Acts 27:1-39 NIV

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 27:3

And the next day we touched at Sidon ,.... This was a famous city in Phoenicia, upon the northern border of the land of Israel; it was a maritime place, and noted for trade and navigation; Mela F17 De orbis Situ, l. 1. c. 12. calls it rich Sidon, and the chief of the maritime cities; Jerom F18 Epitaph. Paulae, Tom. I. fol. 58. calls it the ancient city Sidon; and Curtius says F19 Hist. l. 4. c. 1. it was renowned for the antiquity and fame of its founders; it is thought to... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 27:4

And when we had launched from thence ,.... From Sidon: we sailed under Cyprus, because the winds were contrary ; that is, they sailed below the island of Cyprus; of which see Acts 4:36 whereas if the wind had been right for them, they would have sailed above the island; leaving it on the right hand, in a straight course to Myra; but now they were obliged to go below it, leaving it on the left hand, going in part about it, through the seas of Cilicia and Pamphylia to Lycia, as follows. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 27:5

And when we had sailed over the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia ,.... For these two seas joined, as Pliny says F6 Hist. l. 5. c. 27. , "mare Pamphylium Cilicio jungitur", the Pamphylian sea is joined to the Cilician; and in another place F7 Ib. c. 31. he observes, that in the Pamphylian sea were islands of no note, and in the Cilician sea of the five chiefest was Cyprus (an island mentioned in the preceding verse), and a little after, the sea of Cilicia is distant from Anemurius... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 27:6

And there the centurion found a ship of Alexandria ,.... Alexandria was the chief city in Egypt, built by Alexander the great, from whom it took its name; it was situated near the sea, and had a famous haven or port, which R. Benjamin F14 Itinerar. p. 121. calls הנמל של אלכסנדריאה , "the port of Alexandria"; from hence ships were sent into several parts for trade and commerce, and one of these Julius found at Myra: the top sail was a distinguishing sign of a ship of Alexandria,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 27:7

And when we had sailed slowly many days ,.... Because of contrary winds, as in Acts 27:4 or else for want of wind, as some think; the Syriac version renders it, "and because it sailed heavily"; that is, the ship being loaden with goods: and scarce were come over against Cnidus ; or "Gnidus", as it is sometimes called; it was a city and promontory in Doris, in the Chersonese or peninsula of Caria, famous for the marble statue of Venus made by Praxiteles F18 Plin. l. 5. c. 28.... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 27:8

And hardly passing it ,.... That is, Salmone, with great difficulty, because of the winds: came unto a place which is called the Fair Havens ; called by other writers Cale Acte, or the fair shore, and is placed by Ptolomy F3 De ordis Situ. l. 3. c. 15. in Eubaea, and by Herodotus F4 L. 6. c. 22. in Sicily; but by Stephanus F5 De urbibus. is said to be a city of the Cretians, and which agrees with this account; nigh whereunto was the city of Lasae ; there was a city... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 27:9

Now when much time was spent ,.... In sailing against the wind, or by staying at the Fair Havens; for so the Syriac version renders it, "where we stayed a long time"; and the Ethiopic version, "and there we remained many days": it follows, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past ; the Syriac version reads, "the fast of the Jews"; this was the day of atonement, which was the grand fast of the Jews, on which day they afflicted their souls, Leviticus 23:27... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 27:10

And said unto them, Sirs, I perceive ,.... Not only by the tempestuous weather which they had met with, and still continued, and which they must expect to have, if they continued on their voyage; but by a spirit of prophecy, which he was endued with, by which he foresaw, and so foretold, as follows; that this voyage will be with hurt, and with much damage not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives ; or of our persons, or bodies, that is, of the health of them; for certain it... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 27:11

Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship ,.... Who were either one and the same person, or if two persons, the one was the owner, whose the ship was, and the other, he that was at the helm, and steered and directed it; or the one might be the captain, and the other the pilot. The κυβερνητης , or "governor", as he is here called with the ancients, was he who sat on an eminence in the stern of the ship, at the helm, and had the direction of it; he gave the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 27:12

And because the haven was not commodious to winter in ,.... Which was called the "Fair Havens", Acts 27:8 which name it might have by an antiphrasis, it being just the reverse; it might be a good summer haven, but not be fit for winter: perhaps it might be an open road or bay, and having nothing to shelter from the boisterous waves, was a place very improper for a ship to be in, in stormy weather; for in open places, as bays and roads, the sea tumbles in very violently in bad weather: this... read more

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 27:3

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 27:4

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 27:5

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 27:6

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 27:7

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 27:8

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 27:9

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 27:10

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 27:11

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 27:12

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