Acts 27:30

30 And when the shipmen sought to flee from the ship, when they had sent a little boat into the sea, under colour as they should begin to stretch forth the anchors from the former part of the ship,

Acts 27:30 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 27:30

And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship
To save their lives, concluding that it was in the utmost danger, and that it would quickly, notwithstanding the anchors cast out, break away, and fall upon the rocks, and split to pieces:

when they had let down the boat into the sea;
which before they had taken up into the ship, ( Acts 27:16 Acts 27:17 ) and now they let it down, in order to get into it, and make their escape:

under colour as though they would have cast anchors out of the
foreship;
the foremost part of the ship, the prow of it; their pretence in attempting to get out of the ship, and into the boat, was, that whereas there were anchors cast out of the stern, or hinder part of the ship, so they would cast out others, from the fore part of it; and "stretch" them "out", as the word signifies, or carry them further out into the sea, for the security of the ship; and to do which, it was necessary to use the boat.

Acts 27:30 In-Context

28 And they cast down a plummet, and found twenty fathoms of deepness. And after a little they were departed from thence, and found fifteen fathoms. [The which sending down a plummet, found twenty fathoms of deepness. And after a little they departed thence, found fifteen fathoms.]

29 And they dreaded, lest we should have fallen into sharp places; and from the last part of the ship they sent four anchors, and desired that the day had be come. [Soothly they dreading lest we should fall into sharp places, from the last part of the ship sending four anchors, desired day to be made.]

30 And when the shipmen sought to flee from the ship, when they had sent a little boat into the sea, under colour as they should begin to stretch forth the anchors from the former part of the ship,

31 Paul said to the centurion and to the knights, But these dwell in the ship, ye be not able to be made safe [ye may not be made safe].

32 Then [the] knights cutted [cut] away the cords of the little boat, and suffered it to fall away.