Now when much time was spent
In sailing against the wind, or by staying at the Fair Havens;
for so the Syriac version renders it, "where we stayed a long
time"; and the Ethiopic version, "and there we remained many
days": it follows,
and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was
now already
past;
the Syriac version reads, "the fast of the Jews"; this was the
day of atonement, which was the grand fast of the Jews, on which
day they afflicted their souls, ( Leviticus
23:27 ) in memory of the worshipping of the golden calf; on
that day they neither eat nor drink, nor do any work, neither do
they wash, nor are they anointed, nor do they bind on their
shoes, or make use of the marriage bed; nor do they read anything
but sorrowful things, as the Lamentations of Jeremiah, until the
setting of the sun, and the rising of the stars; and hence this
day is called by them (Mwu
Mwy) , "the day of fasting", and (lwdgh Mwu) , "the great fast, and the day of the
fast of atonement, and the fast of the atonement" F11: now
this day was on the 10th of the month Tisri, which answers to the
latter part of our September, and the former part of October; so
that it was now Michaelmas time, when winter was coming on, and
sailing began to be dangerous; about this time of the year the
Pleiades set, which brings on tempestuous weather, and unfit for
sailing:
Paul admonished them,
or gave them some advice to continue where they were.
F11 Vid. Schindler. Lex. Pentaglott. p. 890. & Maimon. Shebitat Ashur, c. 1. sect. 1, 4, 5, 6. & Misa. Yoma, c. 8. sect. 1.