Philip Schaff's Popular Commentary (4 vols)

Acts 27:14

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 the actual facts of the case, the sailing books which contain directions for navigating these coasts tell us that it very often happens that after a gentle southerly wind a violent gale from the north-east comes on suddenly. As to the exact point where the change took place in the instance under consideration, we cannot precisely determine this; but it was evidently ‘not long after' they rounded Cape Matala, when they would be closest to the shore.

There arose against it. The translation in the Authorised Version is incorrect. The phrase κατ᾿ αυ ̓ τη ͂ ς cannot refer to the ship, the word for which, employed throughout, is πλοῑον. The meaning is that the storm came ‘ down from the island.' The land here is very high, and the gale suddenly swept down one of the gullies among the mountains, in a south-westerly direction.

A tempestuous wind named Euroclydon. The word translated ‘tempestuous' is very strong. It was a typhonic wind, a hurricane. As to the precise direction in which the wind blew, and the name which is given to it, we encounter here a very interesting question. The manuscripts vary as to the reading, and are rather evenly balanced between ‘Euroclydon' and ‘Euro Aquilo.' There is a presumption at first sight in favour of the former word, partly because it is a very strange word, and partly because the phrase ‘a wind called Euroclydon' seems to call attention to a popular name of the wind used by the sailors on this occasion. Moreover, there is this objection to the other word, that it appears to be made up half of Greek and half of Latin. The Sinaitic MS., however, it must be admitted, has recently turned the scale in favour of Euro Aquilo. Whatever may be our conclusion in this matter, two things are clear, first, either word shows that the gale blew more or less from the east; while, secondly, the fact that it came ‘down from' the island, and drove the ship to the southward (see below), shows that it blew more or less from the north. In popular language, it was a north-easterly gale. We shall see more precisely, when we come to sum up the evidence, that the quarter from which it blew was east-northeast.

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Philip Schaff's Popular Commentary (4 vols)

Acts 27:14

Old Testament

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