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Acts 27:40

in Acts 27

Cutting away the anchors, they left them in the sea as they loosened the ropes that held the rudders. Then they hoisted the foresail to the wind and made for the beach.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

And casting off the anchors, they left them in the sea, at the same time loosing the bands of the rudders; and hoisting up the foresail to the wind, they made for the beach.

KJV

And when they had taken up the anchors, they committed themselves unto the sea, and loosed the rudder bands, and hoised up the mainsail to the wind, and made toward shore.

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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.

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.

This site's exposition

they did not recognize the land

on Acts 27:39-41

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.

This site's exposition

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.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers1 voice

A commentator

John Chrysostom

Homily on Acts 53 · Written before 407.

proposed

"They made towards shore," having given the rudder-handles to the wind: for oftentimes they do it not in this way. They were borne along, having loosed the rigging, that is, the sails.

The Medieval Church2 voices

A commentator

Theophylact of Ohrid

Commentary on Acts · Written before 1107.

proposed

They loosened the ropes when day came; and by day the ship is also taken down, so that those on board would not perish from fear and so that they might see the fulfillment of the prophecy.

A commentator

Bede

Commentary on Acts · Written before 735.

proposed

And hoisting the foresail, according to the direction of the breeze, they made for the shore. The foresail is a small sail contrived more for steering the ship than for speed.

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 they had taken up the anchors,....
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)

proposed

taken up the anchors, they committed themselves to the sea--The Margin is here evidently right, "cut the anchors (away), they left them in the sea." loosed the rudder bands--Ancient ships were steered by two large paddles, one on each quarter.

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase

Had taken up the anchors - The four anchors with which they had moored the ship, Act 27:29. See the margin. The expression may mean that they slipped or cut their cables, and that thus they left the anchors in the sea. This is the most probable interpretation. And loosed the rudder bands - The rudder, in navigation, is that by which a ship is steered. It is that part of the helm which consists of a piece of timber, broad at the bottom, which enters the water, and is attached by hinges to the stern-post on which it turns (Webster). But what was the precise form of the rudder among the ancients is not certainly known. Sometimes a vessel might be steered by oars. Most ships appear to have had a rudder at the prow as well as at the stern. In some instances, also, they had them on the sides. The word used here in the Greek is in the plural τῶν πηδαλίον tōn pēdalion, and it is evident that they had in this ship more than one rudder. The bands mentioned here were probably the cords or fastenings by which the rudder could be made secure to the sides of the ship, or could be raised up out of the water in a violent storm, to prevent its being carried away. And as, in the tempest, the rudders had become useless Act 27:15, Act 27:17, they were probably either raised out of the water, or made fast. Now that the storm was past, and they could be used again, they were loosed, and they endeavored to direct the vessel into port. The mainsail - ἀρτέμωνα artemōna. There have been various explanations of this word. Luther translates it as “the mast.” Erasmus: “the yards.” Grotius, who supposes that the mainmast had been cast away Act 27:17, thinks that this must mean “the foremast” or “the bowsprit.” The word usually means the “mainsail.” The Syriac and Arabic understand it of a “small sail,” that was hoisted for a temporary purpose. Mr. […]

The words behind it

24 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

3 in all, six open

The walk

5 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

    Isaiah 33:23

    Your ropes are slack; they cannot secure the mast or spread the sail. Then an abundance of spoils will be divided, and even the lame will carry off plunder.

    it leads to

    • 2 Kings 7:8

      When the lepers reached the edge of the camp, they went into a tent to eat and drink. Then they carried off the silver, gold, and clothing, and went and hid them. On returning,…

    • Psalms 68:12

      “Kings and their armies flee in haste; she who waits at home divides the plunder.

    • 1 Corinthians 1:27

      But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.

    • Ezekiel 27:26–34

      Your oarsmen have brought you onto the high seas, but the east wind will shatter you in the heart of the sea.

    • Acts 27:30–32

      Meanwhile, the sailors attempted to escape from the ship. Pretending to lower anchors from the bow, they let the lifeboat down into the sea.

Where this verse is studied

About Acts

The Pentecost, El Greco, about 1600, Museo del Prado. Public domain.
The Pentecost, El Greco, about 1600, Museo del Prado. Public domain.
Acts: the study guide →Read Acts 27 →
This page draws on 9 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); Bede, Commentary on Acts; James Smith, The Voyage and Shipwreck of St. Paul; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 53; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts.

Read on in Acts 27 →