Acts 28:13

περιελθόντες : so A. and R.V., but latter in margin περιελόντες, see critical note. Ramsay also following T.R. points out that the latter reading could hardly signify more than “cast off” (“cast loose,” margin, R.V.), unnecessary here although important information in Acts 27:40, where τὰς ἀγκ. is added, and the meaning is evidently different. Ramsay renders “by tacking” (the verb referring to the frequent alteration of the ship's course); they worked up to Rhegium by good seamanship as they could not go straight across, J. Smith, C. and H., p. 663, small edit. Mr. Lewin, St. Paul, 2, p. 736, takes a different view, and thinks that they were obliged to stand out to sea to fill their sails, and so to come to Rhegium by a circuitous sweep. R.V. renders simply “made a circuit,” so Grimm-Thayer. W.H [428], ii., p. 226, explain their rendering “weighed anchor” by the use of the verb in Acts 27:40 (but see Blass above), the elliptic employment of transitive verbs being common in Greek nautical language as in English, and by the opinion that the run from Syracuse to Rhegium could not be described as circuitous, unless the ship was thrown out by contrary winds (but see above); Mr. Rendall supports W.H [429], Mr. Page the opposite, following T.R., so Smith, p. 156, fourth edit., and see critical note above, and Wendt (1899), p. 418. A.V. “fetched a compass,” so Tyndale, which formerly meant that they made a circuit, but the phrase is now obsolete, cf. 2 Samuel 5:23; 2 Kings 3:9, same Greek verb in LXX. Ῥήγιον : Reggio, Titus put in here on his way from Judæa to Puteoli bound for Rome, Suet., Tit., 5; and we learn from Jos., Ant., xix., 2, 5, that Caligula began to construct a harbour for the corn-ships of Egypt, although he never finished it. The place was situated at the southern entrance to the Straits of Messina, here little more than a few miles in breadth between it and the city Messina (on its name from ῥήγνυμι, because Sicily was at this point rent away from Italy, see Grimm-Thayer, sub v., and Wetstein). St. Paul was said to have visited Messina, and to have given the Christians a bishop, Acta Petri, Acta Pauli, Lipsius, p. ix. (Zöckler). The coins show us that here too the Dioscuri were the patron deities. κατην. only in Luke and Paul, see Acts 16:1, cf. 2Ma 4:44. ἐπιγ.: “a south wind sprang up,” R.V., here only in N.T., cf. Thuc., iii., 74, iv., 30; Xen., Hell., iii., 2, 17, oborto Austro, Blass, or it may mean coming after or in succession to, ἐπί, the previous adverse wind. δευτεραῖοι, cf. πεμπταῖοι, Acts 20:6, Blass in [430], John 11:39; Philippians 3:5, so in classical Greek. The distance is about 180 miles, and J. Smith, p. 217, 4th edit., points out that if we suppose the ship to sail at seven knots an hour the voyage would take about twenty-six hours, and St. Luke's account is shown to be very accurate; see also Ramsay and Hackett for examples of the ancient rate of sailing quite in accordance with the facts before us. Ποτιόλους (Pozzuoli), in earlier days Dicaearchia; its new name was Latin, probably from the mineral springs in the neighbourhood a puteis, or perhaps a putendo (C. and H.). It was not only a great landing-place for travellers from the East, but the great harbour for Alexandrian corn-ships, as also for the trade from Syria and Spain (Renan, Saint Paul, p. 558). Seneca, Epist., 77, gives us a vivid description of the interest taken in the arrival of the corn-ships, since the people of Rome depended so much upon this cargo for food. The importance gained by the place is shown by the fact that it gave its name to the bay, once the Bay of Cumæ, now the Bay of Naples, but in St. Paul's day Sinus Puteolanus. Here St. Ignatius desired to land that he might follow the footsteps of St. Paul to Rome (Martyr., v.), see further Jos., Ant., xvii., 12, 1, xviii., 7, 2; Strabo, xvii., 1, 7, and Wetstein's references. For modern writers cf. also Lewin, St. Paul, ii. 218, and Farrar, ii., 386; their description shows how the Apostle's eyes now rested upon “one of the loveliest of earthly scenes”.

[428] Westcott and Hort's The New Testament in Greek: Critical Text and Notes.

[429] Westcott and Hort's The New Testament in Greek: Critical Text and Notes.

[430] R(omana), in Blass, a first rough copy of St. Luke.