners: The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners, since a guard answered with his life for an escape. But the centurion, wanting to spare Paul’s life, thwarted their plan, and one man's regard for one prisoner spared them all.
Acts 27:42
“The soldiers’ counsel was to kill the prisoners - What blood-thirsty, cowardly villains must these have been! Though, through the providence of God, those poor men had escaped a watery grave, and had borne all the anxiety and distresses of this disastrous voyage, as well as the others, now that there is a likelihood of all getting safe to land that could swim, lest these should swim to shore, and so escape, those men, whose trade was in human blood, desired to have them massacred!”
Adam Clarke · Commentary on the Bible (1810-1826)evangelical
2 more voices on this verse
Acts 27:42
“Again the devil tries to hinder the prophecy, and they had a mind to kill some, but the centurion suffered them not, that he might save Paul, so much was the centurion attached to him.”
John Chrysostom · written before 407 · Homily on Acts 53patristic
Acts 27:42
“And the soldiers’ counsel ... - Why they gave this advice is not known. It was probably, however, because the Roman military discipline was very strict, and if they escaped it would be charged on them that it had been done by the negligence and unfaithfulness of the soldiers. They therefore proposed to kill them, though contrary to all humanity, justice, and laws; presuming, probably, that it would be supposed that they had perished in the wreck.”
Albert Barnes traces the centurion's regard to his early kindness at Sidon, the wisdom of Paul's advice, and his steady conduct in the storm. John Chrysostom says simply that the centurion had become a very dear friend. The swimmers went first, and the rest followed in verse 44.
Acts 27:43
“But the centurion, willing to save Paul - He had at first been disposed to treat Paul with kindness, Act 27:3. And his conduct on board the ship; the wisdom of his advice Act 27:10; the prudence of his conduct in the agitation and danger of the tempest; and not improbably the belief that he was under the divine protection and blessing, disposed him to spare his life. Kept them from their purpose - Thus, for the sake of this one righteous man, the lives of all were spared.”
1 more voice on this verse
Acts 27:43
“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 will of God might be fulfilled, that he should go to Rome, and there bear a testimony of Christ. Kept them from their purpose; would not suffer them to execute their design, restrained them from it, and laid his commands upon them to the contrary.”
everyone was brought safely to land: John Chrysostom holds that the ship was lost to show how great the danger was and that God saved them apart from any ship. John Wesley supposes that some who were saved received Paul as a teacher sent from God. All 276 reached the shore.
Acts 27:44
“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. and so it came to pass that they escaped all safe to land; not one was lost, as Paul had foretold.”
1 more voice on this verse
Acts 27:44
“And the rest - That could not swim: some on boards, planks, spars, etc., got safe to land; manifestly by an especial providence of God; for how otherwise could the sick, the aged, the terrified, besides women and children, (of which, we may naturally suppose, there were some), though on planks, get safe to shore? - where still the waves were violent, Act 27:41, and they without either skill or power to steer their unsafe flotillas to the land? It was (in this case, most evidently) God who brought them to the haven were they would be.”
Adam Clarke · Commentary on the Bible (1810-1826)evangelical
How this psalm is built
The form: A sea voyage told in the first person plural, the passage along the coasts to Fair Havens at 27:1 to 12, the storm and fourteen days adrift at 27:13 to 38, and the shipwreck on Malta at 27:39 to 44, as Jordanhill classes it.
The patterns in this chapter
| Device | What it does | Where to see it |
|---|---|---|
| Four words of Paul through the voyage | Paul speaks four times on the ship, each time at a turning point. He warns against sailing from Fair Havens, stands up in the storm with the angel's promise, tells the centurion the sailors must stay on board, and urges all to eat. Each word proves true. The centurion who set aside the first acts on the third, and everyone on board follows the last.the text of Acts 27, counted, Acts 27:10, 27:21 to 26, 27:31 and 27:33 to 34. | Acts 27:10, Acts 27:21, Acts 27:31, Acts 27:33 |
The structure
3 more paragraphs on the patterns
Chapter 26 ended with a verdict of innocence and a decision to send Paul to Rome. This chapter carries out that decision at sea. The voyage runs in three stages, the slow passage to Crete, the storm and the long drift, and the wreck on the shore. In each stage the prisoner's word counts for more, until the centurion acts on it. The chapter hands to chapter 28 a company of two hundred seventy-six people ashore on an island, every one of them alive.
The debate
The name of the storm wind in 27:14 differs in the manuscripts. Adam Clarke records that interpreters and copyists alike were perplexed by it, and Jamieson, Fausset and Brown hold that the true reading names an east northeast wind. The Berean text follows that reading and calls it the northeaster. Readers also ask whether the angel's promise made the sailors' staying on board unnecessary, and the text answers that Paul held both together.
Keep studying
Studies9
Places3
Sources for this chapter
The summary
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory; John Calvin, Commentaries; John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the New Testament and Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary.
The form and classifications
James Smith of Jordanhill, The Voyage and Shipwreck of St. Paul, 1848.
The exposition
Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Alexander Maclaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture, Acts; Bede, Commentary on Acts; J. A. Alexander, The Acts of the Apostles Explained; James Smith, The Voyage and Shipwreck of St. Paul; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Calvin, Commentary upon the Acts of the Apostles; John Chrysostom; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, Commentary on Acts; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts and William Ramsay, St. Paul the Traveller and the Roman Citizen.