Acts 27:39-44

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 27:39-44

27:39-44 When day came they did not recognize the land; but they saw a bay with a beach, on which they purposed, if it was possible, to run the ship ashore. They loosed the anchors and let them go into the sea and at the same time they loosed the lashings of the rudder paddles, and they set the foresail to the wind and made for the beach. When they were cast into a place where two seas met, they beached the ship; and the bow remained fast and immovable but the stern was being broken up by the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 27:39

And when it was day they knew not the land ,.... What place it was, or the name of it: but they discovered a certain creek with a shore ; a gulf or bay, with a shore near it; the Ethiopic version explains it, an arm of the sea , where was a port, where they thought they could secure themselves, or get ashore: into which they were minded, if it were possible, to thrust in the ship ; whither they had a mind, and consulted to run the ship, if it could be done by any means, believing... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 27:40

And when they had taken up the anchors ,.... The four anchors they cast out of the stern, Acts 27:29 or "when they had cut the anchors", as the Syriac and Arabic versions render it; that is, had cut the cables to which the anchors were fastened: they committed themselves unto the sea ; or left them, the anchors, in the sea; or committed the ship to the sea, and themselves in it, endeavouring to steer its course to the place they had in view: and loosed the rudder bands ; by which... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 27:41

And falling into a place where two seas met ,.... An "isthmus", on each side of which the sea ran; and which the inhabitants of Malta, as Beza says, show to this day, and call it, "la Cala de San Paulo", or the Descent of Saint Paul. The meeting of these two seas might occasion a great rippling in the sea like to a large eddy, or counter tide; and here might be a sand on which they ran the ship aground ; for this place where the two seas met, as the same annotator observes, could not be... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 27:42

And the soldiers' counsel was to kill the prisoners ,.... Paul, and the rest: this they had not only an inclination to, but they declared it, and gave it as their opinion, and what they thought advisable to be done directly: lest any of them should swim out and escape ; and they should be accountable for them: but this was dreadful wickedness in them to seek to take away the lives of others, when they themselves were in so much danger; and monstrous ingratitude to the Apostle Paul, who... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 27:43

But the centurion, willing to save Paul ,.... Not only because he was a Roman citizen, but because he perceived he was some extraordinary person; and chiefly because he was moved there unto by a superior influence, that Satan might not have his end; and that the will of God might be fulfilled, that he should go to Rome, and there bear a testimony of Christ. Kept them from their purpose ; would not suffer them to execute their design, restrained them from it, and laid his commands upon... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 27:44

And the rest, some on boards ,.... Doors, tables, planks, or any such like things: and some on broken pieces of the ship ; or what came from it, as masts, beams, &c.; and so it came to pass that they escaped all safe to land ; not one was lost, as Paul had foretold. And so it will be with the saints after their afflicted state in this life, who are safe by being in Christ, and by abiding in him and in the use of means; and though by reason of the many difficulties in the way,... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 27:39

They knew not the land - And therefore knew neither the nature of the coast, nor where the proper port lay. A - creek with a shore - Κολπον , Sinum, a bay, with a shore; a neck of land perhaps on either side, running out into the sea, and this little bay or gulf between them; though some think it was a tongue of land, running out into the sea, having the sea on both sides, at the point of which these two seas met, Acts 27:41 . There is such a place as this in the island of Malta,... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 27:40

Taken up the anchors - Weighed all the anchors that they had cast out of the stern. Some think the meaning of the word is, they slipped their cables; and so left the anchors in the sea. Loosed the rudder bands - Or, the bands of the rudders; for large vessels in ancient times had two or more rudders, one at the side, and another at the stern, and sometimes one at the prow. The bands, ζευκτηριας , were some kind of fastenings, by which the rudders were hoisted some way out of the water;... read more

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