Acts 27 Study Notes

27:27 The Adriatic Sea mentioned here is not the same one that is currently known as the Adriatic Sea between Italy and the former Yugoslavia. It apparently refers instead to the modern day Ionian Sea between Crete, Malta, Italy, and Greece that extends into the Mediterranean Sea.

27:28-29 The sailors took soundings by letting down lengths of weighted rope. They determined that they were approaching land at a fast pace, even though they could not see it. In an effort to slow down the ship, they took the unusual action of lowering four anchors, all from the stern, rather than dropping anchors from the bow, which would have swung the ship around.

27:30-32 The prospect of imminent landfall after being adrift on the stormy sea for two weeks (v. 27) enticed a group of sailors to attempt, selfishly, an escape on the skiff (lifeboat). Paul’s wisdom in preventing this is seen in the next episode, when all hands were needed (vv. 37-38,40,43-44).

27:33-34 The men had gone without food for fourteen days, most likely because of severe seasickness brought on by the rough sea.

27:35 Following Jewish custom, Paul gave thanks to God for the food they ate.

27:36 Paul’s example of steady faith (“he gave thanks to God”) and practicality (“he began to eat,” v. 35) in the midst of the storm encouraged the battered sailors.

27:37 Luke mentions the number to show that Paul had managed to encourage all of them to eat. Verse 37 ends the fourth “we” section in Acts (see note at 16:10).

27:38 The crew threw out the grain, which had been acting as ballast for the ship, so they could run it aground (v. 39).

27:39-40 In light of the damage to the ship and the loss of the lifeboat (vv. 30-32), the only option for reaching shore was to ground the ship.

27:41 With the bow jammed fast in the offshore sandbar, the ship’s stern took a beating by the incoming waves.

27:42 The soldiers’ intention to kill the prisoners was probably motivated by the fact that soldiers were held personally responsible for the prisoners whom they guarded. Any soldier whose prisoner escaped would suffer the prisoner’s punishment.

27:43 By now the centurion recognized that paying attention to Paul was a good idea.

27:44 The sea would have been littered with planks and debris from the shattered ship.