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Acts 27:10

in Acts 27

“Men, I can see that our voyage will be filled with disaster and great loss, not only to ship and cargo, but to our own lives as well.”

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

and said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only of the lading and the ship, but also of our lives.

KJV

And said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives.

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This verse in Acts 27

Commentary

10 notes on this verse

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

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.

This site's exposition

the voyage had already become dangerous

on Acts 27:9-12

The voyage had already become dangerous because it was after the Fast, a date set by the Day of Atonement in October, when shipping closed for winter. Paul, a prisoner giving his first counsel, warned of disaster and great loss to ship, cargo and lives, yet the centurion was persuaded by the pilot and by the owner of the ship. Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority chose Phoenix, comfort chosen over caution.

This site's exposition

I can see that our voyage

Jamieson, Fausset and Brown read Paul's warning as sound judgment drawn from experience of the sea, and John Chrysostom sees modesty in his careful choice of words. The warning included loss of life. Oecumenius explains that the danger to life was real and that the lives were spared only because God preserved them, as verse 22 later announces.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers3 voices

A commentator

Oecumenius

Commentary on Acts · Written before 550.

proposed

Even if the shipwreck did not occur to them with loss of lives according to his word. For this would have happened as far as the nature of the thing was concerned, if God had not preserved them. For through him he also caused those …

A commentator

John Chrysostom

CATENA ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 27.10 · Written in the 5th century.

proposed

See [Paul's] modesty: in order that he may not appear to prophesy but to speak as if from supposition, he says "I see." They would have not received his words if he had pronounced them at once. In the first place he prophesies and says, "God, whom I worship," thus leading them. How would have it happened without a loss of lives? There surely would be such a loss if God did not save them.

A commentator

John Chrysostom

Homily on Acts 53 · Written in the 5th century.

proposed

And observe how unassuming the expression is. That he may not seem to prophesy, but to speak as of conjecture, "I perceive," says he. For they would not have received it, had he said this at the outset. In fact he does prophesy on this former occasion, as he does afterward, and says there, "The God whom I serve," leading them on. Then how comes it that it was not "with loss" of any "of their lives?" It would have been so, but that God brought them safe through it. For as far as depended on the nature of the thing, they had perished, but God prevented it.

The Medieval Church1 voice

A commentator

Theophylact of Ohrid

Commentary on Acts · Written before 1107.

proposed

But to show that he is not prophesying, but speaking by conjecture, he expresses himself thus: "I perceive," – because they would not have immediately believed him even if he had said this as a prophet.

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

And said unto them, Sirs, I perceive,....
2 more voices on this verse

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

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.
Sirs - Greek: Men. I perceive - It is not certain that Paul understood this by direct inspiration. He might have perceived it from his own knowledge of the danger of navigation at the autumnal equinox, and from what he saw of the ship as unsuited to a dangerous navigation. But there is nothing that should prevent our believing also that he was guided to this conclusion by the inspiration of the Spirit of God. Compare Act 27:23-24. Will be with hurt - With injury or hazard. It is not meant that their lives would be lost, but that they would be jeoparded. The lading - The freight of the ship. It was laden with wheat, Act 27:38. Paul evidently, by this, intended to suggest the propriety of remaining where they were until the time of dangerous navigation was past.

How the passage was read

On Acts 27:9-12

On Acts 27:9-12

“The Fast” on a sailor's calendar

“The Fast” here is the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), the great autumn fast of Leviticus 16, used by Luke exactly as a modern writer might say “after Thanksgiving”: as a date. Yom Kippur falls in late September or October, and in the ancient Mediterranean, open-sea sailing was reckoned dangerous from about that point until spring. Luke's note is a Jewish calendar doing secular work: the fast is past, therefore the sailing season is closing, therefore Paul's warning.

This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.

Sources: Leviticus 16:29 (the fast's date, the seventh month's tenth day) · The Day of Atonement (this site's study)

The words behind it

26 Greek words

Every Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

12 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Daniel 2:30And to me this mystery has been revealed, not because I have more wisdom than any man alive, but in order that the interpretation might be made known to the king, and that you may understand the thoughts of your mind.4 worksActs 27:41–44But 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.4 worksAmos 3:7Surely the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing His plan to His servants the prophets.4 worksActs 27:20–26When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the great storm continued to batter us, we abandoned all hope of being saved.4 worksPsalms 25:14The LORD confides in those who fear Him, and reveals His covenant to them.3 worksActs 27:34So for your own preservation, I urge you to eat something, because not a single hair of your head will be lost.”2 works
The other 6 cross-references, with their words ▾
2 Kings 6:9–10Then the man of God sent word to the king of Israel: “Be careful passing by this place, for the Arameans are going down there.”2 worksGenesis 41:38–39So Pharaoh asked them, “Can we find anyone like this man, in whom the Spirit of God abides?”2 worksGenesis 41:16–25“I myself cannot do it,” Joseph replied, “but God will give Pharaoh a sound answer.”2 worksActs 27:31But Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men remain with the ship, you cannot be saved.”1 works1 Peter 4:18And, “If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”1 worksActs 14:15“Men, why are you doing this? We too are only men, human like you. We are bringing you good news that you should turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them.1 works

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Amos 3:7

    Surely the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing His plan to His servants the prophets.

    it leads to

    • John 15:15

      No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not understand what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because everything I have learned from My Father I have…

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • Genesis 18:17

      And the LORD said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?

    • Psalms 25:14

      The LORD confides in those who fear Him, and reveals His covenant to them.

    • Revelation 1:1

      This is the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants what must soon come to pass. He made it known by sending His angel to His servant John,

    • Daniel 9:22–27

      He instructed me and spoke with me, saying: “O Daniel, I have come now to give you insight and understanding.

  • Through

    Psalms 25:14

    The LORD confides in those who fear Him, and reveals His covenant to them.

    it leads to

    • John 14:21–23

      Whoever has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me. The one who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and reveal Myself to him.”

    • John 7:17

      If anyone desires to do His will, he will know whether My teaching is from God or whether I speak on My own.

    • Ephesians 1:9

      And He has made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ

Where this verse is studied

About Acts

The Ascension, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
The Ascension, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
Acts: the study guide →Read Acts 27 →
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); J. A. Alexander, The Acts of the Apostles Explained; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 53; John Chrysostom, CATENA ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 27.10; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, Commentary on Acts and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts.

Read on in Acts 27 →