Acts 27

Acts 27:1

[a] Melita Two islands there are of that name Melita. The one in the Libyan, saith Strabo, l. 6, the other in the Adriatic sea. Of the former Ortelius speaks in Thesaur. Geograph.: Melita una ex Pelagiis apud Ptolemæum. Hæc insula B. Pauli naufragio celebris est, et hodie Rhodiensibus militibus habitatur, “It was by Ptolemy said to be one of the Pelagiæ. It is famous for St. Paul’s shipwreck, and is now inhabited by the knights of Rhodes.” And that this was it here spoken

HAMMOND ANNOTT. o g

Acts 27:4

[b] vengeance] That there is a δίκη or vengeance, which will not let murderers go unpunished in this world, hath been the observation of all sorts of men. In the Gemara Tract. Sanhedr. there is the like story of Simeon son of Schutach, who found a manslayer, but had no witness to testify it legally, and therefore prayed thus, “He that knoweth the thoughts of men, punish thee as a murderer. And presently,” saith he, “a serpent bit him and slew him.” In like manner as Orestes, that had killed his mother, died with the bite of a viper, in a place of Arcadia called Orestion, saith Stephanus Byzant. περὶ Ἰάλε. in the word Ὀρεστώ. In that place of the Gemara there is also mention of a tradition of Hezekias, that after the destruction of the sanctuary and the sanhedrim, there yet still continued among the Jews four kinds of capital punishment, instead of the four established by the law of Moses. For he that deserved to be stoned, either fell from an house, or was torn with wild beasts. He that deserved to be burnt, either fell into the fire, or was struck with a serpent, which was therefore called fiery by Moses, because they that were bitten with it felt such a flame in their veins.) They that were to be killed with the sword, fell either into the hand of the king or of thieves. They that deserved suffocation or hanging, either were drowned or died of a melancholy or suffocation, (such as is affirmed of Judas; see note [a] on Matt. xxvii.) Two of these are here mentioned by the barbarians, drowning, and the bite of the serpent or viper, as a revenge due to a murderer in their conceit; and when they saw he escaped, they looked on it as a stupendous thing.

Acts 27:8

And as soon as we were passed by Salmone, ch. vii., we came unto a place— 9, 10. And being thus long upon the sea, and the sea beginning to grow tempestuous, as it is wont at that time of year, to wit, after the day of expiation, the great yearly fast, about which time the Michaelmas-flaws are wont to be on the seas, Paul would

¹ Or, that was about to sail, &c. (for the King’s MS. reads μέλλοντι, which agrees with

ἀλκίψ,) we set out, ἀνήχθημεν. ² came to, κατήχθημεν εἰς: see note [a] ch. xxi.

Acts 27:9

[a] the fast was now already past] There is no question but the fast, which is here said to be newly past, was the great anniversary fast, the day of expiation; the description of which we have, Isa. lviii, under the name of a sabbath, ver. 13, which may seem to have occasioned that error in the heathen writers, which thought that the Jews had fasted on the seventh day or sabbath. So s Suetonius, Ne Judaus tam libenter sabbatis jejunium servat, &c., “a Jew doth not fast on his sabbath so willingly;” and Justin, l. 36. Septimum diem, more gentis sabbatum appellatum, in omne ævum jejunium sacravit, “the seventh day, being by their custom called their sabbath, was appointed a fast for ever.” Which error arose by not observing the difference betwixt the weekly and the anniversary sabbath. Now the precise time of this sabbatic fast is, Levit. xvi. 29, on the tenth day of the seventh month called Tizri, which falls on the same time almost with our September, the first day of Tizri on the seventh of that, and so the tenth of Tizri on the sixteenth of September, that is, thirteen days before our Michaelmas, or, as b Scaliger sets it, on the twentieth of that month. This being thus observed, the reason of the apostle’s observation, that sailing was now become dangerous, because the fast was past, will be easily cleared, it being all one as if he had said, because it was past the twentieth of September; it being observed by all sailors, that for some weeks before and after Michaelmas, there are on the sea sudden and frequent storms, which we now call Michaelmas flaws, which must needs make sailing dangerous: and so the experiment proved it, ver. 14, whereas the south wind blew softly, presently comes a boisterous wind called Euroclydon, (or, as perhaps that word may be otherwise read with a light change, Εὐρακύλων, the north-east wind, for which the king’s and other ancient MSS. read Εὐρακύδων,) which so hurried the

s In Octav. b Proleg. in Euseb. Chron.

Acts 27:11

But the governor of the ship being also the owner of it, and so concerned to consider the danger, was of another mind, and the captain of the guard preferred his judgment before Paul’s.

[c] whose sign] Παράσημον is the προτομή, some image or picture of some creature in the fore part of the ship, from whence the ship was named. So saith Agatharchides, when it is said that a bull carried away Europa, the meaning is, that a ship called the Bull, as having that παράσημον upon it, carried her: and so the eagle that carried Ganymede was a ship with an eagle upon it, and so called the Eagle, saith Epiphanius. So Bellerophon’s riding on Pegasus was his sailing in a ship that had a flying horse for its sign and name. So Virgil, Æn. 10.

—ærata princeps secat æguora Tigri.

Where the sign of the ship, being set upon the rostrum of it, (which was made of brass,) was a tiger, and so the ship was called. So Diodorus Siculus, l. 4, of Phryxus, that is said to swim upon a ram through the Euxine sea, saith, διαπλεῦσαι αὐτόν φασιν ἐπὶ νεῶς προτομὴν ἐπὶ τῆς πρώρας ἐχούσης κριοῦ, “that he sailed in a ship which had the picture of a ram on the fore part of it.” So Palæphatus of Pelops, that was said to have winged horses, it was to be understood, saith he, in the same manner as of Pegasus, that he had a ship, ἐγέγραπτο δὲ ἐπὶ τοῦ πλοίου ἵπποι ὑπόπτεροι, “and there were painted on it winged horses.” And of Pegasus he had before said, Ὡνομα ἦν τῷ πλοίῳ Πήγασος, ὡς καὶ νῦν ἕκαστον τῶν πλοίων ὄνομα ἔχει, “it was the name of a ship, as now every ship hath a name.” So that the mention of the παράσημον or sign here is also the intimation of the name of the ship, Castor and Pollux or Dioscuri.

Acts 27:12

Especially considering that the haven, ver. 8, was no good winter harbour, in which respect most of the passengers advised to put out from thence, and endeavour to gain Phenice, an haven of Crete, situate toward &c., and there they might winter conveniently.

Acts 27:13

And by a calm southerly gale which came they thought this would be easily compassed; and therefore, considering the inconstancy of the wind, and that it might not hold long thus favourable, they made use of the first opportunity, and put out presently, and so got beyond the shore of Crete. ᵈ the north-east wind: see note [a]. ᵉ we were fain to yield the ship to the force of the wind, and sail with it whithersoever it would drive us. ᶠ the skiff that attended the ship was stuck or entangled, so that we could hardly get it to us.

³ presently. ⁴ beat, Ἰβαλε. ⁵ the ship being carried by force along with it, and

being not able to resist or hold up against the wind, συναρπασθέντος τοῦ πλοίου, καὶ μὴ δυνα-

μένον ἀντορθαλαμῖν τῇ ἀνίμῳ. ⁶ letting her loose, we were carried, ἐπιδόντες ἐφερόμεθα.

⁷ little island, νησίον. ⁸ skiff, σκάφην. HAMMOND, VOL. I. a q

[b] thence] Ἄσσον, πλησίον, saith Hesychius, it signifies nigh. But first, it is among the poets only that it is thus used: and 2dly, being here joined with παρελέγοντο, which is the passing just under, there seems to be very little use of the word, or propriety that here it should be put. Perhaps there may here be place for a conjecture, reading θᾶσσον, presently, instead of ἄσσον, and then joining that, not with παρελέγοντο, but ἔραντες, precedent, presently loosing thence. Thus in Synesius, we find Ep. 4, ἔραντες εὐθὺς, “loosing immediately,” which is all one with θᾶσσον, τάχιον, ταχύτερον, saith Hesychius. And this I now see to have been the conjecture of the very learned and judicious critic Mr. John Bois of Ely.

Acts 27:17

But at last they got it, and then they made use of some artifices to secure them from splitting; and fearing they might fall upon some quicksand, to prevent that, strake sail—

disposed some of the goods out of the ship.

Acts 27:19

And the next day we were forced to cast into the sea the furniture of the ship.

Acts 27:20

And then there came such a season of tempestuous foul weather, that we utterly despaired of escaping.

you should have taken the counsel which I gave you, ver. 10, and avoided, or not have run this hazard.

Acts 27:21

[c] gained] What κερδῆσαι signifies here, being joined with ζημίαν, harm and loss, may appear by Himerius in his Declamation against Epicurus, οὐ διὰ τοὺς λόγους κερδανεῖς τὴν δίκην, ἀλλὰ κολασθῆσῃ πλέον, οἷς ἐπὶ τὸ ἀδικεῖν τοῖς λόγοις κέχρησαι, “thou shalt not by thy orations gain, that is, avoid or escape punishment, but shalt be punished the more."—So in Philemon,

Πᾶς γὰρ πένης ὃν μεγάλα κερδαίνει κακὰ, ¹Ἔργ. καὶ ἡμερ. β’. 291. ²De Vit. Apoll. L 4. c. 4. ³P. 779. b.

Acts 27:23

For this night I received a vision, and in it a message from that God who is pleased to own and protect me, and whose servant I am, saying—

Nero, the Roman emperor: and God hath for thy sake granted life and safety to all them that are with thee in the ship.

Acts 27:26

But one passage more I received in the vision, viz., that after shipwreck we must be cast—

Acts 27:27

What sayest thou, Agrippa? are not the Jewish prophecies fulfilled in Christ? Thou canst not but discern and acknowledge it. h Thou dost in some degree persuade me that the Christian faith is the true. i I heartily wish and pray, for thine own sake, that not only in a low, but in an eminent degree, both thou and all that are here present were as far Christians as I am; only I would not wish them imprisoned as I am. k king Agrippa and Festus and Bernice rose up from the place of judicature, ch. xxv. 29, and they— l The accusations brought against this man are not such as by the Roman law are punishable capitally or by imprisonment, (the emperors having not yet, in the beginning of Nero, made any edict against Christianity.) ### CHAP. XXVII. a Adramyttium, a sea town of Mysia, (see note [a]

Acts 27:28

And by letting down their plummet, and sounding, they found it was first twenty fathoms, then fifteen; which was an argument to assure them they were near a shore.

Acts 27:29

And therefore, it being night, and apprehending the danger of falling upon some shelves for want of light to guide them, they durst go no further, but cast four anchors— ¹ Though I told you that no one person in the ship should perish, yet this was upon condition you would believe and trust God for your preservation, and the mariners stay and do their parts with all diligence, and not use this trick, some to escape, and leave the rest in the danger; if this be done, assure yourselves you will be drowned.

Acts 27:32

Hereupon the soldiers, to prevent the mariners’ design, ran and cut the ropes of the skiff, and let it fall off into the sea.

Acts 27:33

And in the space between that and daybreak, Paul exhorted them to refresh themselves with eating, telling them that they had so solicitously attended the fate of this fourteenth day as the special

¹³ skiff, σκάφην. ¹⁴ until it began to be day, ἄχρι οὗ ἔμελλεν ἡμέρα γίνεσθαι. ¹⁵ advised,

exhorted, ναρικάλαι. Q Q 2

[d] fasting “Ασιτος is he that eateth nothing all day long, (as μονόσιτος, he that eateth but one meal a day,) and so it is here explained by μηδὲν προσλαβόμενοι, having taken nothing at all. The meaning therefore of this place (without any miracle of subsisting without any nourishment fourteen days together) is to be gathered from the former part of the period, τεσσαρεσκαιδεκάτην σήμερον ἡμέραν προσδοκῶντες, “expecting this day the fourteenth day,” that is, waiting to see the success of this day, which, it seems, in the opinion of the mariners, was the critical day to them, their danger was then at the highest, and they were not likely to outlive it, and so there was no use of eating, and if they escaped this day, they might then possibly hope; and upon these considerations, they eat nothing all that day, they had no leisure to consider hunger, when their greater danger and more instant fear was of drowning, and that is a clear meaning of the place. But if it should be applied to all the precedent fourteen days, then it must be taken in that latitude wherein Tzetzes on Hesiod expounds the phrase,

… οὐδὲ τι σίτον ἦσθιον, …

“they eat not meat,” διὰ τὸ μηδὲ ἐν τοῖς καιροῖς τῶν τραπεζῶν αὐτοὺς ἠρεμείν, ἀλλ’ ἐνόπλους καὶ πεφυρμένους ἐσθίειν ἐν αἵμασιν, εἶπεν αὐτοὺς μηδὲ σίτον ἐσθίειν, “because they were not at leisure, or quiet even at meal-times, but eat in their arms, and with their hands fouled with blood, therefore he said, neither did they eat meat;” τραπέζης γὰρ καὶ σίτων καιρὸς ὁ εἰρηναῖος καὶ τερψίθυμος, “for the mealtime is a time of leisure and rejoicing.”

Acts 27:34

Therefore, saith he, I advise you all now to eat, for you shall escape the danger, and refreshing yourselves will the better enable you to bear the difficulties that you are to expect.

Acts 27:35

And he began, and gave them example, blessed God, and did eat.

Acts 27:36

And they did so also,

¹⁶ Expecting the fourteenth day, which is to day, ye continue without eating, Τεσσαρεσκαι-

δεκάτην σήμερον ἡμέραν προσδοκῶντες, ἄσιτοι διατελεῖτε. ¹⁷ safety, σωτηρίας. ¹⁸ dis-

cerned not, οὐκ ἐπεγίνωσκοι. ¹⁹ having an haven, ἔχοντα αἰγιαλόν.

Acts 27:44

[e] boards The word σανὶς signifies any plain thing, a door, or table, or board, or plank, and is rendered by Hesychius first θύρα, “a door,” then λεύκωμα, “a white table,” ἐν ᾧ αἱ γραφαὶ Ἀθήνησιν ἐγράψαντο πρὸς τοὺς κακούργους, “on which among the Athenians accusations were written against malefactors,” τίθεται δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ σταυροῦ, (not, as it is corruptly read, ταύρου,) “and this was wont to be set upon the cross,” (as the inscription of Christ.) The former of these, or any thing like that, any plain tabulatum, is here meant by it, as that which would be most useful to escape by in this shipwreck.

CHAP. XXVIII.