Acts 27:13

13 And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, raising sails, they sailed close by Crete.

Acts 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.

Acts 27:13 In-Context

11 Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship more than those things which were spoken by Paul.

12 And because the haven was not commodious to winter in, many were in agreement to depart from there also, if by any means they might attain to Phenice and winter there, which is a port of Crete and lies toward Africa and the west.

13 And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, raising sails, they sailed close by Crete.

14 But not long after, there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon. {devastating cold north wind from Europe}

15 And when the ship was caught up by it and could not resist against the wind, the ship was taken by the wind and drifted.