Acts 27:12

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 that Fair Havens may have been a very fair winter harbour, and that even on nautical grounds St. Paul's action may have been justified, but Blass, in loco, adheres to the view that the harbour was only fit for use during the summer. πρὸς παραχειμασίαν : noun only here in N.T., not found in LXX, but in Polyb. and Diod. Sic. παραχειμάσαι : only in Luke and Paul in N.T., 1 Corinthians 16:6, cf. Acts 28:11; Titus 3:12, not in LXX, but used by Dem., Polyb., Plut., Diod. Sic. οἱ πλείονες : πλείονες (πλείους) with the article only by Luke and Paul in N.T., cf. Acts 19:32; by St. Paul seven times in his Epistles. Bengel well says, “plura suffragia non semper meliora”. ἔθεντο βουλὴν : on the noun and its use by St. Luke see above, Acts 2:23, and for the phrase cf. Luke 23:51, in LXX, Psalms 12:2 (Judges 19:30, A al [411]); so also in classical Greek. ἀναχθῆναι : “to put to sea,” R.V., see on Acts 13:13. εἴ πως δύναιντο : on the optative see Simcox, Language of the N.T., p. 172; and Burton, p. 111; cf. Mark 11:13; Acts 8:22; Acts 18:27; Romans 1:10; Romans 11:14; Philippians 3:11. καταντήσαντες : Lucan and Pauline, see above, Acts 16:1. εἰς φοίνικα, Strabo, x., 4; Ptolemy, iii., 17. Generally taken as = modern Lutro, so Ramsay, Alford, Renan, Rendall, Blass, J. Smith (pp. 87, 88), Lewin, Rendall, Plumptre, and Muir in Hastings' B.D., “Fair Havens”; so amongst recent German writers on this voyage, cf. Breusing, p. 162, and Goerne, u. s., p. 360, both of whom quote Findlay, Mediterranean Directory, p. 67, “Port Lutro, the ancient Phœnix, or Phœnice, is the only bay on the south coast where a vessel could be quite secure in winter”; but on the other hand Hackett, in loco. Wordsworth, Humphry and Page (whose full note should be consulted) suppose the modern Phineka to be meant; so also C. H. Prichard in Hastings' B.D., “Crete”; see below. Alford, Acts, Proleg., p. 28, quotes from J. Smith's Appendix (2nd edition) the words from Mr. G. Brown's Journal (1855, l856) stating that Lutro is the only secure harbour in all winds on the south coast of Crete, words quoted by Ramsay, St. Paul, p. 326, and Muir, Hastings' B.D., “Fair Havens”. λιμένα τῆς Κ. κ. τ. λ.: “a harbour of Crete which faces south-west and north-west,” so Ramsay, and so A.V. and Vulgate. But R.V. so Rendall, “looking north-east and south-east,” which is a correct description of the entrance of the harbour of Lutro, so J. Smith, Alford, Lumby and Plumptre, who interpret “looking down the south-west and north-west winds,” literally translated as = in the direction of these winds, i.e., the direction to which they blew, and so north-east and south-east, κατά indicating the line of motion, Cf. R.V. margin, and so Rendall and Knabenbauer, in loco. C. and H., so Ramsay and Farrar, find an explanation of the rendering in A.V. in the subjectivity of the sailors, who describe a harbour from the direction in which they sail into it; and thus by transmission from mouth to mouth the wrong impression arose that the harbour itself looked south-west and north-west. As against Rendall's interpretation and that of R.V., see Page and Hackett's learned notes in loco. Both lay stress upon the phrase, βλέπειν κατά τι, as used only of that which is opposite, and which you face. cf. Luke's own use of κατά, Acts 3:13; Acts 8:26; Acts 16:7; Acts 27:7. Page, and so C. H. Prichard, Hastings' B.D., “Crete,” would adopt A.V. reading, but would apply it to the harbour Phineka, opposite Lutro, which does look south-west and north-west. λίψ, (prob. λείβω) Herod., ii., 25, Polyb., x., 103, etc., south-west wind Africus, χῶρος, north-west wind Corus or Caurus.

[411] Alford's Greek Testament.