Philip Schaff's Popular Commentary (4 vols)

Acts 27:29

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 four anchors out of the stern. It is customary, for very good reasons, to anchor from the bow:' Anchora de prorâ jacitur.' But it is quite possible to anchor from the stern; and on emergency this has often been done. This was done, for instance, under the orders of Lord Nelson at the battle of Copenhagen in 1801, and of Lord Exmouth at the battle of Algiers in 1816. The difficulty in the case before us is, that these seamen were prepared to anchor from the stern. It is probable, however, that they had made ready for an emergency which was likely to happen. The fact that there were four anchors seems to show that they were well provided with ground tackle. Moreover, ancient ships were so built that they frequently anchored at the stern. This may be seen in the Levant now in small vessels of the old build; and Mr. Smith has produced an illustration from a sculpture at Herculaneum strictly contemporary with the Apostle Paul.

Wished for the day. Literally, ‘prayed that the day might come on;' and some commentators have supposed that actual prayers to this effect were offered up whether by Christians or by Heathens on board. This supposition is hardly natural.

The day was sure to dawn. The anxiety, however, of all on board is expressed as strongly as possible.

At this point, without anticipating the particulars of the argument, which must be summed up afterwards, we may consider what the probabilities are as to the place where the ship was anchored. Fourteen days had passed since she left Fair Havens. Allowance must be made for about a day before she was laid to on the starboard tack, under the lee of Clauda. The direction of her drift was west by north, and the rate about a mile and a half an hour, or thirty-six miles in the twenty-four hours. Now Malta lies west by north from Clauda, and the distance is 480 miles. The coincidence is so remarkable as to be startling; and yet there is nothing forced in this way of viewing the matter. Admiral Penrose and Mr. Smith, at different times, and quite independently, took this problem in hand with the view of solving it on the principles of practical seamanship, with just that slight difference in their results which gives great additional force to the argument. It seems impossible to believe that St. Paul at this moment could have been anywhere else except on the coast of Malta.

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Philip Schaff's Popular Commentary (4 vols)

Acts 27:29

Old Testament

New Testament