Atos 27

BLIVRE · Chapter 27/28

1E quando foi determinado que tínhamos que navegar para a Itália, entregaram a Paulo e alguns outros prisioneiros, a um centurião, por nome Júlio, do esquadrão imperial.

2E embarcando [-nos] em um navio adramitino, estando a navegar pelos lugares [costeiros] da Ásia, nós partimos, estando conosco Aristarco, o macedônio de Tessalônica.

3E no [dia] seguinte, chegamos a Sidom; e Júlio, tratando bem a Paulo, permitiu [-lhe] que fosse aos amigos, para [receber] cuidado [deles] .

4E tendo partido dali, nós fomos navegando abaixo do Chipre, porque os ventos estavam contrários.

5E tendo passado ao longo do mar da Cilícia e Panfília, viemos a Mira em Lícia.

6E o centurião, tendo achado ali um navio de Alexandria, que estava navegando para a Itália, nos fez embarcar nele.

7E indo navegando lentamente já por muitos dias, chegando com dificuldade em frente a Cnido, o vento, não nos permitindo [continuar por ali] ,navegamos abaixo de Creta, em frente a Salmone.

8E tendo com dificuldade percorrido sua costa, chegamos a um certo lugar, chamado Bons Portos, perto do qual estava a cidade de Laseia.

9E tendo passado muito tempo, e sendo a navegação já perigosa, porque também já tinha passado o jejum, Paulo [os] exortava,

10Dizendo-lhes: Homens, eu vejo que a navegação vai ser com violência e muito dano, não somente de carga e do navio, mas também de nossas vidas.

11Porém o centurião cria mais no capitão e no dono do navio do que no que Paulo dizia.

12E não sendo aquele porto adequado para passar o inverno, a maioria preferiu partir dali, para ver se podiam chegar a Fênix, que é um porto de Creta, voltada para o lado do vento sudoeste e noroeste, para ali passarem o inverno.

13E ao ventar brandamente ao sul, pareceu-lhes que eles já tinham o que queriam; e levantando a vela, foram por perto da costa de Creta.

14Mas não muito depois houve contra ela um vento violento, chamado Euroaquilão.

15E tendo o navio sido tomado por ele, e não podendo navegar contra o vento, nós deixamos sermos levados [por ele] .

16E correndo abaixo de uma pequena ilha, chamada Clauda, com dificuldade conseguimos manter o barquinho de reserva;

17O qual, tendo sido levado para cima, usaram de suportes [para] reforçarem o navio; e temendo irem de encontro aos bancos de areia, eles baixaram as velas e [deixaram] ir à deriva.

18E sendo muito afligidos pela tempestade, no [dia] seguinte jogaram a carga para fora [do navio] .

19E no terceiro [dia] , com as nossas próprias mãos jogamos fora os instrumentos do navio.

20E não aparecendo ainda o sol, nem estrelas havia muitos dias, e sendo afligidos por não pouca tempestade, desde então tínhamos perdido toda a esperança de sermos salvos.

21E havendo muito [tempo] que não havia o que comer, então Paulo, ficando de pé no meio deles, disse: Homens, vós devíeis ter dado atenção a mim, e não terdes partido de Creta, e [assim] evitar esta situação ruim e prejuízo.

22Mas agora eu vos exorto a terdes bom ânimo; porque haverá nenhuma perda de vida de vós, além [somente da perda] do navio.

23Porque esta mesma noite esteve comigo um anjo de Deus, a quem eu pertenço e a quem eu sirvo;

24Dizendo: Não temas, Paulo; é necessário que tu sejas apresentado a César; e eis que Deus tem te dado [a vida] a todos quantos navegam contigo.

25Portanto, homens, tende bom ânimo; porque eu creio em Deus que assim será, conforme o que me foi dito.

26Mas é necessário que sejamos lançados a uma ilha.

27E quando veio a décima quarta noite, sendo lançados de um lado para o outro no [mar] Adriático, por volta da meia noite os marinheiros suspeitaram de que estavam se aproximando de alguma terra [firme] .

28E tendo lançado o prumo, acharam vinte braças; e passando um pouco mais adiante, voltando a lançar o prumo, acharam quinze braças.

29E temendo de irem de encontro a lugares rochosos, lançaram da popa quatro âncoras, desejando que o dia viesse [logo] .

30E [quando] os marinheiros estavam procurando fugir do navio, e baixando o barquinho de reserva ao mar, como que queriam largar as âncoras da proa,

31Paulo disse ao centurião e aos soldados: Se estes não ficarem no navio, vós não podeis vos salvar.

32Então os soldados cortaram os cabos do barquinho de reserva, e o deixaram cair.

33E até enquanto o dia estava vindo, Paulo exortava a todos que comessem alguma coisa, dizendo: Hoje já é o décimo quarto dia, em que estais esperando, continuando sem comer, nada tendo experimentado.

34Portanto eu vos exorto para que comais alguma coisa, pois é bom para vossa saúde; porque nenhum cabelo cairá de vossa cabeça.

35E tendo dito isto, e tomando o pão, ele agradeceu a Deus na presença de todos; e partindo [-o] , começou a comer.

36E todos, tendo ficado mais encorajados, também pegaram [algo] para comer.

37E éramos todos no navio duzentas e setenta e seis almas.

38E estando saciados de comer, eles tiraram peso do navio, lançando o trigo ao mar.

39E tendo vindo o dia, não reconheciam a terra; mas enxergaram uma enseada que tinha praia, na qual planejaram, se pudessem, levar o navio.

40E tendo levantado as âncoras, deixaram [-no] ir ao mar, soltando também as amarras dos lemes, e levantando a vela maior ao vento, foram de levando [-o] à praia.

41Mas tendo caído em um lugar onde dois mares se encontram, encalharam ali o navio; e fixa a proa, ficou imóvel, mas a popa estava se destruindo com a força das ondas.

42Então o conselho dos soldados foi de que matassem aos presos, para que nenhum [deles] fugisse a nado.

43Mas o centurião, querendo salvar a Paulo, impediu a intenção deles; e mandou que aqueles que pudessem nadar fossem os primeiros a se lançassem [ao mar] e chegassem à terra [firme] .

44E [depois] os demais, uns em tábuas, e outros em pedaços do navio. E assim aconteceu, que todos se salvaram em terra.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

Paul sets sail for Rome as a prisoner. A violent storm threatens to sink the ship for days, but an angel assures Paul that everyone will survive. After fourteen days adrift, everyone reaches land safely.

Explanation

This is one of the most detailed sea-voyage accounts in ancient literature, with technical nautical terms that confirm real knowledge of Mediterranean shipping routes. Even as a prisoner, Paul becomes the voice of calm and practical leadership during the crisis, showing a faith that translates into concrete action (eating to keep up strength, making sure no one escapes). The angel's promise — that no one would die, but the ship would be lost — is fulfilled with precision, reinforcing that God's plans for Paul (to testify in Rome) would hold firm despite adverse circumstances.

Fun facts

  • Modern scholars and sailors who have retraced the route described in this chapter confirm that the technical details (winds, depths, islands) are precise enough to correspond exactly to the central Mediterranean between Crete and Malta.
  • The 'Euroclydon,' the violent wind mentioned in the text, was a Greco-Latin term for a northeasterly wind characteristic of the Mediterranean in autumn and winter, still recognized by sailors of the region today.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. Atos 27:1Julius was the Roman officer responsible for escorting Paul and the other prisoners to Rome. The Augustan cohort was another Roman military unit, whose name also appears in other historical records of the period.
  2. Atos 27:2The group boards a ship from Adramyttium, a city in Asia Minor, which would make stops along the coast; Aristarchus, the Macedonian companion already mentioned in Ephesus, travels along with Paul.
  3. Atos 27:3Already on the first day of the voyage they reach Sidon, and the centurion Julius treats Paul kindly, allowing him to visit local friends who could look after him — unusual treatment for an ordinary prisoner.
  4. Atos 27:4Contrary winds force the ship to sail sheltered along the coast of Cyprus instead of taking the more direct route — a technical detail of sailing navigation.
  5. Atos 27:5After crossing open sea along Cilicia and Pamphylia, regions Paul had already visited on earlier journeys, they arrive at Myra, in Lycia.
  6. Atos 27:6In Myra, the centurion switches ships, finding an Alexandrian vessel headed straight for Italy, likely larger and better suited for the final crossing.
  7. Atos 27:7The voyage becomes slow and difficult, with winds preventing steady progress, forcing the ship to sail sheltered by the island of Crete near Salmone.
  8. Atos 27:8With difficulty, they make their way along the coast to a place called Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea — a harbor that later proves unsuitable for wintering.
  9. Atos 27:9A reference to the Jewish Day of Atonement, used here as a seasonal marker around October, indicating that sailing was already entering the dangerous storm season in the Mediterranean, when traveling by sea was risky.
  10. Atos 27:10Paul, already showing some practical judgment about sailing, warns that continuing the voyage would bring great damage not only to the cargo and the ship, but to the lives on board.
  11. Atos 27:11Despite Paul’s warning, the centurion gives more weight to the technical opinion of the pilot and the ship’s owner — a decision the narrative will go on to show was mistaken.
  12. Atos 27:12Since the harbor was not good for wintering, most decide to risk continuing on to Phoenix, another harbor in Crete considered safer for that season.
  13. Atos 27:13A gentle south wind gives the false impression that the crossing would be smooth, and the ship confidently sets out, hugging the coast of Crete closely.
  14. Atos 27:14Shortly after, however, a sudden violent wind called Euroclydon (a fierce northeaster) strikes the ship from the land, changing everything drastically.
  15. Atos 27:15The ship is overpowered by the wind and can no longer sail against it; the crew gives up trying to control the course and lets the vessel drift.
  16. Atos 27:16Passing under the shelter of a small island called Clauda, they manage, with difficulty, to haul in the lifeboat that had been towed behind the ship.
  17. Atos 27:17The “Syrtis” was a region of treacherous sandbanks off the coast of North Africa, known and feared by ancient sailors for causing shipwrecks. The crew’s fear shows it was a real and well-known danger of sailing at the time.
  18. Atos 27:18With the violent storm continuing, the next day the crew begins throwing cargo overboard to try to lighten the ship.
  19. Atos 27:19On the third day, the situation worsens so much that they throw even the ship’s own tackle overboard, with the crew and passengers doing it with their own hands.
  20. Atos 27:20Unable to see the sun or stars for many days — essential references for ancient navigation — and under constant storm, everyone on board gives up hope of survival.
  21. Atos 27:21After days without eating, Paul stands up and makes a point of reminding them that he had warned against leaving Crete, but without any tone of vindication, immediately following it with a word of encouragement.
  22. Atos 27:22Despite the desperate situation, Paul assures them that no one on board will die, only the ship will be lost — a firm promise in the midst of chaos.
  23. Atos 27:23Paul reveals the source of this confidence: an angel of God appeared to him during the night, confirming the message he was about to deliver.
  24. Atos 27:24The angel had told Paul not to be afraid, because he had to appear before Caesar in Rome, and that God had granted him the lives of everyone sailing with him because of this.
  25. Atos 27:25Paul asks everyone to take heart, basing his confidence on the certainty that God would do exactly what He had revealed to him.
  26. Atos 27:26Paul already anticipates part of what will happen: the ship would have to run aground on some island, information soon confirmed by the shipwreck in Malta.
  27. Atos 27:27On the fourteenth night of drifting across the Adriatic Sea (a name then used for a larger area of the central Mediterranean), the sailors sense signs of land nearby toward dawn.
  28. Atos 27:28Using a sounding lead, a technique for measuring water depth, they find twenty fathoms, and shortly after, a little further on, only fifteen — a clear sign they were nearing the coast.
  29. Atos 27:29Fearing they would strike rocks in the dark, they cast four anchors from the stern and anxiously wait for daylight to see the situation more clearly.
  30. Atos 27:30Some sailors try to sneak away, lowering the lifeboat under the false pretense of going to lay out anchors from the bow.
  31. Atos 27:31Paul notices the escape attempt and warns the centurion and the soldiers that, without the full crew on board, no one would have the technical skill to bring the ship safely through for everyone.
  32. Atos 27:32To prevent the escape, the soldiers cut the ropes of the lifeboat and let it fall into the sea, making sure the sailors stayed on board.
  33. Atos 27:33Near daybreak, Paul urges everyone to eat something, reminding them that it had been fourteen days since anyone had eaten properly because of the strain of the storm.
  34. Atos 27:34Paul argues that eating was necessary for physical survival, reinforcing once again the promise that no one there would lose so much as a hair from their head.
  35. Atos 27:35Before eating, Paul makes a public gesture of gratitude to God, breaking bread in front of everyone — a scene reminiscent of Christian rituals, even with many Gentiles on board.
  36. Atos 27:36Paul’s gesture encourages the whole group, who finally agree to eat as well, regaining some physical and emotional strength.
  37. Atos 27:37The large number of people on board, including crew, soldiers, and prisoners, gives an idea of the considerable size of the Roman grain ships used to transport cargo across the Mediterranean.
  38. Atos 27:38After eating enough, they lighten the ship further by throwing the remaining wheat cargo into the sea.
  39. Atos 27:39At daybreak, they do not recognize the land in sight, but they notice a bay with a beach and discuss the possibility of deliberately running the ship aground there.
  40. Atos 27:40They cut away the anchors, release the lashed rudders, hoist the mainsail, and deliberately steer the ship toward the beach they had spotted.
  41. Atos 27:41The expression describes a sandbar formed where two currents met, causing the ship to run aground with the bow stuck fast and the stern breaking apart under the pounding of the waves. It is a technical detail of ancient navigation.
  42. Atos 27:42Fearing that the prisoners would take advantage of the chaos to escape by swimming, the soldiers even plan to kill them on the spot, a common practice since a soldier responsible for a fugitive could be punished with his own death.
  43. Atos 27:43The soldiers wanted to kill the prisoners to make sure none escaped by swimming, a common practice since a soldier who let a prisoner escape could be punished with his own death. The centurion Julius stops this out of regard for Paul.
  44. Atos 27:44The rest of the passengers save themselves by improvising with planks and pieces of the wrecked ship, and the final result is that absolutely everyone reaches land alive.

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