성경 주석서

Acts 27:1-44. Paul’s voyage and shipwreck

1. they delivered Paul] i.e. the soldiers who had the care of him did so, by order of Festus.

a centurion] This was generally the rank of the officers appointed to such a charge. Cp. Acts 21:32, Acts 24:23, &c.

of Augustus’ band] Rev. Ver. “Of the Augustan band.” The word rendered “band” might be translated “cohort” as in the margin of R. V., and it is said that in the time of Octavianus Augustus there were some legions to which the title “Augustan” (Gk. Sebastos) was given, as being specially the Imperial troops, and that perhaps among the soldiers in Cæsarea there was a detachment of these legions. But as Cæsarea was itself called “Sebaste” it seems more likely that the soldiers were Samaritan troop belonging to Cæsarea itself! And Josephus (Wars ii. 12. 5) makes mention of troops which had their name, Sebasteni, from this city Cæsarea Sebaste.

2. And entering into (R. V. embarking in)] The verb is the technical term for “going on board.”

Adramyttium] a seaport on the coast of that district of Asia Minor called Mysia, and in early times Æolis. It appears to have been in St Paul’s time a place of considerable trade, and Pliny (Acts 27:30) mentions it as an assize town. The reason why the Apostle and his companions embarked on board a vessel from this port was that it was probably the easiest way of getting into the line of vessels going from Asia to the West. The isle of Lesbos lay off the gulf on which Adramyttium was situated, and to which it gave name, and the town was in close connexion with Ephesus, Miletus, Pergamos and Troas, and so was a considerable centre of commerce.

we launched, meaning to sail] The best MSS. make the participle refer to the ship and not to the Apostle and his company. So read, with Rev. Ver. “a ship … which was about to sail unto the places on the coast of Asia, we put to sea.” For in a voyage of such a character they would be very likely to find, in some of the ports at which they touched, a vessel that would convey them to Italy.

Aristarchus] Mentioned before (Acts 19:29) as one of those whom the mob in Ephesus seized in their fury against St Paul. He went, as it seems, with the Apostle into Europe, for he is enumerated amongst those who accompanied St Paul (Acts 20:4) on his return. After the present notice of him, we learn nothing more of his history except that from Colossians 4:10 and Philemon 1:24 we can gather that he remained with the Apostle during his first Roman imprisonment.

3. Sidon] The well-known seaport on the coast of Phœnicia.

courteously entreated Paul] “To entreat” is in modern English only used as “to beseech” “to supplicate.” In the older language it had the same sense as “to treat,” “use” has now. Cp. Shaks. Hen. VI. (pt. 2) ii. 4. 81 “Entreat her not the worse, in that I pray you use her well.” The R. V. has “treated Paul kindly.”

to refresh himself] The Greek is literally “to receive attention.” The Apostle no doubt knew some of the residents in Sidon, and at his request the centurion allowed him, while the vessel stayed there, to enjoy their company and kind offices.

4. And when we had launched from thence] R. V. “And putting to sea from thence.” “Launch” has become a little restricted in meaning in modern English, but compare, for the sense, Christ’s words to Peter (Luke 5:4), “Launch out into the deep.”

we sailed under Cyprus] i.e. between Cyprus and the mainland, so as to have the shelter of the island on their left to protect them from the contrary winds. R. V. “under the lee of Cyprus.”

5. the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia] R. V., more correctly, “the sea which is off Cilicia and Pamphylia.” These two countries formed the coast of Asia Minor in that portion which is opposite Cyprus.

Myra] Lies about 20 stadia (2½ miles) from the coast on the river Andriacus.

6. a ship of Alexandria] They found a means of transport into Italy sooner perhaps than they had expected. It may be that the same strong contrary winds from the west which had altered already the course of their voyage from Sidon, had carried this vessel across the Mediterranean to the Asiatic coast. Myra was certainly out of the way for persons sailing from N. Africa to Italy.

7. sailed slowly many days] Kept back by the same head-winds.

and scarce were come over against Cnidus] The word rendered “scarce” would be better “with difficulty.” They had been forced to hug the coast all the way from Myra, and when off Cnidus they were only opposite to the S.W. extremity of Asia Minor. Cnidus was, as its remains demonstrate, a famous seaport town in ancient times, and we find that Jews dwelt there in the days of the Maccabees (1Ma 15:23). It was a notable seat of the worship of Aphrodité.

the wind not suffering us] Better, with R. V., “not further suffering us,” i.e. not allowing us to make further progress.

under Crete] Rev. Ver., “under the lee of Crete.” See above on Acts 27:4. Crete is the modern island of Candia. Salmone was the eastern extremity of the island, off which when they came they sheltered themselves under the island, and sailed to the south of it, to avoid the wind as much as might be.

8. and hardly passing it] “Hardly” is in the original the same word which was rendered “scarce” in the previous verse. Read (with R. V.) “with difficulty coasting along it.” The verb represents the voyage as made by keeping close in to the southern shores of the island.

came unto a place] i.e. on the coast of Crete. The Gk. gives (as R. V.) “a certain place.”

which is called The fair havens] R. V. “called Fair Havens.” This place, though mentioned nowhere else in literature, yet is known by the same name still. It is on the south of Crete, four or five miles east of Cape Matala, which is the largest headland on that side of the island.

Lasea] This city has also been identified very recently. Its ruins were discovered in 1856, a few miles east of Fair Havens. See Smith’s Voyage and Shipwreck of St Paul, App. iii. pp. 262, 263.