Acts 27:39-44

The Shipwreck

39 Now when day came, they did not recognize the land, but they noticed a certain bay having a beach, onto which they decided to run the ship ashore if they could.
40 And slipping the anchors, they left [them] in the sea, at the same time loosening the ropes of the steering oars. And hoisting the foresail to the [wind] that was blowing, they held course for the beach.
41 But falling into a place of crosscurrents, they ran the ship aground. And the bow stuck fast [and] stayed immovable, but the stern was being broken up by the violence.
42 Now the plan of the soldiers was that they would kill the prisoners lest any escape [by] swimming away,
43 but the centurion, [because he] wanted to save Paul, prevented them {from doing what they intended}, and gave orders [that] those who were able to swim should jump in first to get to the land,
44 and [then] the rest, [some] of whom [floated] on planks and [some] of whom on anything [that was] from the ship. And in this way all were brought safely to the land.

Footnotes 9

  • [a]. *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  • [b]. Or "bands" (referring to the linkage that tied the steering oars together)
  • [c]. Or "a reef"; literally "a place of two seas," an expression of uncertain meaning but most likely a nautical technical term for some adverse sea condition
  • [d]. *Here "[and]" is supplied because the previous participle ("stuck fast") has been translated as a finite verb
  • [e]. Some manuscripts have "the violence of the waves"
  • [f]. *Here "[by]" is supplied as a component of the participle ("swimming away") which is understood as means
  • [g]. *Here "[because]" is supplied as a component of the participle ("wanted") which is understood as causal
  • [h]. Literally "of the intention"
  • [i]. *The word "[floated]" is not in the Greek text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity
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