Acts 27:1
WE; Luke, Paul, and others. ITALY; a country in the south part of Europe, between the Adriatic and Mediterranean seas.... [ Continue Reading ]
WE; Luke, Paul, and others. ITALY; a country in the south part of Europe, between the Adriatic and Mediterranean seas.... [ Continue Reading ]
ADRAMYTTIUM; a seaport of Mysia in the north-western part of Asia Minor. It lay opposite to the isle of Lesbos. ARISTARCHUS; chap Acts 19:29; Acts 20:4.... [ Continue Reading ]
SIDON; north of Cesarea, from which Paul sailed. Verse Acts 27:2; chap Acts 25:4; Acts 25:13; Acts 25:21. When a man's ways please the Lord, he can make not only his enemies, but strangers, and even heathen, not merely to be at peace with him, but to aid and assist him. Proverbs 16:7.... [ Continue Reading ]
UNDER CYPRUS; along its northern coast, between the island and the main land, to shield themselves from the violence of the wind. WINDS WERE CONTRARY; they were the westerly or north-westerly winds which prevail there at that season.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SEA OF CILICIA AND PAMPHYLIA; the sea along the coast of those provinces of Asia Minor. Cilicia lay on the south coast of Asia Minor opposite Cyprus, and Pamphylia was the next province west. LYCIA; next west of Pamphylia.... [ Continue Reading ]
ALEXANDRIA; a city of Egypt.... [ Continue Reading ]
SCARCE; with difficulty. CNIDUS; a town in the province of Caria next west of Lycia. It is in the south-western angle of Asia Minor, and has the isle of Rhodes opposite to it. UNDER CRETE; near that island. SALMONE; the eastern extremity of Crete.... [ Continue Reading ]
HARDLY PASSING IT; coasting along it with difficulty. FAIR HAVENS; on the southern side of Crete, about midway between its eastern and western extremities.... [ Continue Reading ]
MUCH TIME WAS SPENT; on account of the contrary winds. THE FAST; connected with the great day of atonement. Leviticus 16:29-30. This occurred about the twentieth of September, after which sailing was dangerous.... [ Continue Reading ]
MUCH DAMAGE-OUR LIVES; these words of Paul seem to express not a revelation from God, but rather his own sound judgment. With regard to his own life, he had received from the Lord the assurance that he should see Rome, chap Acts 23:11; but he had not yet received any promise that the lives of all in... [ Continue Reading ]
NOT COMMODIOUS TO WINTER IN; being open to the wind and sea on the south. PHENICE; a place in the south-west part of Crete. The majority are often in the wrong, and it is not always wise or safe to follow them. The great question should not be, on which side are the greatest numbers, but on which a... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SOUTH WIND BLEW SOFTLY; which would be favorable to their purpose, as the coast a few miles beyond the Fair Havens turn to the north of west. CLOSE BY; near the shore.... [ Continue Reading ]
EUROCLYDON; these winds, now called Levanters, blow from nearly east-north-east.... [ Continue Reading ]
CAUGHT; suddenly met by the wind. COULD NOT BEAR UP; sail against it. LET HER DRIVE; before the wind.... [ Continue Reading ]
CLAUDIA; a small island a little south of west from the Fair Havens, at the distance of some forty or fifty miles. Melita, the next place where we find them, is a small island south of Sicily, not quite five hundred miles to the west of Clauda. TO COME BY THE BOAT; to secure it, by taking it on boa... [ Continue Reading ]
TAKEN UP; taken into the ship, to prevent the boat being broken or lost. USED HELPS, UNDERGIRDING; putting chains or ropes around the vessel, to strengthen it and keep it together. QUICKSANDS; on the coast of Africa, south-west of them. STRAKE SAIL; these words do not seem to mean that they took... [ Continue Reading ]
LIGHTENED THE SHIP; threw overboard some of her cargo.... [ Continue Reading ]
TACKLING; whatever belonged to the ship which could be spared.... [ Continue Reading ]
NEITHER SUN NOR STARS; the mariner's compass was not then known. When sailors could not see the heavenly bodies or the land, they did not know their course. God in his providence often shows men, especially those who traverse the ocean, that they are dependent on him; that all their efforts to deliv... [ Continue Reading ]
LONG ABSTINENCE; from food, on account of the severity of the storm and the greatness of their danger.... [ Continue Reading ]
GOD HATH GIVEN THEE ALL; for thy sake, and in answer to thy prayers, they shall be preserved.... [ Continue Reading ]
FOURTEENTH NIGHT; after the commencement of the storm. ADRIA : in the wider sense, including not only the Adriatic gulf, but the Ionian sea south of it. DEEMED; thought, judged.... [ Continue Reading ]
SOUNDED; let down a lead and line to ascertain the depth of the water. TWENTY FATHOMS; one hundred and twenty feet. FIFTEEN FATHOMS; ninety feet.... [ Continue Reading ]
FOUR ANCHORS; to hold the ship where she was. STERN; the hinder part of the ship. FOR THE DAY; for daylight, that they might see where they were.... [ Continue Reading ]
SHIPMEN; sailors. TO FLEE; escape to the shore, and leave the others to take care of themselves or perish. UNDER COLOR; under the pretence.... [ Continue Reading ]
PAUL; who saw what they intended. THESE; the sailors. YE CANNOT BE SAVED; their agency was necessary to manage the vessel. Though God had given Paul the lives of all in the ship, they were yet to be saved by the use of the appropriate means. A future event may be certain because God has determined... [ Continue Reading ]
CUT OFF THE ROPES; to let the boat fall into the sea and float away, so that the sailors could not escape.... [ Continue Reading ]
TAKEN NOTHING; no regular meals, or very little.... [ Continue Reading ]
The goodness of God should be felt and acknowledged in all our blessings; and when about to partake of the bounties of Providence, we should thank him for them, and ask him to make them the means of our good.... [ Continue Reading ]
CAST OUT THE WHEAT; to lighten the ship, and get it as near the shore as possible.... [ Continue Reading ]
CREEK; bay, as the original word means. SHORE; one where they could land.... [ Continue Reading ]
TAKEN UP; slipped or cut the ropes which fastened the anchors to the ship, so that the wind might drive her into the bay, now called St. Paul's bay. LOOSED THE RUDDER - BANDS; the rudder had been made fast during the storm. Now it was loosed, that they might again use it to steer the vessel.... [ Continue Reading ]
TWO SEAS MET; and formed a sand-bar or bank, stretching out into the sea. STUCK - FAST; in the sand, so that they could get no nearer to the shore.... [ Continue Reading ]
TO KILL THE PRISONERS; those whom they were taking to Rome for trial, lest the soldiers to whose care they had been committed should be punished for letting them go. Soldiers, accustomed to killing men, are apt to think little of the value and sacredness of human life. Fighting is adapted to harden... [ Continue Reading ]
THE CENTURION; Julius. Verses Acts 27:1; Acts 27:3. WILLING; wishing to save Paul. Thus was Paul made the means of again saving the prisoners from death. Verses Acts 27:24; Acts 27:31. It is often a great blessing to wicked men to have a Christian among them. For his sake they may be saved from dea... [ Continue Reading ]