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Acts 27

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Paul Begins the Voyage to Rome 1–8

1
And when it was determined that we should sail into Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners unto one named Julius, a centurion of Augustus' band. ​
2
And entering into a ship of Adramyttium, we launched, meaning to sail by the coasts of Asia; one Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us. ​
3
And the next day we touched at Sidon. And Julius courteously entreated Paul, and gave him liberty to go unto his friends to refresh himself. ​
4
And when we had launched from thence, we sailed under Cyprus, because the winds were contrary. ​
5
And when we had sailed over the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia.
6
And there the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing into Italy; and he put us therein. ​
7
And when we had sailed slowly many days, and scarce were come over against Cnidus, the wind not suffering us, we sailed under Crete, over against Salmone;
8
And, hardly passing it, came unto a place which is called The fair havens; nigh whereunto was the city of Lasea.

Paul Warns Against Sailing 9–12

9
Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished them, ​
10
And said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives. ​
11
Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul. ​
12
And because the haven was not commodious to winter in, the more part advised to depart thence also, if by any means they might attain to Phenice, and there to winter; which is an haven of Crete, and lieth toward the south west and north west. ​

The Voyage Encounters a Great Storm 13–20

13
And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing thence, they sailed close by Crete.
14
But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon. ​
15
And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive.
16
And running under a certain island which is called Clauda, we had much work to come by the boat:
17
Which when they had taken up, they used helps, undergirding the ship; and, fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands, strake sail, and so were driven. ​
18
And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest, the next day they lightened the ship;
19
And the third day we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship.
20
And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away. ​

Paul’s Vision and Divine Assurance 21–26

21
But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss. ​
22
And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man's life among you, but of the ship.
23
For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, ​
24
Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee. ​
25
Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.
26
Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island.

Preparing for Shipwreck 27–38

27
But when the fourteenth night was come, as we were driven up and down in Adria, about midnight the shipmen deemed that they drew near to some country; ​
28
And sounded, and found it twenty fathoms: and when they had gone a little further, they sounded again, and found it fifteen fathoms.
29
Then fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day.
30
And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, when they had let down the boat into the sea, under colour as though they would have cast anchors out of the foreship,
31
Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved. ​
32
Then the soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat, and let her fall off.
33
And while the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to take meat, saying, This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued fasting, having taken nothing. ​
34
Wherefore I pray you to take some meat: for this is for your health: for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you. ​
35
And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them all: and when he had broken it, he began to eat. ​
36
Then were they all of good cheer, and they also took some meat.
37
And we were in all in the ship two hundred threescore and sixteen souls. ​
38
And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, and cast out the wheat into the sea.

Shipwreck and Survival 39–44

39
And when it was day, they knew not the land: but they discovered a certain creek with a shore, into the which they were minded, if it were possible, to thrust in the ship.
40
And when they had taken up the anchors, they committed themselves unto the sea, and loosed the rudder bands, and hoised up the mainsail to the wind, and made toward shore.
41
And falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the forepart stuck fast, and remained unmoveable, but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves. ​
42
And the soldiers' counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape. ​
43
But the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from their purpose; and commanded that they which could swim should cast themselves first into the sea, and get to land: ​
44
And the rest, some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land. ​

Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · Public domain

Study Notes for Acts 27

Verse 1

Julius, a centurion of Augustus' band — 'Band' is speira, the word for Cornelius's 'Italian band' (Acts 10:1) and for the band that came down on the riot at Jerusalem (Acts 21:31). 'Augustus'' is sebastos, the emperor's title, as in Paul's appeal to him (Acts 25:21). Julius is named only here and in v.3.

Verse 2

Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica — Named five times in all: seized in the uproar at Ephesus (Acts 19:29), listed among Paul's company (Acts 20:4), here, then 'my fellowprisoner' (Col 4:10) and 'my fellowlabourers' (Philem 1:24). This ship of Adramyttium was to sail 'by the coasts of Asia', and Paul and Aristarchus went aboard together.

Verse 3

courteously entreated — Philanthropos, with kindness toward man, found only here in the New Testament. Its noun is the 'kindness' of the islanders at Malta (Acts 28:2) and of 'God our Saviour toward man' (Titus 3:4). The 'liberty' to visit 'his friends' (philos) at Sidon is a favour to a prisoner, who is cared for (epimeleia).

Verse 4

we sailed under Cyprus — Hypopleo, to sail under the lee of an island for shelter; it occurs only here and in v.7, 'we sailed under Crete'. The 'contrary' wind (enantios) is the word of Matt 14:24, 'the wind was contrary'. Cyprus was Barnabas's home (Acts 4:36), and Paul had sailed there before (Acts 13:4).

Verse 6

a ship of Alexandria — The centurion moved his prisoners to a second ship, the kind of vessel that carried wheat: its cargo is 'the wheat' thrown into the sea in v.38, and it held 276 souls (v.37). After the wreck, they left Malta in another 'ship of Alexandria' (Acts 28:11).

Verse 9

the fast — Nesteia; here the fast of the Day of Atonement, on the tenth day of the seventh month, when the people were to 'afflict your souls' (Lev 16:29; 23:27). Its passing meant autumn was well along and sailing 'dangerous' (episphales, found only here). 'Admonished' is paraineo, used again for Paul's 'exhort' in v.22.

Verse 10

hurt and much damage — Hybris and zemia, injury and loss; Paul repeats the pair in v.21 as 'harm and loss'. Hybris is rare: elsewhere only 2 Cor 12:10, 'reproaches'. 'Lives' is psyche, persons, the word of 'no loss of any man's life' (v.22) and the 276 'souls' of v.37. He says 'I perceive' before any storm has risen.

Verse 11

the master and the owner of the ship — Kybernetes, the helmsman, and naukleros, the shipowner (found only here). The only other use of kybernetes is 'every shipmaster' in Rev 18:17. The centurion who had shown Paul kindness (v.3) 'believed' the men who knew the sea 'more than' what Paul said.

Verse 12

the more part advised — 'Advised' is boule with tithemi, to give counsel; the same noun is the soldiers' 'counsel' in v.42. The haven (limen) was 'not commodious to winter in' (aneuthetos, found only here), so the majority wished to leave Fair Havens (v.8) and reach Phenice, a haven of Crete.

Verse 14

a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon — The name Euroclydon occurs only here. 'Tempestuous' is typhonikos, also found only here, a wind like a whirlwind. Of seafarers Psalm 107 says the LORD 'commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind' (v.25), and in the end 'bringeth them unto their desired haven' (v.30).

Verse 17

undergirding the ship — Hypozonnymi, to gird under, found only here: the hull was bound round with cables. 'Helps' is boetheia, found only here and in Heb 4:16, 'grace to help in time of need'. 'Quicksands' is syrtis, the Syrtis shoals, found only here. To 'strake sail' is chalao, to lower.

Verse 20

all hope… was then taken away — No 'sun nor stars' appeared for 'many days', with 'no small tempest' on them. 'Taken away' is periaireo, stripped off, and 'hope' is elpis. 'Saved' is sozo, the verb that returns in v.31; its noun soteria is the 'health' of v.34, usually rendered 'salvation'.

Verse 21

long abstinence — Asitia, lack of food, found only here; v.33 has the related asitos, 'fasting'. 'Ye should have hearkened' is peitharcheo, to obey one in authority, as in 'We ought to obey God rather than men' (Acts 5:29). 'Harm and loss' are the same two words as in v.10.

Verse 23

whose I am, and whom I serve — 'Serve' is latreuo, service of worship, as in 'so worship I the God of my fathers' (Acts 24:14). 'There stood by me' is paristemi, the verb of 'the Lord stood with me' in 2 Tim 4:17. On an earlier night the Lord had 'stood by him' at Jerusalem (Acts 23:11).

Verse 24

thou must be brought before Caesar — 'Must' is dei, the necessity of Acts 23:11, 'so must thou bear witness also at Rome'. 'Brought before' is paristemi, to stand before, the verb of the angel who 'stood by' in v.23. 'Hath given' is charizomai, to give as a gift: the ship's company is granted to Paul.

Verse 27

driven up and down in Adria — Adria is named only here in Scripture. 'Driven up and down' is diaphero, carried to and fro. The 'fourteenth night' counts from the storm's beginning (vv.14–20). The shipmen 'deemed' (hyponoeo, suspected) land near, as v.26 had said: 'we must be cast upon a certain island'.

Verse 31

Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved — The promise of vv.22–24 still holds, and now the means is named. The shipmen had let down the boat 'under colour' of casting anchors (v.30). The soldiers took Paul at his word and cut the boat's ropes (v.32). 'Saved' is sozo, as in v.20.

Verse 33

ye have tarried and continued fasting — Asitos, without food, found only here. 'Tarried' is prosdokao, to wait expectantly. 'Meat' is trophe, food, as in Acts 2:46, 'did eat their meat with gladness', and recurs in vv.34, 36 and 38. The fourteen days count from the storm's onset, as in v.27.

Verse 34

not an hair fall from the head — The promise has Scripture's own idiom: 'there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground' (1 Sam 14:45; also 1 Kin 1:52), and Christ's 'there shall not an hair of your head perish' (Luke 21:18). 'Health' is soteria, found elsewhere as 'salvation' (Acts 4:12; 13:26).

Verse 35

took bread, and gave thanks to God — The verbs are those of Luke 22:19: 'took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it' (lambano, eucharisteo, klao). Here the thanks are 'to God in presence of them all', before the whole company on the ship; 'they also took some meat' follows in v.36.

Verse 37

two hundred threescore and sixteen souls — 'Souls' is psyche, the word of the 'lives' in v.10 and the 'life' in v.22. These are the company given to Paul in v.24, as 'threescore and fifteen souls' counted Jacob's household in Acts 7:14 and 'eight souls' those 'saved by water' in the ark (1 Pet 3:20).

Verse 41

a place where two seas met — Dithalassos, found only here, literally 'between two seas'. 'Ran… aground' is epokello, also only here. The anchors had been cast from the stern (v.29, prymna), and now 'the forepart' (prora, also v.30) stuck fast while 'the hinder part' (prymna) broke up.

Verse 42

the soldiers' counsel was to kill the prisoners — 'Counsel' is boule, the word of v.12. A guard answered for his prisoners with his own life: Herod 'commanded that they should be put to death' when Peter was gone (Acts 12:19), and the keeper at Philippi 'would have killed himself' (Acts 16:27).

Verse 43

willing to save Paul — 'Save' is diasozo, to bring safely through; it recurs in v.44 ('escaped… safe') and is used of Noah's 'eight souls' (1 Pet 3:20). 'Purpose' is boulema, the counterpart of the soldiers' boule (v.42). The centurion who had trusted the shipmaster in v.11 now overrules his own men.

Verse 44

escaped all safe to land — Diasozo again (see v.43), the same verb as 'when they were escaped' at Malta (Acts 28:1). 'Boards' is sanis, found only here. It answers the word of v.22, 'no loss of any man's life', and of v.24, 'God hath given thee all them that sail with thee'.