Gevurot 27:13

13 And a gentle south wind began to blow, and they thought they could attain their matarah (objective), so they weighed anchor and they were sailing past Crete, close by the shore.

Gevurot 27:13 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 27:13

And when the south wind blew softly
Or moderately, which was a good wind for them:

supposing that they, had obtained their purpose;
that things would succeed according to their wish, and favour their design:

loosing thence;
from the Fair Havens; the Vulgate Latin and Ethiopic versions render it, "loosing from Assos"; which could not be Assos of Troas, mentioned in ( Acts 20:13 ) which was many miles from hence; rather Asum, a town in Crete, of which Pliny ^F18 makes mention, though, according to him, it seems to be an inland town; wherefore it is best to take the word (asson) , to be an adverb, and render it "thence", as we do; or join it with the next word, and render it,

they came near, or they sailed close by Crete;
along the shore, the wind favouring them, that they were in no danger of being dashed upon it, it being a soft gentle wind.

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FOOTNOTES:

F18 Nat. Hist. l. 4. c. 12.

Gevurot 27:13 In-Context

11 But the centurion was persuaded by the pilot and the owner rather than by the dvarim of Rav Sha’ul.

12 But the port being unfavorably situated for spending the winter, the majority decided to set sail from there, if somehow they could reach Phoenix to spend the winter. It was a harbor of Crete, facing southwest and northwest.

13 And a gentle south wind began to blow, and they thought they could attain their matarah (objective), so they weighed anchor and they were sailing past Crete, close by the shore.

14 After not much time a violent, typhoon force wind rushed down from Crete, the so called Euraquilo, the Northeaster.

15 And the oniyah, having been caught in it, and not being able to directly face the wind, we gave way to it and were driven.