Acts 27:23-34

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 27:21-26

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 27:23

For there stood by me this night the angel of God ,.... One of the ministering, spirits that stand before God, and who was sent by him to the apostle; and appeared to him, either in a vision by a dream, or rather when he was awake, and stood by him, as he was praying for deliverance from the storm; for it is most likely that the apostle should be engaged at such a time as this: whose I am, and whom I serve : meaning not the angel, but God, whose the angel was; and his the apostle was, by... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 27:24

Saying, fear not, Paul ,.... For though the apostle knew and believed he should go to Rome, and appear before Caesar, to whom he had appealed, and where he should bear a testimony for Christ; and though he had previous notice of this storm, and of the loss and damage which should be sustained, and which he expected; yet the flesh was weak, and he might be under some fears and misgivings of heart, for these sometimes attend the best of men. Thou must be brought before Caesar ; as has been... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 27:25

Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer ,.... Which he repeats with more fervency and earnestness, there being so much reason for it: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me : true faith lays hold and, settles upon the word and promises of God; and the true believer, knowing his power and faithfulness, firmly persuaded that there shall be a performance of what is said by him, with respect to matter, manner, and circumstances. Whatever God has told his people of, or has... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 27:26

Howbeit, we must be cast upon a certain island. This circumstance is foretold, that when the whole affair should come to pass, it might be manifest that it was not a casual thing, a fortuitous event, a business of chance, but was predetermined by God, made known to the apostle, and predicted by him. This island was Melita; and the fulfilment of this part of the prediction is related in Acts 28:1 . read more

John Gill

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

But when the fourteenth night was come ,.... From their setting out from the Fair Havens in Crete, or from the beginning of the storm: as they were driven up and down in Adria : or "in the Adriatic sea", as the Syriac version renders it: the Adriatic sea is now called by the Turks the gulf of Venice, and the straits of Venice, and sometimes the Venetian sea F9 Hyde not. in Peritzol. Itinera Mundi, p. 53,54. ; but formerly the Adriatic sea included more than the Venetian gulf; it... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 27:28

And sounded ,.... Or let down their plummet, or sounding line; which was a line with a piece of lead at the end of it, which they let down into the water, and by that means found what depth it was, by which they could judge whether they were near land or not. The sounding line, with the ancients, was called by different names; sometimes bolis, and this is the name it has here, βολισαντες , "they let down the bolis": and the bolis is, by some, described thus; it is a brazen or leaden... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 27:29

Then fearing lest they should have fallen upon rocks ,.... Or rough places, as shelves, rocks, or sands, as they might well fear, when the water shallowed so fast, from 20 to 15 fathoms: they cast four anchors out of the stern ; or hinder part of the ship; the Ethiopic version calls it, "the head of the ship": and adds, "where the governor sat"; that is, at the helm, to steer it. Perhaps the reason of this version is, because it is not usual in modern navigation, and so, when this... read more

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