Bible Commentaries

Sail (ἀποπλεῖν)

Lit., sail away.

Band

See on Mark 15:16.

Meaning to sail (μέλλοντες πλεῖν)

This refers the intention to the voyagers; but the best texts read μέλλοντι, agreeing with πλοίῳ, ship; so that the correct rendering is, as Rev., a ship - which was about to sail.

Touched (κατήχθημεν)

From κατά, down, and ἄγω, to lead or bring. To bring the ship down from deep water to the land. Opposed to ἀνήχθημεν, put to sea (Acts 27:2); which is to bring the vessel up (ἀνά) from the land to deep water. See on Luke 8:22. Touched is an inferential rendering. Landed would be quite as good. From Caesarea to Sidon, the distance was about seventy miles.

Courteously (φιλανθρώπως)

Only here in New Testament. Lit., in a man-loving way; humanely; kindly. Rev., kindly, better than courteously. Courteous, from court, expresses rather polish of manners than real kindness.

To refresh himself (ἐπιμελείας τυχεῖν)

Lit., to receive care or attention.

We sailed under (ὑπεπλεύσαμεν)

Rev., correctly, under the lee of: under the protection of the land.

A ship of Alexandria

Employed in the immense corn trade between Italy and Egypt. See Acts 27:38. The size of the vessel may be inferred from Acts 27:37.

Many (ἱκαναῖς)

See on Luke 7:6.

Scarce (μόλις)

Incorrect. Render, as Rev., with difficulty. So, also, hardly, in Acts 27:8. The meaning is not that they had scarcely reached Cnidus when the wind became contrary, nor that they had come only as far as Cnidus in many days; but that they were retarded by contrary winds between Myra and Cnidus, a distance of about one hundred and thirty miles, which, with a favorable wind, they might have accomplished in a day. Such a contrary wind would have been the northwesterly, which prevails during the summer months in that part of the Archipelago.

The Fast

The great day of atonement, called "the Fast" by way of eminence. It occurred about the end of September. Navigation was considered unsafe from the beginning of November until the middle of March.

I perceive (θεωρῶ)

As the result of careful observation. See on Luke 10:18.

Hurt (ὕβρεως)

The word literally means insolence, injury, and is used here metaphorically: insolence of the winds and waves, "like our 'sport' or 'riot' of the elements" (Hackett). Some take it literally, with presumption, as indicating the folly of undertaking a voyage at that season; but the use of the word in Acts 27:21 is decisive against this.

Damage (ζημίας)

Better, as Rev., loss. Hurt and damage (A. V.) is tautological. See on the kindred verb, notes on lose, Matthew 16:26, and east away, Luke 9:25.