Skip to content
mannafest.faith
Read

Acts 27:39

in Acts 27

When daylight came, they did not recognize the land, but they sighted a bay with a sandy beach, where they decided to run the ship aground if they could.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

And when it was day, they knew not the land: but they perceived a certain bay with a beach, and they took counsel whether they could drive the ship upon it.

KJV

And when it was day, they knew not the land: but they discovered a certain creek with a shore, into the which they were minded, if it were possible, to thrust in the ship.

⋯

This verse in Acts 27

Commentary

6 notes on this verse
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.

This site's exposition

they did not recognize the land

on Acts 27:39-41

When daylight came, they did not recognize the land, a coast of Malta strange to Alexandrian sailors, and they sighted a bay with a sandy beach and decided to run the ship aground. Verse 40 gives the seamanship move by move, anchors cut away and rudder ropes loosened, as Luke watched it done. The bow stuck fast and the stern was being broken up by the pounding of the waves, the loss of the ship alone that verse 22 foretold.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

9 Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished them, 10 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.

quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture

And when it was day they knew not the land,....

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

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.

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

They knew not the land - And therefore knew neither the nature of the coast, nor where the proper port lay. A - creek with a shore - Κολπον, Sinum, a bay, with a shore; a neck of land perhaps on either side, running out into the sea, and this little bay or gulf between them; though some think it was a tongue of land, running out into the sea, having the sea on both sides, at the point of which these two seas met, Act 27:41. There is such a place as this in the island of Malta, where, tradition says, Paul was shipwrecked; and which is called la Cale de St. Paul. See Calmet.

The words behind it

22 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

1 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.

Acts 28:1Once we were safely ashore, we learned that the island was called Malta.3 works

The walk

3 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

    Acts 28:1

    Once we were safely ashore, we learned that the island was called Malta.

    it leads to

    • Acts 27:26

      However, we must run aground on some island.”

    • Acts 27:44

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

    • Acts 16:10

      As soon as Paul had seen the vision, we got ready to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

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); James Smith, The Voyage and Shipwreck of St. Paul; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Read on in Acts 27 →