Acts 27:1

Acts 27:1. Paul's voyage and shipwreck

1. they delivered Paul i.e. the soldiers who had the care of him did so, by order of Festus.

a centurion This was generally the rank of the officers appointed to such a charge. Cp. Acts 21:32; Acts 24:23, &c.

of Augustus" band] Rev. Ver. "Of the Augustan band." The word rendered "band" might be translated "cohort" as in the margin of R. V., and it is said that in the time of Octavianus Augustus there were some legions to which the title "Augustan" (Gk. Sebastos) was given, as being specially the Imperial troops, and that perhaps among the soldiers in Cæsarea there was a detachment of these legions. But as Cæsarea was itself called "Sebaste" it seems more likely that the soldiers were Samaritan troop belonging to Cæsarea itself! And Josephus (Warsii. 12. 5) makes mention of troops which had their name, Sebasteni, from this city Cæsarea Sebaste.