Skip to content
mannafest.faith
Read

Acts 27:13

in Acts 27

When a gentle south wind began to blow, they thought they had their opportunity. So they weighed anchor and sailed along, hugging the coast of Crete.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, close in shore.

KJV

And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing thence, they sailed close by Crete.

⋯

This verse in Acts 27

Commentary

7 notes on this verse

A commentator

Cassiodorus

Complexiones on the Acts of the Apostles · Written before 585.

"And the south wind gently blowing, thinking that they had obtained their purpose." When they had left the harbor of Finicena, thinking that they could reach their destination with a harbor, suddenly the wind called Euroaquilo began to blow very violently against them. Then the …

This site's exposition

the south wind blew softly

on Acts 27:13-17

When the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, they loosed thence, and the gentle start is the trap: not long after arose the tempestuous wind called Euroclydon, the northeaster off Crete's mountains, and the ship caught in it could not bear up and was let drive. Running under the little island of Clauda they fight to secure the boat, undergird the ship with cables, and, fearing the Syrtis quicksands off Africa, strike sail and drive under bare poles. Luke's vocabulary through the scene is the working sailor's, and the exposition names the detail as the credential it is: this paragraph was written by a man who was wet.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers1 voice

A commentator

John Chrysostom

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

proposed

Mark then the providential ordering of the events: first indeed, "when the south wind blew softly, supposing they had obtained their purpose," they loosed the vessel, and came forth; then when the wind bore down upon them, they gave way to it driving them, and were with difficulty saved.

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

And when the south wind blew softly,....

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

This wind the sailors called Euroclydon, a north-east wind, which upon those seas perhaps was observed to be in a particular manner troublesome and dangerous. It was a sort of whirlwind, for the ship is said to be caught by it,

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

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 commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

When the south wind blew softly - Though this wind was not very favorable, yet, because it blew softly, they supposed they might be able to make their passage. They sailed close by Crete - Kept as near the coast as they could. See the track on the map.

The words behind it

12 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.

  • ὙποπνεύσαντοςWhen was blowing gently

    hupopneusantosG5285 →

  • δὲnow

    deG1161 →2765 times

  • νότουa south wind

    notouG3558 →

  • δόξαντεςhaving thought

    doxantesG1380 →62 times

  • τῆςthe

    tesG3588 →19766 times

  • προθέσεωςpurpose

    protheseosG4286 →

  • κεκρατηκέναι,to have obtained,

    kekratekenaiG2902 →47 times

  • ἄραντεςhaving weighed [anchor]

    arantesG142 →100 times

  • ἆσσονvery near

    assonG788 →

  • παρελέγοντοthey were coasting along

    parelegontoG3881 →

  • τὴν<the>

    tenG3588 →19766 times

  • Κρήτην.Crete.

    kretenG2914 →5 times

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

Related verses

7 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.

Matthew 8:5When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came and pleaded with Him,4 worksPsalms 78:26He stirred the east wind from the heavens and drove the south wind by His might.2 worksSong of Solomon 4:16Awake, O north wind, and come, O south wind. Breathe on my garden and spread the fragrance of its spices. Let my beloved come into his garden and taste its choicest fruits.2 worksJob 37:17You whose clothes get hot when the land lies hushed under the south wind,2 worksLuke 12:55And when the south wind blows, you say, ‘It will be hot,’ and it is.2 worksActs 13:13After setting sail from Paphos, Paul and his companions came to Perga in Pamphylia, where John left them to return to Jerusalem.2 works
The other 1 cross-references, with their words ▾
Acts 28:13From there we weighed anchor and came to Rhegium. After one day, a south wind came up, and on the second day we arrived at Puteoli.2 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

    Psalms 78:26

    He stirred the east wind from the heavens and drove the south wind by His might.

    it leads to

    • Numbers 11:31

      Now a wind sent by the LORD came up, drove in quail from the sea, and brought them near the camp, about two cubits above the surface of the ground, for a day’s journey…

  • Through

    Song of Solomon 4:16

    Awake, O north wind, and come, O south wind. Breathe on my garden and spread the fragrance of its spices. Let my beloved come into his garden and taste its choicest fruits.

    it leads to

    • Song of Solomon 6:2

      My beloved has gone down to his garden, to the beds of spices, to pasture his flock in the gardens and to gather lilies.

    • Song of Solomon 5:1

      I have come to my garden, my sister, my bride; I have gathered my myrrh with my spice. I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk.…

    • Song of Solomon 4:13–14

      Your branches are an orchard of pomegranates with the choicest of fruits, with henna and nard,

    • Acts 2:1–2

      When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.

    • Song of Solomon 7:12–13

      Let us go early to the vineyards to see if the vine has budded, if the blossom has opened, if the pomegranates are in bloom—there I will give you my love.

  • Through

    Job 37:17

    You whose clothes get hot when the land lies hushed under the south wind,

    it leads to

    • Luke 12:55

      And when the south wind blows, you say, ‘It will be hot,’ and it is.

    • Psalms 147:18

      He sends forth His word and melts them; He unleashes His winds, and the waters flow.

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 Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Cassiodorus, Complexiones on the Acts of the Apostles; James Smith, The Voyage and Shipwreck of St. Paul; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 53; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Read on in Acts 27 →