Acts 27:8

8 It was not easy to sail along the coast. Then we came to a place called Fair Havens. It was near the town of Lasea.

Acts 27:8 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 27:8

And hardly passing it
That is, Salmone, with great difficulty, because of the winds:

came unto a place which is called the Fair Havens;
called by other writers Cale Acte, or the fair shore, and is placed by Ptolomy F3 in Eubaea, and by Herodotus F4 in Sicily; but by Stephanus F5 is said to be a city of the Cretians, and which agrees with this account;

nigh whereunto was the city of Lasae;
there was a city in Crete called by Solinus F6 Lisson, and by Ptolomy F7 Lyssus, which he places on the south side of the island; and by Pliny F8 Lasos, which comes pretty near to this name, but then he places it in the midland part of Crete; who also makes mention of an island called Lasia over against Troezenium, and another that was one of the Cyclades; the Syriac version here read, "Lasia": Jerom F9 says, Lasea is a city on the shore of the island of Crete, near the place which is called the Fair Havens, as Luke himself explains it; for which some corruptly read "Thalassa"; as do the Vulgate Latin and Ethiopic versions; and the Alexandrian copy "Alassa": Beza conjectures that it is the same with Eloea, which Pliny makes mention of in the above cited place, as a city in Crete.


FOOTNOTES:

F3 De ordis Situ. l. 3. c. 15.
F4 L. 6. c. 22.
F5 De urbibus.
F6 Polyhist. c. 16.
F7 Ib. l. 3. c. 17.
F8 L. 4. c. 12.
F9 De locis Hebraicis, fol. 96. D.

Acts 27:8 In-Context

6 There the commander found a ship from Alexandria sailing for Italy. He put us on board.
7 We moved along slowly for many days. We had trouble getting to Cnidus. The wind did not let us stay on course. So we passed the calmer side of Crete, opposite Salmone.
8 It was not easy to sail along the coast. Then we came to a place called Fair Havens. It was near the town of Lasea.
9 A lot of time had passed. Sailing had already become dangerous. By now it was after the Day of Atonement, a day of fasting. So Paul gave them a warning.
10 "Men," he said, "I can see that our trip is going to be dangerous. The ship and everything in it will be lost. Our own lives will be in danger also."
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