Acts27

Paul, a prisoner, embarks on a perilous voyage to Rome. Despite his warning, the ship's crew sails into a violent tempest, the Euroclydon, losing all hope. An angel assures Paul that all lives will be saved, though the ship will be lost. After fourteen days, the ship wrecks on an island, but all 276 souls safely reach land as prophesied.

Paul Begins the Voyage to Rome

Once it had been decided that we should set sail for Italy, they handed Sha’ul and some other prisoners over to an officer of the Emperor’s Regiment named Julius.

We embarked in a ship from Adramyttium which was about to sail to the ports along the coast of the province of Asia, and put out to sea, accompanied by Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica.

The next day, we landed at Tzidon; and Julius considerately allowed Sha’ul to go visit his friends and receive what he needed.

Putting to sea from there, we sailed close to the sheltered side of Cyprus because the winds were against us,

then across the open sea along the coasts of Cilicia and Pamphylia; and so we reached Myra in Lycia.

There the Roman officer found an Alexandrian vessel sailing to Italy and put us aboard.

For a number of days we made little headway, and we arrived off Cnidus only with difficulty. The wind would not let us continue any farther along the direct route; so we ran down along the sheltered side of Crete from Cape Salmone;

and, continuing to struggle on, hugging the coast, we reached a place called Pleasant Harbor, near the town of Lasea.

Paul Warns Against Sailing

Since much time had been lost, and continuing the voyage was risky, because it was already past Yom-Kippur, Sha’ul advised them,

“Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be a catastrophe, not only with huge losses to the cargo and the ship but with loss of our lives as well.”

However, the officer paid more attention to the pilot and the ship’s owner than to what Sha’ul said.

Moreover, since the harbor was not well suited to sitting out the winter, the majority reached the decision to sail on from there in the hope of reaching Phoenix, another harbor in Crete, and wintering there, where it is protected from the southwest and northwest winds.

The Voyage Encounters a Great Storm

When a gentle southerly breeze began to blow, they thought that they had their goal within grasp; so they raised the anchor and started coasting by Crete close to shore.

But before long there struck us from land a full gale from the northeast, the kind they call an Evrakilon.

The ship was caught up and unable to face the wind, so we gave way to it and were driven along.

As we passed into the lee of a small island called Cauda, we managed with strenuous effort to get control of the lifeboat.

They hoisted it aboard, then fastened cables tightly around the ship itself to reinforce it. Fearing they might run aground on the Syrtis sandbars, they lowered the topsails and thus continued drifting.

But because we were fighting such heavy weather, the next day they began to jettison non-essentials;

and the third day, they threw the ship’s sailing equipment overboard with their own hands.

For many days neither the sun nor the stars appeared, while the storm continued to rage, until gradually all hope of survival vanished.

Paul’s Vision and Divine Assurance

It was then, when they had gone a long time without eating, that Sha’ul stood up in front of them and said, “You should have listened to me and not set out from Crete; if you had, you would have escaped this disastrous loss.

But now, my advice to you is to take heart; because not one of you will lose his life — only the ship will be lost.

For this very night, there stood next to me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve.

He said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Sha’ul! you have to stand before the Emperor. Look! God has granted you all those who are sailing with you.’

So, men, take heart! For I trust God and believe that what I have been told will come true.

Nevertheless, we have to run aground on some island.”

Preparing for Shipwreck

It was the fourteenth night, and we were still being driven about in the Adriatic Sea, when around midnight the sailors sensed that we were nearing land.

So they dropped a plumbline and found the water one hundred and twenty feet deep. A little farther on, they took another sounding and found it ninety feet.

Fearing we might run on the rocks, they let out four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight to come.

At this point, the crew made an attempt to abandon ship — they lowered the lifeboat into the sea, pretending that they were about to let out some anchors from the bow.

Sha’ul said to the officer and the soldiers, “Unless these men remain aboard the ship, you yourselves cannot be saved.”

Then the soldiers cut the ropes holding the lifeboat and let it go.

Just before daybreak, Sha’ul urged them all to eat, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day you have been in suspense, going hungry, eating nothing.

Therefore I advise you to take some food; you need it for your own survival. For not one of you will lose so much as a hair from his head.”

When he had said this, he took bread, said the b’rakhah to God in front of everyone, broke it and began to eat.

With courage restored, they all ate some food themselves.

Altogether there were 276 of us on board the ship.

After they had eaten all they wanted, they lightened the ship by dumping the grain into the sea.

Shipwreck and Survival

When day broke, they didn’t recognize the land; but they noticed a bay with a sand beach, where they decided to run the ship aground if they could.

So they cut away the anchors and left them in the sea; at the same time, they loosened the ropes that held the rudders out of the water. Then they hoisted the foresail to the wind and headed for the beach.

But they encountered a place where two currents meet, and ran the vessel aground on the sandbar there. The bow stuck and would not move, while the pounding of the surf began to break up the stern.

At this point the soldiers’ thought was to kill the prisoners, so that none of them would swim off and escape.

But the officer, wanting to save Sha’ul, kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to throw themselves overboard first and head for shore,

and the rest to use planks or whatever they could find from the ship. Thus it was that everyone reached land safely.

Study Notes for Acts 27

Verse 1

Paul, along with other prisoners, was committed to Julius, a centurion (a commander of 100 men). The 'Augustus' band' refers to an elite cohort, likely stationed in Syria or Caesarea, suggesting Julius was an officer of some standing.

Verse 2

Luke, the author, uses the inclusive 'we,' confirming his presence on the journey. Aristarchus, a Macedonian companion, demonstrates great loyalty by traveling with Paul, even as a presumed fellow prisoner (cf. Col 4:10).

Verse 3

Julius’s courteous treatment of Paul suggests respect, perhaps influenced by the favorable reports Paul received from governors Festus and Felix, or recognition of Paul's status as a Roman citizen.

Verse 4

Sailing under Cyprus indicates they were using the island’s shelter for protection because prevailing winds (the westerly Etesian winds) were contrary to their intended course to Italy.

Verse 6

The centurion transferred them to a large grain ship from Alexandria, Egypt, which was the primary supplier of grain to Rome. Such ships were large and often carried hundreds of passengers and crew.

Verse 9

The 'fast' refers to Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, which occurred in late September or early October. This date marked the end of the safe sailing season in the Mediterranean, making further travel highly dangerous.

Verse 10

Paul, though a prisoner, offers expert advice, likely based on his extensive experience in maritime travel (cf. 2 Cor 11:25) combined with divine foresight, though the centurion chose to trust the ship’s professionals.

Verse 11

The centurion’s decision reflects the general ancient preference for trusting the technical expertise of the ship's master over the warning of an outsider or a prisoner.

Verse 12

Fair Havens was poorly suited for wintering. The crew’s desire to reach Phenice (Phoenix), a better harbor, led them to take a risk that proved catastrophic.

Verse 14

Euroclydon (often translated as Euraquilo, meaning 'northeast wind') was a sudden, violent, cyclonic wind known for rapidly changing direction and devastating ships in the eastern Mediterranean.

Verse 17

They used 'helps' (undergirding or frapping) by passing ropes or chains under the hull and tightening them to prevent the ship’s timbers from separating. The 'quicksands' refer to the dangerous sandbanks (Syrtis Major) off the coast of North Africa.

Verse 20

The inability to see the sun or stars meant they had lost all means of celestial navigation, leading to complete despair among the sailors.

Verse 21

Paul establishes his authority by reminding them of his ignored warning, but immediately pivots to offer hope, demonstrating leadership rooted in prophetic assurance.

Verse 23

Paul affirms his identity and mission: 'whose I am, and whom I serve.' He is secure in his relationship with God, even in the face of imminent death.

Verse 24

The promise that Paul 'must be brought before Caesar' guarantees his safety, demonstrating that God’s ultimate plan for the gospel’s spread overrides immediate physical dangers. God grants the safety of the entire ship’s company for Paul’s sake.

Verse 27

Adria here refers not narrowly to the Adriatic Sea, but to the central Mediterranean basin between Greece, Italy, and Malta, where they had been drifting for two weeks.

Verse 31

This verse presents a crucial theological principle: God’s guaranteed promises (V. 24) do not negate the necessity of human effort and practical obedience. Salvation requires both divine decree and responsible human action.

Verse 33

Paul takes command again, urging them to eat. This fasting was involuntary (due to the severity of the storm), and Paul recognized the need to restore physical strength before the final ordeal.

Verse 34

The assurance that 'there shall not an hair fall from the head' is a common biblical idiom (cf. 1 Sam 14:45; Luke 21:18) guaranteeing complete, divinely protected safety.

Verse 35

Paul publicly gives thanks for the bread. This action, mirroring the patterns of Jesus' meals, restores morale and establishes Paul as the spiritual and moral leader of the 276 people.

Verse 37

The number 276 is typical for large grain carriers (Alexandrian ships). Luke’s inclusion of this specific detail attests to his meticulous historical record-keeping.

Verse 41

Running the ship aground was a deliberate, desperate act to prevent the ship from sinking in deep water. The force of the waves immediately broke the stern, leaving the bow fixed.

Verse 42

Under Roman military law, a soldier was liable for the escape of his prisoner, often facing the same penalty (death). Killing the prisoners was standard protocol to avoid this liability.

Verse 43

The centurion’s desire to save Paul’s life, likely due to the respect Paul had earned and the assurance he provided, providentially overrides military protocol, ensuring the fulfillment of God’s promise.

Verse 44

The chapter concludes with a statement confirming the complete fulfillment of Paul’s prophecy (V. 22): all 276 people were saved, demonstrating God's faithfulness to His servant.

Use ← → arrow keys to navigate

Acts27

Paul Begins the Voyage to Rome

Paul Warns Against Sailing

The Voyage Encounters a Great Storm

Paul’s Vision and Divine Assurance

Preparing for Shipwreck

Shipwreck and Survival

Reading Style

Typeface

Font Size 19px

Options