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Acts 27:41

in Acts 27

But 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.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

But lighting upon a place where two seas met, they ran the vessel aground; and the foreship struck and remained unmoveable, but the stern began to break up by the violence of the waves.

KJV

And falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the forepart stuck fast, and remained unmoveable, but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves.

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This verse in Acts 27

Commentary

9 notes on this verse
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.

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 Church Fathers1 voice

A commentator

John Chrysostom

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

proposed

"And falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the forepart stuck fast, and remained unmovable, but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves;" for when there is a strong wind, this is the consequence, the stern bearing the brunt of the storm.

The Medieval Church2 voices

A commentator

Bede

Commentary on Acts · Written before 735.

proposed

And the prow stuck fast and remained immovable, but the stern was broken by the violence of the waves, etc. Thus this ship perished, not from a light run over the waves, but by being violently thrust into the bed of the sea itself, partly …

A commentator

Bede

Commentary on Acts · Written before 735.

proposed

And when we had fallen into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground. The place is called "bithalassum," bicursal, because the Greeks call the sea "thalassa." It signifies a stretch of land projecting into the sea and surrounded on both sides …

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

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

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

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.
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

A ship, therefore, impelled by the force of a gale, into a creek, with such a bottom, would strike a bottom of mud, graduating into tenacious clay, into which the fore part would fix itself, and be held fast, while the stern was exposed to the force of the waves" [SMITH]. hinder part was broken--The continued action denoted by the tense here is to be noted--"was fast breaking," going to pieces.

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

Where two seas meet - The tide running down from each side of the tongue of land, mentioned Act 27:39, and meeting at the point. Ran the ship aground - In striving to cross at this point of land, they had not taken a sufficiency of sea-room, and therefore ran aground. The forepart stuck fast - Got into the sands; and perhaps the shore here was very bold or steep, so that the stem of the vessel might be immersed in the quicksands, which would soon close round it, while the stern, violently agitated with the surge, would soon be broken to pieces. It is extremely difficult to find the true meaning of several of the nautical terms used in this chapter. I have given that which appeared to me to be the most likely; but cannot absolutely say that I have everywhere hit the true meaning.

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

8 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.

2 Corinthians 11:25–26Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked. I spent a night and a day in the open sea.3 worksEzekiel 27:26Your oarsmen have brought you onto the high seas, but the east wind will shatter you in the heart of the sea.3 worksActs 27:17After hoisting it up, the crew used ropes to undergird the ship. And fearing that they would run aground on the sandbars of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor and were driven along.3 worksEzekiel 27:34Now you are shattered by the seas in the depths of the waters; your merchandise and the people among you have gone down with you.2 works1 Kings 22:48Jehoshaphat built ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold, but they never set sail, because they were wrecked at Ezion-geber.2 works2 Chronicles 20:37Then Eliezer son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, “Because you have allied yourself with Ahaziah, the LORD has destroyed your works.” So the ships were wrecked and were unable to sail to Tarshish.2 works
The other 2 cross-references, with their words ▾
Acts 27:26–29However, we must run aground on some island.”2 worksMark 4:37Soon a violent windstorm came up, and the waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was being swamped.-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

    2 Chronicles 20:37

    Then Eliezer son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, “Because you have allied yourself with Ahaziah, the LORD has destroyed your works.” So the ships were wrecked and were unable to sail…

    it leads to

    • 2 Chronicles 9:21

      For the king had the ships of Tarshish that went with Hiram’s servants, and once every three years the ships of Tarshish would arrive bearing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • Proverbs 13:20

      He who walks with the wise will become wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed.

  • Through

    1 Kings 22:48

    Jehoshaphat built ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold, but they never set sail, because they were wrecked at Ezion-geber.

    it leads to

    • 1 Kings 9:26

      King Solomon also assembled a fleet of ships at Ezion-geber, which is near Eloth in Edom, on the shore of the Red Sea.

    • 1 Kings 10:22

      For the king had the ships of Tarshish at sea with Hiram’s fleet, and once every three years the ships of Tarshish would arrive bearing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.

    • 1 Kings 9:28

      They sailed to Ophir and imported gold from there—420 talents—and delivered it to Solomon.

  • Through

    Ezekiel 27:26

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

    it leads to

    • Psalms 48:7

      With a wind from the east You wrecked the ships of Tarshish.

  • Through

    Ezekiel 27:34

    Now you are shattered by the seas in the depths of the waters; your merchandise and the people among you have gone down with you.

    it leads to

    • Zechariah 9:3–4

      Tyre has built herself a fortress; she has heaped up silver like dust, and gold like the dirt of the streets.

    • Ezekiel 27:26–27

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

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); 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) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Read on in Acts 27 →