Blass at the outset speaks of this and the next chapter as “clarissimam descriptionem” of St. Paul's voyage, and he adds that this description has been estimated by a man skilled in nautical matters as “monumentum omnium pretiosissimum, quæ rei navalis ex tota antiquitate nobis relicta sint”. He ref... [ Continue Reading ]
πλοίῳ Ἀδραμ.: a boat which belonged to Adramyttium in Mysia, in the Roman province Asia, situated at the top of the gulf _Sinus Adramyttenus_, to which it gives its name (Ramsay, Hastings' B.D., _sub v._). It was of considerable importance as a seaport and commercial centre, and under Roman rule it... [ Continue Reading ]
τῇ δὲ ἑτέρᾳ : an easy journey to Sidon distance 69 sea miles (Breusing). κατήχ.: technical nautical term, opposite of ἀνάγειν in Acts 27:2, see above. φιλανθ. τε ὁ Ἰούλιος … χρης.: “and Julius treated Paul kindly,” R.V., _cf._ Acts 28:2. Bengel says “videtur audisse Paulum,” 25:32. Hobart, so also Z... [ Continue Reading ]
ὑπεπλεύσαμεν τὴν Κ.: “we sailed under the lee of Cyprus,” R.V. So Wetstein with whom James Smith is in agreement, _i.e._, to the east of the island, as was usual for ships westward bound, to avoid the prevalent west winds. Otherwise the direct course would have been to make for Patara in Lycia acros... [ Continue Reading ]
τό τε πέλαγος τὸ κατὰ τὴν Κ. καὶ Π. διαπλ.: the ship in its northerly course would reach the coast of Cilicia, and then creep slowly along from point to point along the Cilician and Pamphylian coast, using the local land breezes when possible, and the current constantly running to the westward along... [ Continue Reading ]
πλοῖον : St. Luke does no mention what kind of ship, but the fact that it was on its way from Egypt to Italy, and that in Acts 27:38 the cargo was evidently grain, makes it a reasonable inference that the ship was carrying corn for conveyance to Rome. On this trade to Rome, Seneca, _Epist._, 77, and... [ Continue Reading ]
ἐν ἱκαναῖς ἡμέραις or ἱκανός : in temporal sense only in Luke in N.T., see Hawkins, p. 151, and _cf. Vindiciæ Lucanæ_ (Klostermann), p. 51. βραδυπλοοῦντες : Artemid., _Oneir._, iv., 30; ταχυπλοεῖν, Polyb. (Blass), evidently on account of the strong westerly winds; the distance was about a hundred an... [ Continue Reading ]
μόλις τε παραλεγ. αὐτὴν : “and with difficulty coasting along it,” _i.e._, Crete on the southern side with difficulty because under the same conditions as in their journey along the coast of Asia Minor (Breusing) (this is better than to refer αὐτήν to Σαλμώνην, and render to work past, to weather, _... [ Continue Reading ]
ἱκανοῦ δὲ χρ. γεν.: not since the commencement of the voyage (as Meyer), but since they lay weather-bound. Wendt (1899) agrees with Meyer as against Weiss and Ramsay, on the ground that there is no ἐκεῖ, so Hackett. ἐπισ. τοῦ πλοός : “terminus proprie nauticus,” Klostermann, _Vindiciæ Lucanæ_, J. Sm... [ Continue Reading ]
θεωρῶ : here used of the result of experience and observation, not of a revelation, _cf._ Acts 17:22; Acts 19:26; Acts 21:20. θεωρῶ ὅτι … μέλλειν ἔσεσθαι : anacoluthon. ὅτι : forgotten by the number of words intervening in the flow of speech a vivid dramatic touch; _cf._ Xen., _Hell._, ii., 2, 2, se... [ Continue Reading ]
ὁ δὲ ἑκατόν.: the centurion evidently presides at the Council as the superior officer, see Ramsay, _St. Paul_, pp. 324, 325, but, as Wendt notes (and so Blass), the majority decide, not the centurion alone. τῷ κυβερ. καὶ τῷ ναυκλ.: “to the master and to the owner of the ship,” A. and R.V., better “t... [ Continue Reading ]
ἀνευθέτου : here only, but in later Greek we have δύσθετος, so in Jos. St. Luke, however, uses εὔθετος in his Gospel, Luke 9:62; Luke 14:35 (found only once elsewhere in N.T., Hebrews 6:7). We may compare J. Smith's 1James, 4 th edition, p. 85. In the latter he points out that recent surveys show th... [ Continue Reading ]
ὑποπνεύσαντος : _leniter afflante, aspirante, Cf._ ὑποκινέω, ὑπομειδιάω, a moderate breeze from the south arose which would favour their westerly course. _cf._ Luke 12:55, not in LXX or Apocrypha, but see Heliod., iii., 3 (Wetstein). δόξαντες, Acts 12:9, τῆς προθ. κεκρατηκέναι : their purpose, _i.e.... [ Continue Reading ]
μετʼ οὐ πολὺ δὲ, _cf._ Acts 20:12. οὐ μετρίως, Luke 15:15; Acts 1:5, “observe the ‘Litotes' of οὐ with an adjective or adverb, four times in ‘We' sections, twelve in rest of Acts, twice in Luke 7:6; Luke 15:13, rare in rest of N.T.,” Hawkins, p. 153. ἔβαλε κατʼ αὐτῆς : intransitive, as often in clas... [ Continue Reading ]
συναρπασθέντος δὲ τοῦ πλοίου : “and when the ship was caught by it” (Ramsay), a graphic word as if the ship was seized in the grasp of the wind; only in Luke, _cf._ Luke 8:29; Acts 6:12; Acts 19:29; in LXX. _cf._ Proverbs 6:25 2Ma 3:27; 2Ma 4:41, 4Ma 5:4; so in classical Greek, _e.g._, Soph., _Elect... [ Continue Reading ]
ὑποδραμόντες : “and running under the lee of a small island,” R.V.J. Smith calls attention to the nautical accuracy of St. Luke's terms; they ran before the wind to leeward of Cauda; ὑποδραμ., they sailed with a side wind to leeward of Cyprus and Crete, ὑπεπλεύσαμεν, Acts 27:4, see also Ramsay, _Sai... [ Continue Reading ]
ἣν ἄραντες : “and when they had hoisted it up” into the ship, see on Acts 27:13. βοηθ. ἐχρῶντο : they used helps ὑποζ. τὸ πλοῖον undergirding the ship, A. and R.V., on ἐχρῶντο see Acts 27:3, _cf._ 1 Corinthians 9:12; 1 Corinthians 9:15; often compared to the custom called in modern language _frappin... [ Continue Reading ]
σφοδρῶς δὴ χειμαζ. ἡμῶν : “and as we laboured exceedingly with the storm,” R.V., Ramsay, Rendall, a regular nautical and classical term; _cf._ Thuc., ii., 25; iii., 69; viii., 99; Plato, _Ion_, 540 B. In Attic Greek usually σφόδρα, but _cf._ LXX, Joshua 3:16, Sir 13:13, 4Ma 6:11; only here in N.T. W... [ Continue Reading ]
ἐῤῥίψαμεν, see critical note. Ramsay prefers the first person, although not well supported, because it increases the effect; but in any case the scene is graphically described, ἔῤῥιψαν may be due to ἐποιοῦντο, but, as Wendt notes, ἐῤῥίψαμεν may have been equally due to αὐτόχειρες. Breusing rejects t... [ Continue Reading ]
μήτε δὲ ἡλίου μήτε ἄστρων : the omission of the article here intensifies the meaning, Blass, _Gram._, p. 143, “weder etwas von Sonne”. ἐπιφαινόντων, _cf._ Luke 1:79; only in Luke and Paul, Titus 2:11; Titus 3:4; “shone upon us,” R.V., thus their only guidance, humanly speaking (for, of course, they... [ Continue Reading ]
δέ : if we read τε, see critical note, the word closely connects what follows as the result of the hopelessness. πολλῆς δὲ (τε) ἀσιτίας ὑπαρχ.: “and when they had been long without food,” R.V.; “abstinence” A.V. and Tyndale, “fasting” in Wycl., Rhem., imply rather a voluntary refraining which is not... [ Continue Reading ]
καὶ τὰ νῦν, see on Acts 27:21, Paul would spare their reproaches, and rather awaken hope in their hearts (Bethge). παραινῶ : only in Luke, here and in Acts 27:9. Hobart speaks of it as the verb employed for a physician giving his advice, and although the word is common in classical Greek, _cf._ also... [ Continue Reading ]
παρέστη … ἄγγελος : on this Lucan phrase and description of angelic appearances _cf._ Luke 2:9; Luke 24:4; Acts 12:7 (Acts 23:11), and see above, Acts 1:10. τοῦ Θεοῦ : “of the God whose I am, whom also I serve,” R.V., Ramsay, Rendall, not “an angel of God,” as A.V.; the R.V. rendering gives the forc... [ Continue Reading ]
μὴ φοβοῦ, see above, Acts 18:9. παραστῆναι, _cf._ Romans 14:10, the words emphatically bear out the prominence already laid upon the Apostle's witness in Rome. καὶ ἰδού, see on Acts 1:10. κεχάρισταὶ σοι : “hath granted them as a favour”; see on Acts 3:14, no doubt Paul had prayed for this, _cf._ esp... [ Continue Reading ]
πιστεύω γὰρ τῷ Θ. ὅτι οὕτως ε. καθʼ ὃν τρόπον, _cf._ Acts 15:11, and also Acts 1:11, Klostermann, _Vindiciæ Lucanæ_, p. 53.... [ Continue Reading ]
εἰς νῆσον δὲ κ. τ. λ.: the words do not form part of the message of the angel as they stand, but they may be considered as forming part of the contents of that message, and the Apostle may himself be regarded as speaking μαντικῶς. With Jüngst's question “How could Paul know anything of an island?” a... [ Continue Reading ]
τεσσαρεσκαιδεκάτη νύξ, _i.e._, since their departure from Fair Havens, _cf._ Acts 27:18-19, see also the reckonings of mileage in Breusing, p. 189, and Goerne, who reckons from the departure from Cauda. διαφερομένων ἡμῶν : “as we were driven to and fro,” R.V., so Ramsay; “huc illuc ferri,” Blass, _c... [ Continue Reading ]
βολίσαντες : having let down the sounding-lead (βολίς), elsewhere only in Eustath., in active voice, but see also Grimm-Thayer, _sub v._ ὀργυιὰς : five or six feet, a fathom, Grimm; Breusing compares Herod., iv., 41, and gives six feet; on the accent see Winer-Schmiedel, p. 72. “The ancient fathom s... [ Continue Reading ]
φοβούμενοι : the diminution of the depth of water increased the danger of running aground, perhaps on some hidden reef of rocks. τραχεῖς τόπους, _cf._ Luke 3:5, in quotation Isaiah 40:4; nowhere else in N.T., _cf._ Bar 4:26 (3Ma 1:23), so in Diod. Sic., xii., 72, of rocks, Polyb., i., 54. It was evi... [ Continue Reading ]
ζητούντων : “and as the sailors were seeking,” R.V.; “about to flee,” A.V. is incorrect, for they were planning possible means of escape, and could scarcely be said to be about to escape, _cf._ [418] text if they succeeded the passengers and the soldiers would thus be left to their fate. προφ. ὡς :... [ Continue Reading ]
ὑμεῖς not ἡμεῖς : St. Paul appeals to the law of self-preservation, and the centurion acts promptly on his advice; although safety had been divinely promised, human means were not excluded, and it is altogether hypercritical to find any contradiction here with Acts 27:24-26, as Holtzmann supposes.... [ Continue Reading ]
τότε οἱ στρ. ἀπέκ.: Lewin, _Saint Paul_, ii., 202, sees in this the absolute ascendency which St. Paul had gained; he had said that their lives should be spared, and although, humanly speaking, the boat offered the best prospect of reaching land, yet at a word from St. Paul the soldiers deprived the... [ Continue Reading ]
ἄχρι δὲ οὐ : only used by Luke in the historical books of the N.T., _cf._ Luke 21:24; Acts 7:18; in St. Paul's Epistles three or four times, Hebrews 3:13; Revelation 2:25. Ramsay renders “and while the day was coming on,” so A. and R.V.; _dum_ with imperfect, Hebrews 3:13 (Blass). But Rendall takes... [ Continue Reading ]
διὸ : so that they might be ready for the work which would be necessary. προσλαβεῖν, see critical note. πρὸς : here only with genitive in N.T., _cf._ Blass, _Gram._, p. 136; _i.e._, stands, so to speak, on the side of our deliverance, Latin _a parte, cf._ Thuc., ii. 86; iii. 59; Plat., p. 459 C; Win... [ Continue Reading ]
λαβὼν ἄρτον εὐχαρίστησε τῷ Θ., _cf._ Luke 22:19; Luke 24:30, with intentional solemnity (Weiss, Weizsäcker). The words are sometimes taken to mean that Paul simply encourages them by his own example to eat. But Blass, see critical note, who comments “et oratione confirmat et exemplo,” adds in [419]... [ Continue Reading ]
τροφῆς : with a partitive meaning; _cf._ γεύσασθαι, Acts 23:14, μεταλαβεῖν, Acts 27:33, κορέννυσθαι, Acts 27:38. _Cf._ Herod., viii. 90. Luckock points out that St. Luke distinguishes between the bread of which the Apostle partook and the food, τροφῆς, taken by the rest, and certainly the expression... [ Continue Reading ]
The number was large, but nothing is told us of the size and manning of the Alexandrian ship, and Josephus, _Vita_, 3, mentions that there were about 600 in the ship which took him to Italy. On the large size of the ships engaged in a traffic similar to that of the corn ship in this chapter see Breu... [ Continue Reading ]
κορεσθ., 1 Corinthians 4:8, nowhere else in N.T., with genitive of the thing with which one is filled, as in classical Greek. Alford refers to LXX, Deuteronomy 31:20, but see Hatch and Redpath, _sub v._ ἐκούφιζον : _de nave_, Polyb., i., 60, 8; LXX, Jonah 1:5. τὸν σῖτον : “the wheat,” A. and R.V., V... [ Continue Reading ]
τὴν γῆν οὐκ ἐπεγ.: “they did not recognise the land,” Ramsay; the sailors probably knew Malta, since, Acts 28:11, there was evidently nothing unusual in eastern ships touching at the island on their way to Rome. But they did not know St. Paul's Bay, which is remote from the great harbour, and was no... [ Continue Reading ]
καὶ τὰς ἀγκ. περιελόντες : “and casting off the anchors,” R.V., _cf._ Acts 27:20 for the same verb, so that the meaning cannot be as A.V., following Vulgate, “having taken up”; in fact it is the very reverse. The sailors loosed the cables of the anchors which were fastened within the ship, that they... [ Continue Reading ]
περιπ. δὲ εἰς τ. διθ.: Luke 10:30; James 1:2, with the dative, as generally, but Arrian, περιπίπτειν εἰς τόπους πετρώδεις (Wetstein), 2Ma 6:13; 2Ma 10:4, Polyb., i., 37, i. εἰς τόπον διθ.: a bank or a ridge between two seas, which has sea on both sides; _cf._ Dio Chrys., 5, p. 83, where reference is... [ Continue Reading ]
τῶν δὲ στρατ.: only the soldiers, since they and not the sailors were responsible for the safety of the prisoners, _cf._ Acts 12:7; Acts 16:27; C. and H., small edit., p. 236. ἐκκολ.: “swim away” (Ramsay), literally “out,” Eur., _Hel._, 1609, Dion H., v., 24. διαφ.: only here in N.T., LXX, Joshua 8:... [ Continue Reading ]
βουλόμενος : “desiring,” R.V.; the centurion had from the first, Acts 27:3, treated Paul with respect, and the respect had no doubt been deepened by the prisoner's bearing in the hour of danger, and he would naturally wish to save the man to whom he owed his own safety, and that of the whole crew. δ... [ Continue Reading ]
τοὺς λ., _sc_. ἐξιέναι ἐπὶ τῆν γῆν. οὓς μὲν … οὓς δὲ, Luke 23:33, and in classical Greek. ἐπὶ σανίσιν : “some on planks and some on pieces from the ship,” Ramsay; the planks which were in use in the ship as distinguished from actual parts or fragments of the ship in the next clause; in LXX, Ezekiel... [ Continue Reading ]