48:7 With an east wind
you shatter 1 the large ships. 2
27:26 Your rowers have brought you into surging waters.
The east wind has wrecked you in the heart of the seas.
27:9 Since considerable time had passed and the voyage was now dangerous 3 because the fast 4 was already over, 5 Paul advised them, 6 27:10 “Men, I can see the voyage is going to end 7 in disaster 8 and great loss not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.” 9 27:11 But the centurion 10 was more convinced 11 by the captain 12 and the ship’s owner than by what Paul said. 13 27:12 Because the harbor was not suitable to spend the winter in, the majority decided 14 to put out to sea 15 from there. They hoped that 16 somehow they could reach 17 Phoenix, 18 a harbor of Crete facing 19 southwest and northwest, and spend the winter there. 27:13 When a gentle south wind sprang up, they thought 20 they could carry out 21 their purpose, so they weighed anchor 22 and sailed close along the coast 23 of Crete. 27:14 Not long after this, a hurricane-force 24 wind called the northeaster 25 blew down from the island. 26 27:15 When the ship was caught in it 27 and could not head into 28 the wind, we gave way to it and were driven 29 along. 27:16 As we ran under the lee of 30 a small island called Cauda, 31 we were able with difficulty to get the ship’s boat 32 under control. 27:17 After the crew 33 had hoisted it aboard, 34 they used supports 35 to undergird the ship. Fearing they would run aground 36 on the Syrtis, 37 they lowered the sea anchor, 38 thus letting themselves be driven along. 27:18 The next day, because we were violently battered by the storm, 39 they began throwing the cargo overboard, 40 27:19 and on the third day they threw the ship’s gear 41 overboard with their own hands. 27:20 When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and a violent 42 storm continued to batter us, 43 we finally abandoned all hope of being saved. 44
27:21 Since many of them had no desire to eat, 45 Paul 46 stood up 47 among them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me 48 and not put out to sea 49 from Crete, thus avoiding 50 this damage and loss. 27:22 And now I advise 51 you to keep up your courage, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only the ship will be lost. 52 27:23 For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong 53 and whom I serve 54 came to me 55 27:24 and said, 56 ‘Do not be afraid, Paul! You must stand before 57 Caesar, 58 and God has graciously granted you the safety 59 of all who are sailing with you.’ 27:25 Therefore keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God 60 that it will be just as I have been told. 27:26 But we must 61 run aground on some island.”
27:27 When the fourteenth night had come, while we were being driven 62 across the Adriatic Sea, 63 about midnight the sailors suspected they were approaching some land. 64 27:28 They took soundings 65 and found the water was twenty fathoms 66 deep; when they had sailed a little farther 67 they took soundings again and found it was fifteen fathoms 68 deep. 27:29 Because they were afraid 69 that we would run aground on the rocky coast, 70 they threw out 71 four anchors from the stern and wished 72 for day to appear. 73 27:30 Then when the sailors tried to escape from the ship and were lowering the ship’s boat into the sea, pretending 74 that they were going to put out anchors from the bow, 27:31 Paul said to the centurion 75 and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay with the ship, you 76 cannot be saved.” 27:32 Then the soldiers cut the ropes 77 of the ship’s boat and let it drift away. 78
27:33 As day was about to dawn, 79 Paul urged them all to take some food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day you have been in suspense 80 and have gone 81 without food; you have eaten nothing. 82 27:34 Therefore I urge you to take some food, for this is important 83 for your survival. 84 For not one of you will lose a hair from his head.” 27:35 After he said this, Paul 85 took bread 86 and gave thanks to God in front of them all, 87 broke 88 it, and began to eat. 27:36 So all of them were encouraged and took food themselves. 27:37 (We were in all two hundred seventy-six 89 persons on the ship.) 90 27:38 When they had eaten enough to be satisfied, 91 they lightened the ship by throwing the wheat 92 into the sea.
27:39 When day came, they did not recognize the land, but they noticed 93 a bay 94 with a beach, 95 where they decided to run the ship aground if they could. 27:40 So they slipped 96 the anchors 97 and left them in the sea, at the same time loosening the linkage 98 that bound the steering oars 99 together. Then they hoisted 100 the foresail 101 to the wind and steered toward 102 the beach. 27:41 But they encountered a patch of crosscurrents 103 and ran the ship aground; the bow stuck fast and could not be moved, but the stern was being broken up by the force 104 of the waves. 27:42 Now the soldiers’ plan was to kill the prisoners 105 so that none of them would escape by swimming away. 106 27:43 But the centurion, 107 wanting to save Paul’s life, 108 prevented them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land, 109 27:44 and the rest were to follow, 110 some on planks 111 and some on pieces of the ship. 112 And in this way 113 all were brought safely to land.
28:1 After we had safely reached shore, 114 we learned that the island was called Malta. 115 28:2 The local inhabitants 116 showed us extraordinary 117 kindness, for they built a fire and welcomed us all because it had started to rain 118 and was cold. 28:3 When Paul had gathered a bundle of brushwood 119 and was putting it on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened itself on his hand. 28:4 When the local people 120 saw the creature hanging from Paul’s 121 hand, they said to one another, “No doubt this man is a murderer! Although he has escaped from the sea, Justice herself 122 has not allowed him to live!” 123 28:5 However, 124 Paul 125 shook 126 the creature off into the fire and suffered no harm. 28:6 But they were expecting that he was going to swell up 127 or suddenly drop dead. So after they had waited 128 a long time and had seen 129 nothing unusual happen 130 to him, they changed their minds 131 and said he was a god. 132
28:7 Now in the region around that place 133 were fields belonging to the chief official 134 of the island, named Publius, who welcomed us and entertained us hospitably as guests for three days. 28:8 The father 135 of Publius lay sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him 136 and after praying, placed 137 his hands on him and healed 138 him. 28:9 After this had happened, many of the people on the island who were sick 139 also came and were healed. 140 28:10 They also bestowed many honors, 141 and when we were preparing to sail, 142 they gave 143 us all the supplies we needed. 144
28:11 After three months we put out to sea 145 in an Alexandrian ship that had wintered at the island and had the “Heavenly Twins” 146 as its figurehead. 147 28:12 We put in 148 at Syracuse 149 and stayed there three days. 28:13 From there we cast off 150 and arrived at Rhegium, 151 and after one day a south wind sprang up 152 and on the second day we came to Puteoli. 153 28:14 There 154 we found 155 some brothers 156 and were invited to stay with them seven days. And in this way we came to Rome. 157 28:15 The brothers from there, 158 when they heard about us, came as far as the Forum of Appius 159 and Three Taverns 160 to meet us. When he saw them, 161 Paul thanked God and took courage. 28:16 When we entered Rome, Paul was allowed to live 162 by himself, with the soldier who was guarding him.
28:17 After three days 163 Paul 164 called the local Jewish leaders 165 together. When they had assembled, he said to them, “Brothers, 166 although I had done 167 nothing against our people or the customs of our ancestors, 168 from Jerusalem 169 I was handed over as a prisoner to the Romans. 170 28:18 When 171 they had heard my case, 172 they wanted to release me, 173 because there was no basis for a death sentence 174 against me. 28:19 But when the Jews objected, 175 I was forced to appeal to Caesar 176 – not that I had some charge to bring 177 against my own people. 178 28:20 So for this reason I have asked to see you and speak with you, for I am bound with this chain because of the hope of Israel.” 179 28:21 They replied, 180 “We have received no letters from Judea about you, nor have any of the brothers come from there 181 and reported or said anything bad about you. 28:22 But we would like to hear from you what you think, for regarding this sect we know 182 that people 183 everywhere speak against 184 it.”
28:23 They set 185 a day to meet with him, 186 and they came to him where he was staying 187 in even greater numbers. 188 From morning until evening he explained things 189 to them, 190 testifying 191 about the kingdom of God 192 and trying to convince 193 them about Jesus from both the law of Moses and the prophets. 28:24 Some were convinced 194 by what he said, 195 but others refused 196 to believe. 28:25 So they began to leave, 197 unable to agree among themselves, after Paul made one last statement: “The Holy Spirit spoke rightly to your ancestors 198 through the prophet Isaiah 28:26 when he said,
‘Go to this people and say,
“You will keep on hearing, 199 but will never understand,
and you will keep on looking, 200 but will never perceive.
28:27 For the heart of this people has become dull, 201
and their ears are hard of hearing, 202
and they have closed their eyes,
so that they would not see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart
and turn, 203 and I would heal them.”’ 204
28:28 “Therefore be advised 205 that this salvation from God 206 has been sent to the Gentiles; 207 they 208 will listen!”
28:29 [[EMPTY]] 20928:30 Paul 210 lived 211 there two whole years in his own rented quarters 212 and welcomed 213 all who came to him, 28:31 proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ 214 with complete boldness 215 and without restriction. 216
18:17 because in a single hour such great wealth has been destroyed!” 217
And every ship’s captain, 218 and all who sail along the coast 219 – seamen, and all who 220 make their living from the sea, stood a long way off
1 tn The switch to the imperfect, as well as the introduction of the ship metaphor, perhaps signals a change to a generalizing tone; the
2 tn Heb “the ships of Tarshish.” This probably refers to large ships either made in or capable of traveling to and from the distant western port of Tarshish. These ships, which were the best of their class, here symbolize the mere human strength of hostile armies, which are incapable of withstanding the
3 tn Or “unsafe” (BDAG 383 s.v. ἐπισφαλής). The term is a NT hapax legomenon.
4 sn The fast refers to the Jewish Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur. It was now into October and the dangerous winter winds would soon occur (Suetonius, Life of Claudius 18; Josephus, J. W. 1.14.2-3 [1.279-281]).
5 tn The accusative articular infinitive παρεληλυθέναι (parelhluqenai) after the preposition διά (dia) is causal. BDAG 776 s.v. παρέρχομαι 2 has “διὰ τὸ τὴν νηστείαν ἤδη παρεληλυθέναι because the fast was already over Ac 27:9.”
6 tn Grk “Paul advised, saying to them.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in English and has not been translated. On the term translated “advised,” see BDAG 764 s.v. παραινέω, which usually refers to recommendations.
7 tn Grk “is going to be with disaster.”
8 tn Or “hardship,” “damage.” BDAG 1022 s.v. ὕβρις 3 states, “fig. hardship, disaster, damage caused by the elements…w. ζημία Ac 27:10.”
9 tn Grk “souls” (here, one’s physical life).
10 sn See the note on the word centurion in 10:1.
11 tn Or “persuaded.”
12 tn BDAG 456 s.v. κυβερνήτης 1 has “one who is responsible for the management of a ship, shipmaster…W. ναύκληρος, the ‘shipowner’…Ac 27:11” See further L. Casson, Ships and Seamanship in the Ancient World, 316-18.
13 tn Grk “than by what was said by Paul.” The passive construction has been converted to an active one to simplify the translation.
14 tn BDAG 181-82 s.v. βουλή 2.a, “β. τίθεσθαι (Judg 19:30; Ps 12:3) decide 27:12 (w. inf. foll.).”
15 tn BDAG 62 s.v. ἀνάγω 4, “as a nautical t.t. (ἀ. τὴν ναῦν put a ship to sea), mid. or pass. ἀνάγεσθαι to begin to go by boat, put out to sea.”
16 tn Grk “from there, if somehow” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was begun here in the translation and the introductory phrase “They hoped that” supplied (with the subject, “they,” repeated from the previous clause) to make a complete English sentence.
17 tn Grk “if somehow, reaching Phoenix, they could…” The participle καταντήσαντες (katanthsante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
18 sn Phoenix was a seaport on the southern coast of the island of Crete. This was about 30 mi (48 km) further west.
19 tn Or “a harbor of Crete open to the southwest and northwest.”
20 tn Grk “thinking.” The participle δόξαντες (doxante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
21 tn Or “accomplish.” L&N 68.29, for κρατέω, has “to be able to complete or finish, presumably despite difficulties – ‘to accomplish, to do successfully, to carry out.’ …‘thinking that they could carry out their purpose’ Ac 27:13.”
22 tn Or “departed.”
23 tn L&N 54.8, “παραλέγομαι: (a technical, nautical term) to sail along beside some object – ‘to sail along the coast, to sail along the shore.’…‘they sailed along the coast of Crete’ Ac 27:13.” With the addition of the adverb ἆσσον (asson) this becomes “sailed close along the coast of Crete.”
24 tn Grk “a wind like a typhoon.” That is, a very violent wind like a typhoon or hurricane (BDAG 1021 s.v. τυφωνικός).
25 sn Or called Euraquilo (the actual name of the wind, a sailor’s term which was a combination of Greek and Latin). According to Strabo (Geography 1.2.21), this was a violent northern wind.
26 tn Grk “from it”; the referent (the island) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
27 tn Or “was forced off course.” Grk “The ship being caught in it.” The genitive absolute construction with the participle συναρπασθέντος (sunarpasqento") has been taken temporally; it could also be translated as causal (“Because the ship was caught in it”).
28 tn BDAG 91 s.v. ἀντοφθαλμέω states, “Metaph. of a ship τοῦ πλοίου μὴ δυναμένοι ἀ. τῷ ἀνέμῳ since the ship was not able to face the wind, i.e. with its bow headed against the forces of the waves Ac 27:15.”
29 sn Caught in the violent wind, the ship was driven along. They were now out of control, at the mercy of the wind and sea.
30 tn BDAG 1042 s.v. ὑποτρέχω states, “run or sail under the lee of, nautical t.t.…Ac 27:16.” The participle ὑποδραμόντες (Jupodramonte") has been taken temporally (“as we ran under the lee of”). While this could also be translated as a participle of means (“by running…”) this might suggest the ship was still under a greater degree of control by its crew than it probably was.
31 sn Cauda. This island was located south of Crete, about 23 mi (36 km) from where they began. There are various ways to spell the island’s name (e.g., Clauda, BDAG 546 s.v. Κλαῦδα).
32 sn The ship’s boat was a small rowboat, normally towed behind a ship in good weather rather than stowed on board. It was used for landings, to maneuver the ship for tacking, and to lay anchors (not a lifeboat in the modern sense, although it could have served as a means of escape for some of the sailors; see v. 30). See L. Casson, Ships and Seamanship in the Ancient World, 248f.
33 tn Grk “After hoisting it up, they…”; the referent (the ship’s crew) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
34 tn The participle ἄραντες (arantes) has been taken temporally.
35 tn Possibly “ropes” or “cables”; Grk “helps” (a word of uncertain meaning; probably a nautical technical term, BDAG 180 s.v. βοήθεια 2).
36 tn BDAG 308 s.v. ἐκπίπτω 2 states, “drift off course, run aground, nautical term εἴς τι on someth….on the Syrtis 27:17.”
37 tn That is, on the sandbars and shallows of the Syrtis.
38 tn Or perhaps “mainsail.” The meaning of this word is uncertain. BDAG 927 s.v. σκεῦος 1 has “τὸ σκεῦος Ac 27:17 seems to be the kedge or driving anchor” while C. Maurer (TDNT 7:362) notes, “The meaning in Ac. 27:17: χαλάσαντες τὸ σκεῦος, is uncertain. Prob. the ref. is not so much to taking down the sails as to throwing the draganchor overboard to lessen the speed of the ship.” In spite of this L&N 6.1 states, “In Ac 27:17, for example, the reference of σκεῦος is generally understood to be the mainsail.” A reference to the sail is highly unlikely because in a storm of the force described in Ac 27:14, the sail would have been taken down and reefed immediately, to prevent its being ripped to shreds or torn away by the gale.
39 tn BDAG 980 s.v. σφόδρῶς states, “very much, greatly, violently…σφ. χειμάζεσθαι be violently beaten by a storm Ac 27:18.”
40 tn Or “jettisoning [the cargo]” (a nautical technical term). The words “the cargo” are not in the Greek text but are implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.
41 tn Or “rigging,” “tackle”; Grk “the ship’s things.” Here the more abstract “gear” is preferred to “rigging” or “tackle” as a translation for σκεῦος (skeuos) because in v. 40 the sailors are still able to raise the (fore)sail, which they could not have done if the ship’s rigging or tackle had been jettisoned here.
42 tn Grk “no small storm” = a very great storm.
43 tn Grk “no small storm pressing on us.” The genitive absolute construction with the participle ἐπικειμένου (epikeimenou) has been translated as parallel to the previous genitive absolute construction (which was translated as temporal). BDAG 373 s.v. ἐπίκειμαι 2.b states, “of impersonal force confront χειμῶνος ἐπικειμένου since a storm lay upon us Ac 27:20.” L&N 14.2, “‘the stormy weather did not abate in the least’ or ‘the violent storm continued’ Ac 27:20.” To this last was added the idea of “battering” from the notion of “pressing upon” inherent in ἐπίκειμαι (epikeimai).
44 tn Grk “finally all hope that we would be saved was abandoned.” The passive construction has been converted to an active one to simplify the translation. This represents a clearly secular use of the term σῴζω (swzw) in that it refers to deliverance from the storm. At this point those on board the ship gave up hope of survival.
45 tn Or “Since they had no desire to eat for a long time.” The genitive absolute construction with the participle ὑπαρχούσης (Juparcoush") has been translated as a causal adverbial participle. It could also be translated temporally (“When many of them had no desire to eat”). The translation of πολλῆς (pollhs) as a substantized adjective referring to the people on board the ship (“many of them”) rather than a period of time (“for a long time”; so most modern versions) follows BDAG 143 s.v. ἀσιτία, which has “πολλῆς ἀ. ὑπαρχούσης since almost nobody wanted to eat because of anxiety or seasickness…Ac 27:21.” This detail indicates how turbulent things were on board the ship.
46 tn Here τότε (tote) is redundant (pleonastic) according to BDAG 1012-13 s.v. τότε 2; thus it has not been translated.
47 tn Grk “standing up…said.” The participle σταθείς (staqeis) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
48 tn L&N 36.12 has “πειθαρχήσαντάς μοι μὴ ἀνάγεσθαι ἀπὸ τῆς Κρήτης ‘you should have listened to me and not have sailed from Crete’ Ac 27:21.”
49 tn BDAG 62 s.v. ἀνάγω 4, “as a nautical t.t. (ἀ. τὴν ναῦν put a ship to sea), mid. or pass. ἀνάγεσθαι to begin to go by boat, put out to sea.”
50 tn The infinitive κερδῆσαι (kerdhsai) has been translated as resultative.
51 tn The same verb is used for Paul’s original recommendation in Ac 27:9.
52 tn Grk “except the ship.” Here “but” is used to translate the improper preposition πλήν (plhn; see BDAG 826 s.v. πλήν 2) since an exception like this, where two different categories of objects are involved (people and a ship), is more naturally expressed in contemporary English with an adversative (“but”). The words “will be lost” are also supplied for clarity.
53 tn Grk “of whom I am.” The relative clause with its possessive was translated following L&N 15.86 s.v. παρίσταμαι.
54 tn Or “worship.”
55 tn Or “stood by me.” BDAG 778 s.v. παρίστημι/παριστάνω 2.a.α states, “approach, come τινί (to) someone…Ac 9:39; 27:23.”
56 tn Grk “came to me saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
57 tn BDAG 778 s.v. παρίστημι/παριστάνω 2.a.α states, “Also as a t.t. of legal usage appear before, come before…Καίσαρι σε δεῖ παραστῆναι you must stand before the Emperor (as judge) Ac 27:24.” See Acts 23:11. Luke uses the verb δεῖ (dei) to describe what must occur.
58 tn Or “before the emperor” (“Caesar” is a title for the Roman emperor).
59 tn Grk “God has graciously granted you all who are sailing with you.” The words “the safety of” have been supplied to clarify the meaning of the verb κεχάρισται (kecaristai) in this context.
60 tn BDAG 817 s.v. πιστεύω 1.c states, “w. pers. and thing added π. τινί τι believe someone with regard to someth….W. dat. of pers. and ὅτι foll…. πιστεύετέ μοι ὅτι ἐγὼ ἐν τῷ πατρί J 14:11a. Cp. 4:21; Ac 27:25.”
61 tn This is another use of δεῖ (dei) to indicate necessity (see also v. 24). Acts 28:1 shows the fulfillment of this.
62 tn Here “being driven” has been used to translate διαφέρω (diaferw) rather than “drifting,” because it is clear from the attempt to drop anchors in v. 29 that the ship is still being driven by the gale. “Drifting” implies lack of control, but not necessarily rapid movement.
63 sn The Adriatic Sea. They were now somewhere between Crete and Malta.
64 tn Grk “suspected that some land was approaching them.” BDAG 876 s.v. προσάγω 2.a states, “lit. ὑπενόουν προσάγειν τινά αὐτοῖς χώραν they suspected that land was near (lit. ‘approaching them’) Ac 27:27.” Current English idiom would speak of the ship approaching land rather than land approaching the ship.
65 tn Grk “Heaving the lead, they found.” The participle βολίσαντες (bolisante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. See also BDAG 180 s.v. βολίζω. Although the term is used twice in this verse (and thus is technically not a NT hapax legomenon), it occurs nowhere else in the NT.
66 sn A fathom is about 6 feet or just under 2 meters (originally the length of a man’s outstretched arms). This was a nautical technical term for measuring the depth of water. Here it was about 120 ft (36 m).
67 tn L&N 15.12, “βραχὺ δὲ διαστήσαντες ‘when they had gone a little farther’ Ac 27:28.”
68 sn Here the depth was about 90 ft (27 m).
69 tn Grk “fearing.” The participle φοβούμενοι (foboumenoi) has been translated as a causal adverbial participle.
70 tn Grk “against a rough [rocky] place.” L&N 79.84 has “φοβούμενοί τε μή που κατὰ τραχεῖς τόποις ἐκπέσωμεν ‘we were afraid that we would run aground on the rocky coast’ Ac 27:29.”
71 tn Grk “throwing out…they.” The participle ῥίψαντες (rJiyante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
72 tn BDAG 417 s.v. εὔχομαι 2 states, “wish…τὶ for someth.…Foll. by acc. and inf….Ac 27:29.” The other possible meaning for this term, “pray,” is given in BDAG 417 s.v. 1 and employed by a number of translations (NAB, NRSV, NIV). If this meaning is adopted here, then “prayed for day to come” must be understood metaphorically to mean “prayed that they would live to see the day,” or “prayed that it would soon be day.”
73 tn Grk “and wished for day to come about.”
74 tn BDAG 889 s.v. πρόφασις 2 states, “προφάσει ὡς under the pretext that, pretending that…Ac 27:30.” In other words, some of the sailors gave up hope that such efforts would work and instead attempted to escape while pretending to help.
75 sn See the note on the word centurion in 10:1.
76 sn The pronoun you is plural in Greek.
77 sn The soldiers cut the ropes. The centurion and the soldiers were now following Paul’s advice by cutting the ropes to prevent the sailors from escaping.
78 tn Or “let it fall away.” According to BDAG 308 s.v. ἐκπίπτω 1 and 2 the meaning of the verb in this verse could be either “fall away” or “drift away.” Either meaning is acceptable, and the choice between them depends almost entirely on how one reconstructs the scene. Since cutting the boat loose would in any case result in it drifting away (whether capsized or not), the meaning “drift away” as a nautical technical term has been used here.
79 tn BDAG 160 s.v. ἄχρι 1.b.α has “ἄ. οὗ ἡμέρα ἤμελλεν γίνεσθαι until the day began to dawn 27:33.”
80 tn Or “have waited anxiously.” Grk “waiting anxiously.” The participle προσδοκῶντες (prosdokwnte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
81 tn Or “continued.”
82 tn Grk “having eaten nothing.” The participle προσλαβόμενοι (proslabomenoi) has been translated as a finite verb (with subject “you” supplied) due to requirements of contemporary English style.
83 tn Or “necessary.” BDAG 873-74 s.v. πρός 1 has “πρ. τῆς σωτηρίας in the interest of safety Ac 27:34”; L&N 27.18 has “‘therefore, I urge you to take some food, for this is important for your deliverance’ or ‘…for your survival’ Ac 27:34.”
84 tn Or “deliverance” (‘salvation’ in a nontheological sense).
85 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
86 tn Grk “taking bread, gave thanks.” The participle λαβών (labwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
87 tn Or “before them all,” but here this could be misunderstood to indicate a temporal sequence.
88 tn Grk “and breaking it, he began.” The participle κλάσας (klasas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
89 tc One early ms (B) and an early version (sa) read “about seventy-six.” For discussion of how this variant probably arose, see F. F. Bruce, The Acts of the Apostles, 465.
90 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
91 tn Or “When they had eaten their fill.”
92 tn Or “grain.”
93 tn Or “observed,” “saw.”
94 tn Or “gulf” (BDAG 557 s.v. κόλπος 3).
95 sn A beach would refer to a smooth sandy beach suitable for landing.
96 tn That is, released. Grk “slipping…leaving.” The participles περιελόντες (perielonte") and εἴων (eiwn) have been translated as finite verbs due to requirements of contemporary English style.
97 tn The term is used of a ship’s anchor. (BDAG 12 s.v. ἄγκυρα a).
98 tn Grk “bands”; possibly “ropes.”
99 tn Or “rudders.”
100 tn Grk “hoisting…they.” The participle ἐπάραντες (eparante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
101 tn Grk “sail”; probably a reference to the foresail.
102 tn BDAG 533 s.v. κατέχω 7 states, “hold course, nautical t.t., intr….κατεῖχον εἰς τὸν αἰγιαλόν they headed for the beach Ac 27:40.”
103 tn Grk “fell upon a place of two seas.” The most common explanation for this term is that it refers to a reef or sandbar with the sea on both sides, as noted in BDAG 245 s.v. διθάλασσος: the “τόπος δ. Ac 27:41 is a semantic unit signifying a point (of land jutting out with water on both sides).” However, Greek had terms for a “sandbank” (θῖς [qis], ταινία [tainia]), a “reef” (ἑρμα [Jerma]), “strait” (στενόν [stenon]), “promontory” (ἀρωτήρον [arwthron]), and other nautical hazards, none of which are used by the author here. NEB here translates τόπον διθάλασσον (topon diqalasson) as “cross-currents,” a proposal close to that advanced by J. M. Gilchrist, “The Historicity of Paul’s Shipwreck,” JSNT 61 (1996): 29-51, who suggests the meaning is “a patch of cross-seas,” where the waves are set at an angle to the wind, a particular hazard for sailors. Thus the term most likely refers to some sort of adverse sea conditions rather than a topographical feature like a reef or sandbar.
104 tn Or “violence” (BDAG 175 s.v. βία a).
105 sn The soldiers’ plan was to kill the prisoners. The issue here was not cruelty, but that the soldiers would be legally responsible if any prisoners escaped and would suffer punishment themselves. So they were planning to do this as an act of self-preservation. See Acts 16:27 for a similar incident.
106 tn The participle ἐκκολυμβήσας (ekkolumbhsa") has been taken instrumentally.
107 sn See the note on the word centurion in 10:1.
108 tn Or “wanting to rescue Paul.”
109 tn BDAG 347 s.v. I. ἔξειμι has “ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν get to land Ac 27:43.”
110 tn The words “were to follow” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. They must be supplied to clarify the sense in contemporary English.
111 tn Or “boards” according to BDAG 913 s.v. σανίς.
112 tn Grk “on pieces from the ship”; that is, pieces of wreckage from the ship.
113 tn Grk “And in this way it happened that.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
114 tn Grk “We having been brought safely through” [to land] (same verb as 27:44). The word “shore” is implied, and the slight variations in translation from 27:44 have been made to avoid redundancy in English. The participle διασωθέντες (diaswqente") has been taken temporally.
115 sn Malta is an island (known by the same name today) in the Mediterranean Sea south of Sicily. The ship had traveled 625 mi (1,000 km) in the storm.
116 tn Although this is literally βάρβαροι (barbaroi; “foreigners, barbarians”) used for non-Greek or non-Romans, as BDAG 166 s.v. βάρβαρος 2.b notes, “Of the inhabitants of Malta, who apparently spoke in their native language Ac 28:2, 4 (here β. certainly without derogatory tone…).”
117 tn BDAG 1019 s.v. τυγχάνω 2.d states, “δυνάμεις οὐ τὰς τυχούσας extraordinary miracles Ac 19:11. Cp. 28:2.”
118 tn Or “because it was about to rain.” BDAG 418 s.v. ἐφίστημι 4 states, “διὰ τ. ὑετὸν τὸν ἐφεστῶτα because it had begun to rain Ac 28:2…But the mng. here could also be because it threatened to rain (s. 6).”
119 tn Or “sticks.”
120 tn Although this is literally βάρβαροι (barbaroi; “foreigners, barbarians”) used for non-Greek or non-Romans, as BDAG 166 s.v. βάρβαρος 2.b notes, “Of the inhabitants of Malta, who apparently spoke in their native language Ac 28:2, 4 (here β. certainly without derogatory tone…).”
121 tn Grk “his”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
122 tn That is, the goddess Justice has not allowed him to live. BDAG 250 s.v. δίκη 2 states, “Justice personified as a deity Ac 28:4”; L&N 12.27, “a goddess who personifies justice in seeking out and punishing the guilty – ‘the goddess Justice.’ ἡ δίκη ζῆν οὐκ εἴασεν ‘the goddess Justice would not let him live’ Ac 28:4.” Although a number of modern English translations have rendered δίκη (dikh) “justice,” preferring to use an abstraction, in the original setting it is almost certainly a reference to a pagan deity. In the translation, the noun “justice” was capitalized and the reflexive pronoun “herself” was supplied to make the personification clear. This was considered preferable to supplying a word like ‘goddess’ in connection with δίκη.
123 sn The entire scene is played out initially as a kind of oracle from the gods resulting in the judgment of a guilty person (Justice herself has not allowed him to live). Paul’s survival of this incident without ill effects thus spoke volumes about his innocence.
124 tn BDAG 737 s.v. οὖν 4 indicates the particle has an adversative sense here: “but, however.”
125 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
126 tn Grk “shaking the creature off…he suffered no harm.” The participle ἀποτινάξας (apotinaxa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
127 tn Or “going to burn with fever.” According to BDAG 814 s.v. πίμπρημι, either meaning (“swell up” or “burn with fever”) is possible for Acts 28:6.
128 tn The participle προσδοκώντων (prosdokwntwn) has been taken temporally.
129 tn The participle θεωρούντων (qewrountwn) has been taken temporally.
130 tn Grk “happening.” The participle γινόμενον (ginomenon) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
131 tn Grk “changing their minds.” The participle μεταβαλόμενοι (metabalomenoi) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
132 sn And said he was a god. The reaction is like Acts 14:11-19 where the crowd wanted to make Paul and Barnabas into gods. The providence of God had protected Paul again.
133 tn BDAG 798 s.v. περί 2.a.γ states, “of nearby places…τὰ περὶ τὸν τὸπον the region around the place Ac 28:7.” The presence of ἐκεῖνον (ekeinon) results in the translation “that place.”
134 tn That is, the chief Roman official. Several inscriptions have confirmed the use of πρῶτος (prwtos) as an administrative title used on the island of Malta for the highest Roman official. See further BDAG 852 s.v. Πόπλιος.
135 tn Grk “It happened that the father.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
136 tn Grk “to whom Paul going in.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“whom”) was replaced by a personal pronoun (“him”) and a new sentence begun here in the translation. The participle εἰσελθών (eiselqwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
137 tn The participle ἐπιθείς (epiqeis) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
138 sn And healed him. Here are healings like Luke 9:40; 10:30; 13:13; Acts 16:23.
139 tn BDAG 142 s.v. ἀσθένεια 1 states, “ἔχειν ἀ. be ill Ac 28:9.”
140 sn Many…also came and were healed. Again, here is irony. Paul, though imprisoned, “frees” others of their diseases.
141 tn Or “they also honored us greatly”; Grk “they also honored us with many honors” (an idiom).
142 tn BDAG 62 s.v. ἀνάγω 4, “as a nautical t.t. (ἀ. τὴν ναῦν put a ship to sea), mid. or pass. ἀνάγεσθαι to begin to go by boat, put out to sea.” In this case the simpler English “sail” is more appropriate. The English participle “preparing” has also been supplied, since the provisioning of the ship would take place some time before the actual departure.
143 tn BDAG 384 s.v. ἐπιτίθημι 1.b has “give τινί τι someth. to someone…ἀναγομένοις τὰ πρὸς τὰς χρείας when we sailed they gave us what we needed Ac 28:10.”
144 sn They gave us all the supplies we needed. What they had lost in the storm and shipwreck was now replaced. Luke describes these pagans very positively.
145 tn BDAG 62 s.v. ἀνάγω 4, “as a nautical t.t. (ἀ. τὴν ναῦν put a ship to sea), mid. or pass. ἀνάγεσθαι to begin to go by boat, put out to sea.”
146 tn Or “the ‘Twin Gods’”; Grk “the Dioscuri” (a joint name for the pagan deities Castor and Pollux).
147 tn Or “as its emblem.”
148 tn Grk “And putting in.” The participle καταχθέντες (katacqente") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. On the meaning of the participle, BDAG 516 s.v. κατάγω states, “Hence the pass., in act. sense, of ships and seafarers put in εἴς τι at a harbor…εἰς Συρακούσας Ac 28:12.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
149 sn Syracuse was a city on the eastern coast of the island of Sicily. It was 75 mi (120 km) from Malta.
150 tc A few early
151 sn Rhegium was a city on the southern tip of Italy. It was 80 mi (130 km) from Syracuse.
152 tn Grk “after one day, a south wind springing up, on the second day.” The genitive absolute construction with the participle ἐπιγενομένου (epigenomenou) has been translated as a clause with a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
153 sn Puteoli was a city on the western coast of Italy south of Rome. It was in the Bay of Naples some 220 mi (350 km) to the north of Rhegium. Here the voyage ended; the rest of the journey was by land.
154 tn Grk “where.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“where”) has been replaced with the demonstrative pronoun (“there”) and a new sentence begun here in the translation.
155 tn Grk “finding.” The participle εὑρόντες (Jeurontes) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
156 sn That is, some fellow Christians.
157 map For location see JP4-A1.
158 sn Mention of Christian brothers from there (Rome) shows that God’s message had already spread as far as Italy and the capital of the empire.
159 sn The Forum of Appius was a small traveler’s stop on the Appian Way about 43 mi (71 km) south of Rome (BDAG 125 s.v. ᾿Αππίου φόρον). It was described by Horace as “crammed with boatmen and stingy tavernkeepers” (Satires 1.5.3).
160 sn Three Taverns was a stop on the Appian Way 33 mi (55 km) south of Rome.
161 tn Grk “whom, when he saw [them], Paul.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“whom”) was replaced by the personal pronoun (“them”) and a new sentence begun here in the translation.
162 tn Or “to stay.”
163 tn Grk “It happened that after three days.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
164 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
165 tn L&N 33.309 has “‘after three days, he called the local Jewish leaders together’ Ac 28:17.”
166 tn Grk “Men brothers,” but this is both awkward and unnecessary in English.
167 tn The participle ποιήσας (poihsas) has been translated as a concessive adverbial participle.
168 tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”
169 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
170 tn Grk “into the hands of the Romans,” but this is redundant when παρεδόθην (paredoqhn) has been translated “handed over.”
171 tn Grk “who when.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“who”) has been replaced by the personal pronoun (“they”) and a new sentence begun at this point in the translation.
172 tn Or “had questioned me”; or “had examined me.” BDAG 66 s.v. ἀνακρίνω 2 states, “to conduct a judicial hearing, hear a case, question.”
173 sn They wanted to release me. See Acts 25:23-27.
174 tn Grk “no basis for death,” but in this context a sentence of death is clearly indicated.
175 tn That is, objected to my release.
176 tn Or “to the emperor” (“Caesar” is a title for the Roman emperor).
177 tn BDAG 533 s.v. κατηγορέω 1 states, “nearly always as legal t.t.: bring charges in court.” L&N 33.427 states for κατηγορέω, “to bring serious charges or accusations against someone, with the possible connotation of a legal or court context – ‘to accuse, to bring charges.’”
178 tn Or “my own nation.”
179 sn The hope of Israel. A reference to Israel’s messianic hope. Paul’s preaching was in continuity with this Jewish hope (Acts 1:3; 8:12; 14:22; 19:8; 20:25).
180 tn Grk “they said to him.”
181 tn Or “arrived”; Grk “come” (“from there” is implied). Grk “coming.” The participle παραγενόμενος (paragenomeno") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
182 tn Grk “regarding this sect it is known to us.” The passive construction “it is known to us” has been converted to an active one to simplify the translation.
183 tn Grk “that everywhere it is spoken against.” To simplify the translation the passive construction “it is spoken against” has been converted to an active one with the subject “people” supplied.
184 tn On the term translated “speak against,” see BDAG 89 s.v. ἀντιλέγω 1.
185 tn Grk “Having set.” The participle ταξάμενοι (taxamenoi) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
186 tn Grk “Having set a day with him”; the words “to meet” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.
187 tn Or “came to him in his rented quarters.”
188 tn BDAG 848 s.v. πολύς 1.b.β.ב states, “(even) more πλείονες in even greater numbers Ac 28:23.”
189 tn The word “things” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.
190 tn Grk “to whom he explained.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“whom”) has been replaced by the pronoun (“them”) and a new sentence begun at this point in the translation.
191 tn BDAG 233 s.v. διαμαρτύρομαι 1 has “to make a solemn declaration about the truth of someth. testify of, bear witness to (orig. under oath)…God’s kingdom 28:23.”
192 sn Testifying about the kingdom of God. The topic is important. Paul’s preaching was about the rule of God and his promise in Jesus. Paul’s text was the Jewish scriptures.
193 tn Or “persuade.”
194 tn Or “persuaded.”
195 tn Grk “by the things spoken.”
196 sn Some were convinced…but others refused to believe. Once again the gospel caused division among Jews, as in earlier chapters of Acts (13:46; 18:6).
197 tn The imperfect verb ἀπελύοντο (apeluonto) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.
198 tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”
199 tn Grk “you will hear with hearing” (an idiom).
200 tn Or “seeing”; Grk “you will look by looking” (an idiom).
201 tn Or “insensitive.”
202 tn Grk “they hear heavily with their ears” (an idiom for slow comprehension).
203 sn Note how the failure to respond to the message of the gospel is seen as a failure to turn.
204 sn A quotation from Isa 6:9-10.
205 tn Grk “Therefore let it be known to you.”
206 tn Or “of God.”
207 sn The term Gentiles is in emphatic position in the Greek text of this clause. Once again there is the pattern: Jewish rejection of the gospel leads to an emphasis on Gentile inclusion (Acts 13:44-47).
208 tn Grk “they also.”
209 tc Some later
210 tn Grk “He”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
211 tn Or “stayed.”
212 tn Or perhaps, “two whole years at his own expense.” BDAG 654 s.v. μίσθωμα states, “the customary act. mng. ‘contract price, rent’…is not found in our lit. (Ac) and the pass. what is rented, a rented house is a mng. not found outside it (even Ammonius Gramm. [100 ad] p. 93 Valck. knows nothing of it. Hence the transl. at his own expense [NRSV] merits attention) ἐν ἰδίῳ μισθώματι in his own rented lodgings Ac 28:30 (for the idea cp. Jos., Ant. 18, 235).”
213 tn Or “and received.”
214 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
215 tn Or “openness.”
216 sn Proclaiming…with complete boldness and without restriction. Once again Paul’s imprisonment is on benevolent terms. The word of God is proclaimed triumphantly and boldly in Rome. Acts ends with this note: Despite all the attempts to stop it, the message goes forth.
217 tn On ἠρημώθη (hrhmwqh) L&N 20.41 states, “to suffer destruction, with the implication of being deserted and abandoned – ‘to be destroyed, to suffer destruction, to suffer desolation.’ ἐρημόομαι: μιᾷ ὥρᾳ ἠρημώθη ὁ τοσοῦτος πλοῦτος ‘such great wealth has been destroyed within a single hour’ Re 18:17.”
218 tn On κυβερνήτης (kubernhth") BDAG 574 s.v. 1 states, “one who is responsible for the management of a ship, shipmaster, lit. Rv 18:17.”
219 tn Or perhaps, “everyone who sails as a passenger.” On πλέων (plewn) BDAG 825 s.v. πλέω states, “πᾶς ὁ ἐπὶ τόπον πλέων everyone who sails to a place = seafarer, sea traveler…Rv 18:17. The vv.ll.…have led to various interpretations. Some render: everyone who sails along the coast…See EbNestle, Einführung in das Griech. NT 1909, 182; AFridrichsen, K. Hum. Vetensk.-Samf. i Upps. Årsb. ’43, 31 note ὁ ἐπίτοπον πλέων=one who sails occasionally, a passenger. – S. also IHeikel, StKr 106, ’34/’35, 317).”
220 tn Grk “and as many as.”