Acts 27:27-44

Landing on Malta.Adria was not then what is now called the Adriatic, but was a general name for the sea between Malta, Italy, Greece, and Crete. After a fortnight's tossing on this sea there were signs that some land was approaching. This took place at night when nothing could be seen; distant breakers probably were heard. The surmise was confirmed by the use of the lead, and lest she should go upon the rocks in the dark, the ship was anchored, but in such a way that her bow pointed to the shore. When day broke they would know what kind of a shore it was. The crew may not have wished to desert the ship (Acts 27:30), but the safety of the party required that they should remain on board, and on Paul's initiative, the soldiers secured that they should do so. The exact translation of the first clause of Acts 27:33 is: But till it should come to be day, indicating that the time of waiting was filled up by the action of Paul, which is narrated, and which needs little comment. There was nothing to be done, and the people were hungry (Acts 27:21); food is hard to come by, and apt to be forgotten, in a storm, and provisions get spoiled. The meal put them in better heart for the efforts still to be made. As for the number (Acts 27:37), Josephus tells us of a voyage he made to Rome with 600 on board. The discharge of the cargo (Acts 27:38) would help the ship when run aground to move higher up the beach. The bay with a sandy beach (Acts 27:39) is identified with St. Paul's Bay in the NE. of Malta. For a description, see Smith. The anchors, accordingly, were slipped and left in the sea (Acts 27:40); the two great oars, one on each side of the stern, by which the ship was steered and which were tied up while she was at anchor, were released from their fastenings; the foresail, the smaller sail, was hoisted to give her steering way, and they made for the beach. The place where two seas met (Acts 27:41) is probably at the inner side of the island Salmonetta, which lies at the mouth of St. Paul's Bay. There is a stiff, muddy bottom, good for anchoring, or for holding fast a ship that runs aground on it. If the ship drew 18 feet, there would be a good deal of rough water between her and the land.

[Acts 27:38. In spite of the opening words, the wheat must be the cargo of grain which they were taking to Rome, not the provisions for crew and passengers; to have thrown these overboard would have been improvident and of little use. Naber (Mnemosyne, 1881, pp. 293 f.) conjectures histon for siton, throwing out the mast. This involves merely the transposition of two letters. He thinks the mast is not the main-mast, but a smaller mast in the bows to which the foresail could be attached. The main-mast, ho supposes, may have been cut away several days previously. His discussion is reproduced in Baljon's edition of the NT, pp. 421 f. It rests on the (probably incorrect) view that the wheat means the supplies for the voyage; and the emendation cannot be pronounced more than tempting and ingenious. A. S. P.]