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Matthew Henry

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

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

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

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 27:15

And when the ship was caught - Συναρπασθεντος δε του πλοιου . The ship was violently hurried away before this strong levanter; so that it was impossible for her, αντοφθαλμειν , to face the wind, to turn her prow to it, so as to shake it out, as I have heard sailors say, and have seen them successfully perform in violent tempests and squalls. We let her drive - We were obliged to let her go right before this tempestuous wind, whithersoever it might drive her. read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 27:15

Verse 15− 15.When the ship was caught. Luke saith that that fell out here, which useth to fall out in extreme danger; namely, they suffered themselves to be carried of the winds. Seeing they were first gone some space, and the mariners thought that all things fell out as they would have it, undoubtedly they did deride Paul’s admonition; as rash men use commonly to wax proud if fortune favor them. Being now caught, they are grievously punished for their boldness; yea, when they drew near to an... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Acts 27:1-17

The voyage. "The voyage of life" is an expression drawn from the common feeling of men that there is a close analogy between the course of a man's life through the world, from his birth to his grave, and the progress of a ship from port to port. The Christian metaphor of the ark of Christ's Church, tossed upon the waves of this troublesome world, yet finally reaching the land of everlasting life, is no lass familiar to us. It may not be without instruction to note some of the points of... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Acts 27:1-44

The voyage of life. The journey which is described in this twenty-seventh chapter may suggest to us some of the main features of the long voyage of our life. I. THE VARIETY IS OUR COMPANIONSHIPS . As each passenger on board found himself inseparably associated with a strange admixture of fellow-travelers, so we find ourselves compelled to mingle, more or less closely, with various companions as we and they journey together over the waters of life. There are II. THE ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Acts 27:1-44

The voyage to Italy: an allegory of the Christian's course. Bunyan wrote an immortal allegory of the Christian course as a journey by land. It may be rewritten as a sea-voyage. I. THE CHRISTIAN SETS OUT IN STRANGE COMPANY ', AND WITH OFTEN UNCONGENIAL SURROUNDINGS . Romans, Macedonians, prisoners, Alexandrians, are Paul's fellow-voyagers (verses 1, 2, 4-8). No seclusion, no picked society nor refined retirement, can be or ought to be the usual lot of the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Acts 27:12-15

Disappointment. Disappointment is the strong reaction of the soul where it nurses an eager expectation and fails to secure the object of its hope. The familiar pleasantry which affirms the blessedness of him that expects nothing, is only a pleasantry; it does not contain any other grain of truth than that it is wise not to cherish hopes which are unlikely to be fulfilled, and this is a very simple truism. For— I. HOPE IS A CONSTANT RESIDENT OF THE HUMAN SOUL . Thou... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Acts 27:15

Face the wind for bear up into the wind, A.V.; gave way to it, and were driven for let her drive, A.V. Was caught ; συναρπασθέντος , only here in this sense of being caught and carried away by the gale, but used in three other places by St. Luke (and only by him), viz. Luke 8:29 ; Acts 6:12 ; Acts 19:29 . It is found more than once in the LXX ., and is common in classical Greek. Sophocles uses it of a storm which carries everything away, πάντα ξυναρπάσας θύελλ... read more

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