Acts 27:32

The ropes (ta scoinia). Diminutive of scoino, old word, but in N.T. only here and John 2:15 . Paul is now saviour of the ship and the soldiers quickly cut loose the skiff and "let her fall off" (eiasan authn ekpesein) rather than be the means of the escape of the sailors who were needed. This dastardly scheme of the sailors would have brought frightful loss of life.