Acts 27:16

16 We came under the lee of the small island named Clauda, and managed to get a lifeboat ready and reef the sails.

Acts 27:16 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 27:16

And running under a certain island
Or below a certain island and hard by, it or under the sea shore of it, where the sea might be smoother, the wind not being there so strong:

which is called Clauda:
by Ptolomy ^F24 it is called Claudus, and was near the island of Crete, and now called Gozo. The Vulgate Latin and Ethiopic versions, and some copies, read "Cauda"; and there was an island near to Crete, which was called Gaudos ^F25, and is thought to be the place here meant:

we had much work to come by the boat;
which they had with them to go ashore in, or to betake themselves to in case of shipwreck; and which in this storm was in danger of being dashed to pieces against the ship, or lost; and it was with some difficulty that they came at it, and took it up into the ship.

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FOOTNOTES:

F24 Geograph. l. 3. c. 17.
F25 Mela, l. 2. c. 7. Plin. l. 4. c. 12.

Acts 27:16 In-Context

14 But they were no sooner out to sea than a gale-force wind, the infamous nor'easter, struck.

15 They lost all control of the ship. It was a cork in the storm.

16 We came under the lee of the small island named Clauda, and managed to get a lifeboat ready and reef the sails.

17 But rocky shoals prevented us from getting close. We only managed to avoid them by throwing out drift anchors.

18 Next day, out on the high seas again and badly damaged now by the storm, we dumped the cargo overboard.