Acts 27

KJV · Chapter 27/28

1And 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.

2And 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.

3And the next day we touched at Sidon. And Julius courteously entreated Paul, and gave him liberty to go unto his friends to refresh himself.

4And when we had launched from thence, we sailed under Cyprus, because the winds were contrary.

5And when we had sailed over the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia.

6And there the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing into Italy; and he put us therein.

7And 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;

8And, hardly passing it, came unto a place which is called The fair havens; nigh whereunto was the city of Lasea.

9Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished them,

10And 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.

11Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul.

12And 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.

13And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing thence, they sailed close by Crete.

14But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon.

15And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive.

16And running under a certain island which is called Clauda, we had much work to come by the boat:

17Which 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.

18And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest, the next day they lightened the ship;

19And the third day we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship.

20And 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.

21But 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.

22And 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.

23For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,

24Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Cesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.

25Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.

26Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island.

27But 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;

28And sounded, and found it twenty fathoms: and when they had gone a little further, they sounded again, and found it fifteen fathoms.

29Then fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day.

30And 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,

31Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved.

32Then the soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat, and let her fall off.

33And 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.

34Wherefore 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.

35And 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.

36Then were they all of good cheer, and they also took some meat.

37And we were in all in the ship two hundred threescore and sixteen souls.

38And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, and cast out the wheat into the sea.

39And 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.

40And 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.

41And 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.

42And the soldiers’ counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape.

43But 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:

44And 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.

📖 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. Acts 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. Acts 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. Acts 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. Acts 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. Acts 27:5After crossing open sea along Cilicia and Pamphylia, regions Paul had already visited on earlier journeys, they arrive at Myra, in Lycia.
  6. Acts 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. Acts 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. Acts 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. Acts 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. Acts 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. Acts 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. Acts 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. Acts 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. Acts 27:14Shortly after, however, a sudden violent wind called Euroclydon (a fierce northeaster) strikes the ship from the land, changing everything drastically.
  15. Acts 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. Acts 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. Acts 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. Acts 27:18With the violent storm continuing, the next day the crew begins throwing cargo overboard to try to lighten the ship.
  19. Acts 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. Acts 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. Acts 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. Acts 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. Acts 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. Acts 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. Acts 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. Acts 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. Acts 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. Acts 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. Acts 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. Acts 27:30Some sailors try to sneak away, lowering the lifeboat under the false pretense of going to lay out anchors from the bow.
  31. Acts 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. Acts 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. Acts 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. Acts 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. Acts 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. Acts 27:36Paul’s gesture encourages the whole group, who finally agree to eat as well, regaining some physical and emotional strength.
  37. Acts 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. Acts 27:38After eating enough, they lighten the ship further by throwing the remaining wheat cargo into the sea.
  39. Acts 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. Acts 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. Acts 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. Acts 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. Acts 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. Acts 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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