EXCURSUS. On the Ships and Navigation of the Ancients. The narrative contained in this chapter, even if we put on one side its sacred character as part of an inspired volume, is full of manifold interest. No other single document of antiquity gives us so much information regarding the ships and na... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 27:1. WHEN IT WAS DETERMINED. It might seem that there had been some doubt whether the apostle after all was to be sent _into Italy._ Festus indeed had, in the first instance, decided on this course (Acts 25:12); but after a careful consultation with Agrippa (Acts 25:14-22), and after a full he... [ Continue Reading ]
_Voyage to Myra,_ 2-5. Acts 27:2. A SHIP OF ADRAMYTTIUM. It is to be observed that St. Paul's voyage to Italy was accomplished in three ships. The first ship was probably merely a coasting vessel, carrying passengers and cargo, and touching at various ports. The reason why this ship of Adramyttium w... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 27:3. THE NEXT DAY WE TOUCHED AT SIDON. With a favourable wind this would be very easy. The distance was only sixty-seven miles; and six knots an hour would, as we shall see below, be under the natural speed of the ship under such circumstances. But a question arises here. Sidon lay due north o... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 27:4. SAILED UNDER CYPRUS. The reason is given presently afterwards. The meaning is, that they sailed ‘under the lee of Cyprus,' or so as to place the island between themselves and the WIND. To suppose that ‘under' means ‘to the south of' Cyprus, is a mere confusion of thought, arising probably... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 27:5. THE SEA OF CILICIA AND PAMPHYLIA. The exactitude of this geographical order, and the perfectly artless manner in which this exactitude appears, should be marked. MYRA, A CITY OF LYCIA. Again we should notice the placing of Lycia correctly, yet without any artifice, immediately to the we... [ Continue Reading ]
_Voyage from Myra to Fair Havens,_ 6 - 8. Acts 27:6. A SHIP OF ALEXANDRIA SAILING INTO ITALY. The centurion obtained here, what he expected he might obtain in one of the harbours along this coast, a new opportunity for prosecuting his voyage farther towards Italy. This opportunity was afforded by th... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 27:7. SAILED SLOWLY. If, as is said in what immediately follows, ‘ _many days_ ' had passed after leaving Myra, while yet they ‘ _scarce were come over against Cnidus,_ ' they must have sailed ‘ _slowly;_ ' for the distance from Myra to Cnidus is only 137 miles. The question arises as to the ca... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 27:8. HARDLY PASSING IT. The word here again is μόλις. which expresses difficulty. It seems that they were hardly able to accomplish their purpose: but they did accomplish it; and from this circumstance, added to the fact that they could not fetch the southernmost point of the Morea, Mr. Smith... [ Continue Reading ]
_Stay at Fair HavensDetermination to reach Phænix, if possible,_ 9 - 12. Acts 27:9. MUCH TIME. It is impossible to say precisely how long this time was. Such terms are always relative to the circumstances of the case to which they belong. It is evident from what follows, that continued delay now be... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 27:10. HURT AND MUCH DAMAGE, _i.e._ risk of injury and great loss. BUT ALSO OF OUR LIVES. St. Paul, with his customary good sense, uses an argument which would appeal forcibly to every one who heard him, whether concerned or not with the cargo or with the management of the ship (see below, Ac... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 27:11. THE MASTER AND THE OWNER. The former had to do with the steering and working of the vessel, the latter with the proprietorship of the vessel or cargo, or both. Looking at the matter as they did from different points of view, their united opinion must have been felt to be very weighty; an... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 27:12. THE HARBOUR WAS NOT COMMODIOUS TO WINTER IN. It was in its very nature (υ ̔ πα ́ ρχοντος) not commodious for this purpose. Many things had to be taken into account the supply of provisions, for instance, as well as the soundings and the shelter. The exact knowledge of this roadstead whic... [ Continue Reading ]
_Sudden and Violent Storm from the East-north-east The Ship undergirded and laid to under the Lee of Clauda,_ 13 - 17. Acts 27:13. SUPPOSING THAT THEY HAD ATTAINED THEIR PURPOSE. The phrase expresses the utmost confidence. And this was natural. In two respects an encouraging change of weather took p... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 27:14. BUT NOT LONG AFTER. How suddenly violent changes may take place when we least expect them, and when we have thought that already we have ‘gained our purpose'! Every part of the narrative before us, and this part very particularly, admits of being turned into an admirable sermon. As to th... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 27:15. WHEN THE SHIP WAS CAUGHT. Here, again, a very strong expression is used in the original, implying that the wind _seized hold_ of the ship, as it were, and whirled her out of her course. GOULD NOT BEAR UP INTO THE WIND. The literal meaning is, ‘could not _look at,_ or against, the wind;... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 27:16. RUNNING UNDER A CERTAIN ISLAND WHICH IS CALLED CLAUDA. The meaning of ‘running under' is that they ran _under its lee,_ as in Acts 27:3; Acts 27:7. Under the shelter of this island, they would have, for a short time, comparatively smooth water, which was a matter of the utmost importance... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 27:17. THEY USED HELPS, UNDERGIRDING THE SHIP. It is evident that the timbers were in danger of parting. Hence they artificially strengthened the vessel by passing ropes round it over the gunwale and under the keel, and tightening them on deck by levers. This process is called ‘frapping' in the... [ Continue Reading ]
_Long-continued Severity of the Gale St. Paul's Address to the People on board, in the midst of the Storm,_ 18 - 26. Acts 27:18. THE NEXT DAY THEY LIGHTENED THE SHIP. This is said in general terms to have been done under the pressure of the storm; but there is little doubt that there was a more spe... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 27:19. WE CAST OUT WITH OUR OWN HANDS THE TACKLING OF THE SHIP. This was ‘on the third day.' The danger was now more imminent, as is evident from two particulars. In the first place, the passengers themselves (St. Luke certainly among the rest, and probably St. Paul and Aristarchus) took part i... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 27:20. WHEN NEITHER SUN NOR STARS IN MANY DAYS APPEARED. This was a most serious aggravation of the danger. The great reason which made ancient navigation perilous in the winter was, that the sky is then more overcast than at other seasons. See note above (Acts 27:9), on the special necessity o... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 27:21. AFTER LONG ABSTINENCE. See below on Acts 27:33. One great aggravation of the hardship and suffering of an emergency like this is the want of proper and regular food. The fires are put out, the provisions are soaked, and meanwhile all hands are required for every effort that can be sugges... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 27:22. NO LOSS OF ANY MAN'S LIFE AMONG YOU, BUT OF THE SHIP. See Acts 27:10. His comparatively dim prophetic insight is now become clearer. Acts 27:23. THE ANGEL OF GOD. St. Luke says ‘an angel,' not ‘the angel.' As we read through the Acts of the Apostles, we have occasion to observe, more tha... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 27:24. FEAR NOT, PAUL. It is a natural inference from these words that St. Paul himself had been experiencing fear. That he was not a stranger to fear, is evident from chap, Acts 18:9. Nor is he ashamed to own this in his letters. GOD HATH GIVEN THEE ALL THEM THAT SAIL WITH THEE. This seems t... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 27:25. I BELIEVE. This might truly be called a sermon on faith.... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 27:26. HOWBEIT WE MUST BE CAST UPON A CERTAIN ISLAND. Prophetic prescience does not imply that everything is clear (see Acts 20:22-23).... [ Continue Reading ]
_Anchoring in the Night,_ 27 - 29. Acts 27:27. WHEN THE FOURTEENTH NIGHT WAS COME. The reckoning, as above in Acts 27:12; Acts 27:19, is from their leaving Fair Havens. About a day must be. allowed, more or less, for all that was done before the ship was made ready under the lee of Clauda for the g... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 27:28. SOUNDED, AND FOUND IT TWENTY FATHOMS. On hearing the breakers, their instinct would be to heave the lead and ascertain the depth of the water. The fathom (ο ̓ ργυια ̀) of the Greeks is practically the same measure of length as that which we designate by that term. SOUNDED AGAIN, AND FOU... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 27:29. FEARING LEST WE SHOULD HAVE FALLEN UPON ROCKS. It might seem now that they not only heard breakers at a distance, but now heard them directly ahead. Such is Mr. Smith's view. This is not, however, necessarily the meaning of the words, which may express only a general tear. THEY CAST FOU... [ Continue Reading ]
_Attempt of the Sailors to leave the Ship baffled by the Apostle,_ 30 - 32. Acts 27:30. WHEN THEY HAD LET DOWN THE BOAT INTO THE SEA. This was the boat which had cost so much trouble before (see Acts 27:16). They had already lowered it down from the davits, when St. Paul perceived their purpose, an... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 27:31. THE CENTURION AND THE SOLDIERS. St. Paul said nothing to the sailors, but spoke at once to his friend the centurion; and he used with him and the soldiers the argument which is of greatest weight in such a case, the appeal to self-preservation. EXCEPT THESE ABIDE IN THE SHIP, YE CANNOT... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 27:32. CUT THE ROPES. With military promptitude and without any argument, the soldiers settled the question. The ropes were cut; and the boat drifted off into the darkness, and was dashed to pieces on the rocks. A very good religious moral, full of very varied instruction, might be connected wi... [ Continue Reading ]
_Waiting for the Day St. Paul's Exhortation A hearty Meal taken by all on boardOn his Advice, Cargo thrown overboard,_ 33 - 38. Acts 27:33. PAUL BESOUGHT THEM ALL. A better translation would be that he ‘exhorted' them all. Once more we see the apostle in the position of supreme command, as the only... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 27:34. THIS IS FOR YOUR HEALTH. The correct meaning is: ‘This is essential for your safety.' Their imminent danger was not death from starvation, but from drowning in the waves. They had laborious and difficult work before them; and it was necessary that they should recruit their strength. TH... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 27:35. HE TOOK BREAD, AND GAVE THANKS TO GOD IN THE PRESENCE OF THEM ALL. It is difficult to believe that there was not at this moment in his mind a reminiscence of the Sacred Eucharist, especially when we observe that the ‘breaking' of the bread is specified. See Luke 24:30; Luke 24:35. HE B... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 27:36. THEN WERE THEY ALL OF GOOD CHEER, AND THEY ALSO TOOK SOME MEAT. In one sense the meal may truly be said to have been eucharistic. This is one of those passages in the Acts of the Apostles which tend, though it records many depressing and discouraging circumstances, to give a cheerful cha... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 27:37. TWO HUNDRED THREESCORE AND SIXTEEN SOULS. Having mentioned the fact that all on board took some food, he is led to state the total number. For the size of ancient merchant ships, see the Excursus. We must call to mind that these people were afterwards (Acts 28:11) conveyed from Malta to... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 27:38. THEY LIGHTENED THE SHIP. This would require great and active labour; and the food they had taken was an essential condition of their doing it effectually. The cargo was now of no use, as it was known that the ship would be lost; and there were two reasons why it was important to throw it... [ Continue Reading ]
_Preparations for running the Ship agroundCruel Scheme of the Soldiers foiledUltimate Escape of all to Land,_ 39 - 44. Acts 27:39. WHEN IT WAS DAY, THEY KNEW NOT THE LAND. At first sight this may cause surprise; for Melita was a well-known island, a distinct part of a Roman province, having an admi... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 27:40. WHEN THEY HAD TAKEN UP THE ANCHORS. This was the first essential step. These anchors were, as we have seen (Acts 27:29), ‘cast out of the stern.' When this was done, the ship was free for the full action of the wind, which was blowing towards the shore. The translation, however, is not q... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 27:41. FALLING INTO A PLACE WHERE TWO SEAS MET. Assuming that the place of anchoring in the night was that which has been determined above, we have here one of the most remarkable helps for the identification of the exact place of St. Paul's shipwreck. The word διθα ́ λασσος denotes that which... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 27:42. THE SOLDIERS' COUNSEL WAS TO KILL THE PRISONERS. We have here an illustration of the extreme cruelty of the Roman military system. But we have also, in however cruel a form, an indication of a high sense of honour and duty. Now that the ship had ‘stuck fast,' and they were close to the s... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 27:43. THE CENTURION, WILLING TO SAVE PAUL, KEPT THEM FROM THEIR PURPOSE. This is singularly true to the spirit of the whole course of the narrative. We have here a new indication of the charm and power which St. Paul exercised over the minds of those with whom he came in contact. It seems that... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 27:44. SOME ON BOARDS, AND SOME ON BROKEN PIECES OF THE SHIP. There is nothing in the original to correspond with the word ‘broken.' But no doubt the meaning is correctly given. The contrast is between loose planks, seats, barrels, and the like, on the one hand; and on the other hand, fragments... [ Continue Reading ]