1.
And when it was determined that we should sail into Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners unto one named Julius, a centurion of Augustus' band.
2.
And entering into a ship of Adramyttium, we launched, meaning to sail by the coasts of Asia; one Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us.
2. Adramyttium is a Mysian port on the Mediterranean, one of whose ships enjoys the first honor of carrying the Rome-bound trio, Paul, Aristarchus and Luke.
3.
And the next day we touched at Sidon. And Julius courteously entreated Paul, and gave him liberty to go unto his friends to refresh himself.
3. Sidon is an old Tyrian maritime city celebrated in the days of the prophets along with Tyre for magnificence, wealth and commercial enterprise. At this first stop, as well as throughout the voyage, we see the peculiar kindness of Julius to Paul.
4.
And when we had launched from thence, we sailed under Cyprus, because the winds were contrary.
5.
And when we had sailed over the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia.
6.
And there the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing into Italy; and he put us therein.
7.
And when we had sailed slowly many days, and scarce were come over against Cnidus, the wind not suffering us, we sailed under Crete, over against Salmone;
8.
And, hardly passing it, came unto a place which is called The fair havens; nigh whereunto was the city of Lasea.
9.
Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished them,
10.
And said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives.
11.
Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul.
11. Julius thinks the pilot and captain certainly understood navigation better than a preacher utterly ignorant of nautical science. Therefore, he followed their advice rather than the prophetic warnings of Paul, the pilot and captain suffering utter bankruptcy in the wrecking of the ship, and miraculously escaping with their lives.
12.
And because the haven was not commodious to winter in, the more part advised to depart thence also, if by any means they might attain to Phenice, and there to winter; which is an haven of Crete, and lieth toward the south west and north west.
12. The most of the people concluded they had better reach the harbor Phenice, of the same island, looking down the southwest and northwest winds, believing it to be more secure than Fair Havens.
13.
And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing thence, they sailed close by Crete.
13. Therefore, awaiting their opportunity, when the south wind was blowing, thus to leave the dangerous shore and get out into the deep, “raising sails and anchor,” they continued to sail along near Crete.
14.
But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon.
14. Not long afterward a typhoonic wind, called uraquillo, set in against them. The wind had been from the west much of the time since their voyage, and then from the south. Now this awful tempest sets against them from the northeast. The E. V. calls it euroclydon, from euros, “the east wind,” and kludoon, “a wave.” This is a mistake. A wind directly from the east would have dashed them quickly against the mainland of Greece, as Crete is but a short distance. The word is “ euraquillo,” from euros, “the east wind,” and aquilo, “the north wind,” hence it means “the northeast wind,” which is in perfect harmony with the facts in the case, as it drove them directly to the west of Malta.
15.
And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive.
15. “And the ship, being caught and unable to resist the wind, surrendering, we were carried along.” The tornado was so awful as to prove utterly irresistible. I was in a storm on the Atlantic Ocean five days and nights, aboard a great German steamer with thirty-six boilers, shooting through mountain seas like an arrow.
16.
And running under a certain island which is called Clauda, we had much work to come by the boat:
16. “And running under a certain island called Clauda,” i. e., on the windward side of the island, in order to protect them from the awful violence of the storm, “we were scarcely able to get possession of the boat,” i. e., to get the boat up into the ship, as they had but one, and that their only hope in case of a wreck.
17.
Which when they had taken up, they used helps, undergirding the ship; and, fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands, strake sail, and so were driven.
17. “Which lifting up, they use helps, undergirding the ship,” i. e., under the temporary protection of the island Clauda, with the greatest effort and peril they manage to get ropes around the ship, tying it up tight, lest it break all to pieces in the violence of the storm. During the storm above mentioned on the Atlantic Ocean our ship would crack loud as thunder, impressing me that she was breaking in two in the middle. “Fearing lest they may fall into quicksands, lowering the gear, they were thus borne along,
18.
And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest, the next day they lightened the ship;
18. “And we being violently tossed by the tempest, forthwith they were making the casting-out,
19.
And the third day we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship.
19. “And on the third day with their own hands cast out the rigging of the ship.” Luke mentions the fact that the sailors themselves, the very ones to use the ship’s rigging, even cast it overboard with their own hands. Why? Because they were utterly incompetent to make any use of it, and it was only in their way and a hindrance to them.
20.
And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away.
20. “Neither sun nor stars appearing for many days, there being no small tempest on us, finally all hope that we should be saved was taken away.” Now sailors and passengers, soldiers and officers all alike give up in utter desperation, expecting nothing but a watery grave every minute. And why did not the ship go down? Because she carried Paul, and his work was not finished. When John and Charles Wesley were sent by the Episcopal Church to America to preach to the Indians, and an awful storm on the Atlantic, lashing the spars with the billows and opening deep chasms, into which the ship madly plunged, while great seas rolled over the deck, and the oldest sailors gave up in utter despair, the last hope having fled, why could not that ship go down? She carried John Wesley.
21.
But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss.
22.
And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man's life among you, but of the ship.
23.
For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,
24.
Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.
25.
Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.
25. “Wherefore, men, be of good cheer, for I believe God, that it shall be in the manner in which he has spoken to me.” Dr. Cullis, of Boston, one of the brightest saints and most efficient workers in modern times, gave great notoriety to this Pauline watchword in the storm, “I believe God.” How fortunate they were to have God’s prophet on board; otherwise none but perhaps the sailors in the boat would have escaped a watery grave in the sinking ship.
26.
Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island.
26. In my travels we stopped about half a day at the island of Malta, the Melita here mentioned.
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;
27. This island is not in the Adriatic Sea, but the Mediterranean, opposite the mouth of the Adriatic, and at that time considered as belonging to it. When at midnight the sailors surmise that they are approaching land.
28.
And sounded, and found it twenty fathoms: and when they had gone a little further, they sounded again, and found it fifteen fathoms.
28. “Sounding and finding the sea only twenty fathoms deep and then running on a short distance and sounding again and finding it only fifteen fathoms, they know the land is nigh,
29.
Then fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day.
29. “And fearing lest they may fall on rough places, casting forth four anchors from the stern, they prayed that the day might come.”
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.
32. “Then the soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat and let it fall out” [into the sea]. This settled the matter; no possible means now of getting away from the ship.
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.
38. “And being regaled with the food, they continued to lighten the ship, casting out their wheat into the sea.” It was absolutely necessary to make the ship as light as possible so they could run it near enough to the shore for them to make their escape. Hence it was impossible to save the wheat or anything else on board. Paul has no trouble with them. The immediate presence of death, fourteen days and nights, has so wrought upon them that they are glad to let everything perish, at the same time unutterably delighted with dear life.
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.
39. At day dawn, behold! the first land they have seen in two weeks bursts upon their delectable vision. No one on board identifies it. However, “they discover a certain bay having a shore into which they mutually agreed if possible to thrust out 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.
40. “Knocking off the anchors they left them in the sea; at the same time loosing the bands of the rudders and raising up the main sail for the wind, they made toward the 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.
41. “And falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the prow indeed being broken, remained motionless, and the stern was torn off by the violence of the waves.
42.
And the soldiers' counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape.
42. “It was the counsel of the soldiers that they may kill the prisoners lest some one, out-swimming them, may escape.” Roman law was awfully rigid with the guards, taking their lives as a substitute in case they permitted prisoners to escape. They now saw that it would be impossible for them to manage the prisoners in the water, as everyone would have to swim for his life and very probably some of the prisoners would prove more rapid swimmers than the soldiers, thus excelling them in the swimming match, reaching the land first and making their 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:
43. “But the centurion, wishing to save Paul, prohibited them from the Counsel, and commanded those who were able to swim, first casting themselves overboard, to go out to the 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.
44. “And the rest, some on planks and others on certain pieces from the ship; and it thus came to pass that all arrived safe to the land.” This deliverance is one of the greatest miracles recorded in the New Testament, illustrating the immortality of God’s saints till their work is done, as in the case of Paul, and the infinite value of the Lord’s saints to other people, as in case of all the balance, whose lives were perpetuated simply because God’s prophet was on board, having the message of life to deliver to many others before he left the world.