Acts 27:13-36

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Acts 27:12-20

In these verses we have, I. The ship putting to sea again, and pursuing her voyage at first with a promising gale. Observe, 1. What induced them to leave the fair havens: it was because they thought the harbour not commodious to winter in; it was pleasant enough in summer but in the winter they lay bleak. Or perhaps it was upon some other account incommodious; provisions perhaps were scarce and dear there; and they ran upon a mischief to avoid an inconvenience, as we often do. Some of the... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Acts 27:21-44

We have here the issue of the distress of Paul and his fellow-travellers; they escaped with their lives and that was all, and that was for Paul's sake. We are here told (Acts 27:37) what number there were on board?mariners, merchants, soldiers, prisoners, and other passengers, in all two hundred and seventy-six souls; this is taken notice of to make us the more concerned for them in reading the story, that they were such a considerable number, whose lives were now in the utmost jeopardy, and... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Acts 27:9-20

27:9-20 Since a considerable time had elapsed and since it was now no longer safe for sailing because the Fast was already past, Paul offered his advice. "Gentlemen," he said, "I see that this voyage is going to be fraught with injury and much loss not only to the cargo and to the ship but also to our own lives." But the centurion was persuaded by the master and the owner rather than by what Paul said. Since the harbour was not suitable to winter in, the majority proposed the plan of sailing... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Acts 27:21-26

27:21-26 Since they had been without food for a long time Paul stood up in the midst of them and said, "Gentlemen, you should have obeyed me and you should not have sailed from Crete and so you would have avoided this injury and loss. So now I advise you to keep your hearts up. There will be no loss of life among you, but only the ship. For this night there stood beside me the Angel of God, whose I am and whom I serve, saying, 'Have no fear, Paul; you must stand before Caesar; and lo, God has... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Acts 27:27-38

27:27-38 When the fourteenth night came and we were drifting across in the Adriatic, in the middle of the night the sailors suspected that some land was approaching them. They took a sounding and found twenty fathoms. Since they were afraid that they would be cast up on rough places they cast four anchors out of the stern and hoped for the day. When the sailors were trying to escape from the ship and were lowering the dinghy into the sea on the pretext of being about to send out anchors from... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 27:13

And when the south wind blew softly ,.... Or moderately, which was a good wind for them: supposing that they, had obtained their purpose ; that things would succeed according to their wish, and favour their design: loosing thence ; from the Fair Havens; the Vulgate Latin and Ethiopic versions render it, "loosing from Assos"; which could not be Assos of Troas, mentioned in Acts 20:13 which was many miles from hence; rather Asum, a town in Crete, of which Pliny F18 Nat. Hist. l.... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 27:14

But not long after ,.... They had not been long at sea, but there arose against it ; the ship, or the island of Crete, or both: a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon ; in the Greek text it is a "Typhonic" wind, so called, not from the name of a country from whence it blew; rather from Typho, the same with Python, an Heathen deity, who is said to be drowned in the lake Serbonis, or in the river Orontes; about which places this sort of wind is observed to be frequent, and which may... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 27:15

And when the ship was caught ,.... By the wind, snatched up by it, and forcibly carried away: and could not bear up into the wind ; and against it, or look it in the face, as the word signifies; could not ply to windward, the wind being so high and the sea so strong: we let her drive ; about the sea, at pleasure, it being in vain to attempt to get her forward against the wind, or to direct her course. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 27:16

And running under a certain island ,.... Or below a certain island and hard by, it or under the sea shore of it, where the sea might be smoother, the wind not being there so strong: which is called Clauda : by Ptolomy F24 Geograph. l. 3. c. 17. it is called Claudus, and was near the island of Crete, and now called Gozo. The Vulgate Latin and Ethiopic versions, and some copies, read "Cauda"; and there was an island near to Crete, which was called Gaudos F25 Mela, l. 2. c. 7.... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 27:17

Which when they had taken up ,.... When they had got the boat into the ship: they used helps ; the mariners made use of other persons, called in the assistance of the soldiers, and passengers, and prisoners; or for the help of the ship, they made use of cords, chains, and such like things: undergirding the ship : with cords and ropes, which they drew under the keel of the ship, and so bound both sides of the ship, that it might not split and fall to pieces; which may be what is now... read more

Group of Brands