9 And when much time was spent, and the voyage was now dangerous, because the Fast was now already gone by, Paul admonished them,
10 and said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only of the lading and the ship, but also of our lives.
11 But the centurion gave more heed to the master and to the owner of the ship, than to those things which were spoken by Paul.
12 And because the haven was not commodious to winter in, the more part advised to put to sea from thence, if by any means they could reach Phoenix, and winter `there; which is' a haven of Crete, looking northeast and south-east.
13 And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, close in shore.
14 But after no long time there beat down from it a tempestuous wind, which is called Euraquilo:
15 and when the ship was caught, and could not face the wind, we gave way `to it,' and were driven.
16 And running under the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were able, with difficulty, to secure the boat:
17 and when they had hoisted it up, they used helps, under-girding the ship; and, fearing lest they should be cast upon the Syrtis, they lowered the gear, and so were driven.
18 And as we labored exceedingly with the storm, the next day they began to throw the `the freight' overboard;
19 and the third day they cast out with their own hands the tackling of the ship.
20 And when neither sun nor stars shone upon `us' for many days, and no small tempest lay on `us,' all hope that we should be saved was now taken away.
21 And when they had been long without food, then Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have set sail from Crete, and have gotten this injury and loss.
22 And now I exhort you to be of good cheer; for there shall be no loss of life among you, but `only' of the ship.
23 For there stood by me this night an angel of the God whose I am, whom also I serve,
24 saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must stand before Caesar: and lo, God hath granted thee all them that sail with thee.
25 Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even so as it hath been spoken unto me.
26 But we must be cast upon a certain island.
27 But when the fourteenth night was come, as we were driven to and fro in the `sea of' Adria, about midnight the sailors surmised that they were drawing near to some country:
28 and they sounded, and found twenty fathoms; and after a little space, they sounded again, and found fifteen fathoms.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Acts 27
Commentary on Acts 27 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 27
This whole chapter is taken up with an account of Paul's voyage towards Rome, when he was sent thither a prisoner by Festus the governor, upon his appeal to Caesar.
Act 27:1-11
It does not appear how long it was after Paul's conference with Agrippa that he was sent away for Rome, pursuant to his appeal to Caesar; but it is likely they took the first convenience they could hear of to do it; in the mean time Paul is in the midst of his friends at Caesarea-they comforts to him, and he a blessing to them. But here we are told,
Act 27:12-20
In these verses we have,
Act 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 (v. 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 one Paul among them worth more than all the rest. We left them in despair, giving up themselves for gone. Whether they called every man on his God, as Jonah's mariners did, we are not told; it is well if this laudable practice in a storm was not gone out of fashion and made a jest of. However, Paul among these seamen was not, like Jonah among his, the cause of the storm, but the comforter in the storm, and as much a credit to the profession of an apostle as Jonah was a blemish to the character of a prophet. Now here we have,