Acts 27:27-44 - Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

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Landing on Malta.Adria was not then what is now called the Adriatic, but was a general name for the sea between Malta, Italy, Greece, and Crete. After a fortnight's tossing on this sea there were signs that some land was approaching. This took place at night when nothing could be seen; distant breakers probably were heard. The surmise was confirmed by the use of the lead, and lest she should go upon the rocks in the dark, the ship was anchored, but in such a way that her bow pointed to the shore. When day broke they would know what kind of a shore it was. The crew may not have wished to desert the ship (Acts 27:30), but the safety of the party required that they should remain on board, and on Paul's initiative, the soldiers secured that they should do so. The exact translation of the first clause of Acts 27:33 is: But till it should come to be day, indicating that the time of waiting was filled up by the action of Paul, which is narrated, and which needs little comment. There was nothing to be done, and the people were hungry (Acts 27:21); food is hard to come by, and apt to be forgotten, in a storm, and provisions get spoiled. The meal put them in better heart for the efforts still to be made. As for the number (Acts 27:37), Josephus tells us of a voyage he made to Rome with 600 on board. The discharge of the cargo (Acts 27:38) would help the ship when run aground to move higher up the beach. The bay with a sandy beach (Acts 27:39) is identified with St. Paul's Bay in the NE. of Malta. For a description, see Smith. The anchors, accordingly, were slipped and left in the sea (Acts 27:40); the two great oars, one on each side of the stern, by which the ship was steered and which were tied up while she was at anchor, were released from their fastenings; the foresail, the smaller sail, was hoisted to give her steering way, and they made for the beach. The place where two seas met (Acts 27:41) is probably at the inner side of the island Salmonetta, which lies at the mouth of St. Paul's Bay. There is a stiff, muddy bottom, good for anchoring, or for holding fast a ship that runs aground on it. If the ship drew 18 feet, there would be a good deal of rough water between her and the land.

[Acts 27:38. In spite of the opening words, the wheat must be the cargo of grain which they were taking to Rome, not the provisions for crew and passengers; to have thrown these overboard would have been improvident and of little use. Naber (Mnemosyne, 1881, pp. 293 f.) conjectures histon for siton, throwing out the mast. This involves merely the transposition of two letters. He thinks the mast is not the main-mast, but a smaller mast in the bows to which the foresail could be attached. The main-mast, ho supposes, may have been cut away several days previously. His discussion is reproduced in Baljon's edition of the NT, pp. 421 f. It rests on the (probably incorrect) view that the wheat means the supplies for the voyage; and the emendation cannot be pronounced more than tempting and ingenious. A. S. P.]

Related Commentaries of Acts 27:27

Acts 27:27-44

27 But when the fourteenth night was come, as we were driven up and down in Adria, about midnight the shipmen deemed that they drew near to some country;

28 And sounded, and found it twenty fathoms: and when they had gone a little further, they sounded again, and found it fifteen fathoms.

29 Then fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day.

30 And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, when they had let down the boat into the sea, under colour as though they would have cast anchors out of the foreship,

31 Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved.

32 Then the soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat, and let her fall off.

33 And while the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to take meat, saying, This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued fasting, having taken nothing.

34 Wherefore I pray you to take some meat: for this is for your health: for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you.

35 And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them all: and when he had broken it, he began to eat.

36 Then were they all of good cheer, and they also took some meat.

37 And we were in all in the ship two hundred threescore and sixteen souls.

38 And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, and cast out the wheat into the sea.

39 And when it was day, they knew not the land: but they discovered a certain creek with a shore, into the which they were minded, if it were possible, to thrust in the ship.

40 And when they had taken up the anchors, they committed themselves unto the sea, and loosed the rudder bands, and hoised up the mainsail to the wind, and made toward shore.

41 And falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the forepart stuck fast, and remained unmoveable, but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves.

42 And the soldiers' counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape.

43 But the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from their purpose; and commanded that they which could swim should cast themselves first into the sea, and get to land:

44 And the rest, some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land.