Acts 27:1-15

Paul and Company Sail for Rome

27:1 When it was decided we ¹  would sail to Italy, ²  they handed over Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion ³  of the Augustan Cohort ⁴  named Julius. 27:2 We went on board ⁵  a ship from Adramyttium ⁶  that was about to sail to various ports ⁷  along the coast of the province of Asia ⁸  and put out to sea, ⁹  accompanied by Aristarchus, a Macedonian ¹⁰  from Thessalonica. ¹¹  27:3 The next day we put in ¹²  at Sidon, ¹³  and Julius, treating Paul kindly, ¹⁴  allowed him to go to his friends so they could provide him with what he needed. ¹⁵  27:4 From there we put out to sea ¹⁶  and sailed under the lee ¹⁷  of Cyprus because the winds were against us. 27:5 After we had sailed across the open sea ¹⁸  off Cilicia and Pamphylia, ¹⁹  we put in ²⁰  at Myra ²¹  in Lycia. ²²  27:6 There the centurion ²³  found ²⁴  a ship from Alexandria ²⁵  sailing for Italy, and he put us aboard it. 27:7 We sailed slowly ²⁶  for many days and arrived with difficulty off Cnidus. ²⁷  Because the wind prevented us from going any farther, ²⁸  we sailed under the lee ²⁹  of Crete off Salmone. ³⁰  27:8 With difficulty we sailed along the coast ³¹  of Crete ³²  and came to a place called Fair Havens that was near the town of Lasea. ³³ 

Caught in a Violent Storm

27:9 Since considerable time had passed and the voyage was now dangerous ³⁴  because the fast ³⁵  was already over, ³⁶  Paul advised them, ³⁷  27:10 “Men, I can see the voyage is going to end ³⁸  in disaster ³⁹  and great loss not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.” ⁴⁰  27:11 But the centurion ⁴¹  was more convinced ⁴²  by the captain ⁴³  and the ship’s owner than by what Paul said. ⁴⁴  27:12 Because the harbor was not suitable to spend the winter in, the majority decided ⁴⁵  to put out to sea ⁴⁶  from there. They hoped that ⁴⁷  somehow they could reach ⁴⁸  Phoenix, ⁴⁹  a harbor of Crete facing ⁵⁰  southwest and northwest, and spend the winter there. 27:13 When a gentle south wind sprang up, they thought ⁵¹  they could carry out ⁵²  their purpose, so they weighed anchor ⁵³  and sailed close along the coast ⁵⁴  of Crete. 27:14 Not long after this, a hurricane-force ⁵⁵  wind called the northeaster ⁵⁶  blew down from the island. ⁵⁷  27:15 When the ship was caught in it ⁵⁸  and could not head into ⁵⁹  the wind, we gave way to it and were driven ⁶⁰  along.

[27:1]  ¹ sn The last “we” section in Acts begins here and extends to 28:16 (the previous one ended at 21:18).

[27:1]  ² sn Sail to Italy. This voyage with its difficulty serves to show how God protected Paul on his long journey to Rome. From the perspective of someone in Palestine, this may well picture “the end of the earth” quite literally (cf. Acts 1:8).

[27:1]  ³ sn See the note on the word centurion in 10:1.

[27:1]  ⁴ tn According to BDAG 917 s.v. σεβαστός, “In σπεῖρα Σεβαστή 27:1 (cp. OGI 421) Σεβαστή is likew. an exact transl. of Lat. Augusta, an honorary title freq. given to auxiliary troops (Ptolem. renders it Σεβαστή in connection w. three legions that bore it: 2, 3, 30; 2, 9, 18; 4, 3, 30) imperial cohort.” According to W. Foerster (TDNT 7:175), “In Ac. 27:1 the σπεῖρα Σεβαστή is an expression also found elsewhere for ‘auxiliary troops.’” In no case would this refer to a special imperial bodyguard, and to translate “imperial regiment” or “imperial cohort” might give this impression. There is some archaeological evidence for a Cohors Augusta I stationed in Syria during the time of Augustus, but whether this is the same unit is very debatable.

[27:2]  ⁵ tn Grk “Going on board.” The participle ἐπιβάντες (epibante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[27:2]  ⁶ sn Adramyttium was a seaport in Mysia on the western coast of Asia Minor.

[27:2]  ⁷ tn Grk “places.”

[27:2]  ⁸ tn Grk “Asia”; in the NT this always refers to the Roman province of Asia, made up of about one-third of the west and southwest end of modern Asia Minor. Asia lay to the west of the region of Phrygia and Galatia. The words “the province of” are supplied to indicate to the modern reader that this does not refer to the continent of Asia.

[27:2]  ⁹ tn BDAG 62 s.v. ἀνάγω 4 states, “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.”

[27:2]  ¹⁰ sn A Macedonian. The city of Thessalonica (modern Salonica) was in the Roman province of Macedonia in Greece.

[27:2]  ¹¹ map For location see JP1 C1; JP2 C1; JP3 C1; JP4 C1.

[27:3]  ¹² tn BDAG 516 s.v. κατάγω states, “Hence the pass., in act. sense, of ships and seafarers put in εἴς τι at a harbor…εἰς Σιδῶνα Ac 27:3.”

[27:3]  ¹³ sn Sidon is another seaport 75 mi (120 km) north of Caesarea.

[27:3]  ¹⁴ tn BDAG 1056 s.v. φιλανθρώπως states, “benevolently, kindly φιλανθρώπως χρῆσθαί (τινι) treat someone in kindly fashion…Ac 27:3.”

[27:3]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “to go to his friends to be cared for.” The scene is an indication of Christian hospitality.

[27:4]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “putting out to sea.” The participle ἀναχθέντες (anacqente") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. BDAG 62 s.v. ἀνάγω 4 states, “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.”

[27:4]  ¹⁷ tn BDAG 1040 s.v. ὑποπλέω states, “sail under the lee of an island, i.e. in such a way that the island protects the ship fr. the wind Ac 27:4, 7.” Thus they were east and north of the island.

[27:5]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “the depths,” the deep area of a sea far enough from land that it is not protected by the coast (L&N 1.73).

[27:5]  ¹⁹ sn Pamphylia was a province in the southern part of Asia Minor; it was west of Cilicia (see BDAG 753 s.v. Παμφυλία).

[27:5]  ²⁰ tn BDAG 531 s.v. κατέρχομαι 2 states, “Of ships and those who sail in them, who ‘come down’ fr. the ‘high seas’: arrive, put in…ἔις τι at someth. a harbor 18:22; 21:3; 27:5.”

[27:5]  ²¹ sn Myra was a city on the southern coast of Lycia in Asia Minor. This journey from Sidon (v. 3) was 440 mi (700 km) and took about 15 days.

[27:5]  ²² sn Lycia was the name of a peninsula on the southern coast of Asia Minor between Caria and Pamphylia.

[27:6]  ²³ sn See the note on the word centurion in 10:1.

[27:6]  ²⁴ tn Grk “finding.” The participle εὑρών (Jeurwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[27:6]  ²⁵ sn Alexandria (modern Alexandria) was a great city of northern Egypt which was a center for grain trade to Rome. Therefore this type of travel connection was common at the time. For a winter journey (considered hazardous) there were special bonuses and insurance provided (Suetonius, Life of Claudius 18.1-2).

[27:7]  ²⁶ tn The participle βραδυπλοοῦντες (braduploounte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[27:7]  ²⁷ sn Cnidus was the name of a peninsula on the southwestern coast of Asia Minor. This was about 130 mi (210 km) from Myra.

[27:7]  ²⁸ tn This genitive absolute construction with προσεῶντος (prosewnto") has been translated as a causal adverbial participle. L&N 13.139 translates the phrase μὴ προσεῶντος ἡμᾶς τοῦ ἀνέμου (mh prosewnto" Jhma" tou anemou) as “the wind would not let us go any farther.”

[27:7]  ²⁹ tn BDAG 1040 s.v. ὑποπλέω states, “sail under the lee of an island, i.e. in such a way that the island protects the ship fr. the wind Ac 27:4, 7.”

[27:7]  ³⁰ sn Salmone was the name of a promontory on the northeastern corner of the island of Crete. This was about 100 mi (160 km) farther along.

[27:8]  ³¹ tn Grk “sailing along the coast…we came.” The participle παραλεγόμενοι (paralegomenoi) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. 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.”

[27:8]  ³² tn Grk “it”; the referent (Crete) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[27:8]  ³³ sn Lasea was a city on the southern coast of the island of Crete. This was about 60 mi (96 km) farther.

[27:9]  ³⁴ tn Or “unsafe” (BDAG 383 s.v. ἐπισφαλής). The term is a NT hapax legomenon.

[27:9]  ³⁵ 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]).

[27:9]  ³⁶ 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.”

[27:9]  ³⁷ 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.

[27:10]  ³⁸ tn Grk “is going to be with disaster.”

[27:10]  ³⁹ tn Or “hardship,” “damage.” BDAG 1022 s.v. ὕβρις 3 states, “fig. hardship, disaster, damage caused by the elements…w. ζημία Ac 27:10.”

[27:10]  ⁴⁰ tn Grk “souls” (here, one’s physical life).

[27:11]  ⁴¹ sn See the note on the word centurion in 10:1.

[27:11]  ⁴² tn Or “persuaded.”

[27:11]  ⁴³ 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.

[27:11]  ⁴⁴ tn Grk “than by what was said by Paul.” The passive construction has been converted to an active one to simplify the translation.

[27:12]  ⁴⁵ tn BDAG 181-82 s.v. βουλή 2.a, “β. τίθεσθαι (Judg 19:30; Ps 12:3) decide 27:12 (w. inf. foll.).”

[27:12]  ⁴⁶ 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.”

[27:12]  ⁴⁷ 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.

[27:12]  ⁴⁸ 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.

[27:12]  ⁴⁹ sn Phoenix was a seaport on the southern coast of the island of Crete. This was about 30 mi (48 km) further west.

[27:12]  ⁵⁰ tn Or “a harbor of Crete open to the southwest and northwest.”

[27:13]  ⁵¹ tn Grk “thinking.” The participle δόξαντες (doxante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[27:13]  ⁵² 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.”

[27:13]  ⁵³ tn Or “departed.”

[27:13]  ⁵⁴ 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.”

[27:14]  ⁵⁵ tn Grk “a wind like a typhoon.” That is, a very violent wind like a typhoon or hurricane (BDAG 1021 s.v. τυφωνικός).

[27:14]  ⁵⁶ 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.

[27:14]  ⁵⁷ tn Grk “from it”; the referent (the island) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:15]  ⁵⁸ 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”).

[27:15]  ⁵⁹ 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.”

[27:15]  ⁶⁰ 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.