Acts 27:8

8 Sailing past it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea.

Acts 27:8 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 27:8

And hardly passing it
That is, Salmone, with great difficulty, because of the winds:

came unto a place which is called the Fair Havens;
called by other writers Cale Acte, or the fair shore, and is placed by Ptolomy ^F3 in Eubaea, and by Herodotus ^F4 in Sicily; but by Stephanus ^F5 is said to be a city of the Cretians, and which agrees with this account;

nigh whereunto was the city of Lasae;
there was a city in Crete called by Solinus ^F6 Lisson, and by Ptolomy ^F7 Lyssus, which he places on the south side of the island; and by Pliny ^F8 Lasos, which comes pretty near to this name, but then he places it in the midland part of Crete; who also makes mention of an island called Lasia over against Troezenium, and another that was one of the Cyclades; the Syriac version here read, "Lasia": Jerom ^F9 says, Lasea is a city on the shore of the island of Crete, near the place which is called the Fair Havens, as Luke himself explains it; for which some corruptly read "Thalassa"; as do the Vulgate Latin and Ethiopic versions; and the Alexandrian copy "Alassa": Beza conjectures that it is the same with Eloea, which Pliny makes mention of in the above cited place, as a city in Crete.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F3 De ordis Situ. l. 3. c. 15.
F4 L. 6. c. 22.
F5 De urbibus.
F6 Polyhist. c. 16.
F7 Ib. l. 3. c. 17.
F8 L. 4. c. 12.
F9 De locis Hebraicis, fol. 96. D.

Acts 27:8 In-Context

6 There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship bound for Italy and put us on board.

7 We sailed slowly for a number of days and arrived with difficulty off Cnidus, and as the wind was against us, we sailed under the lee of Crete off Salmone.

8 Sailing past it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea.

9 Since much time had been lost and sailing was now dangerous, because even the Fast had already gone by, Paul advised them,

10 saying, "Sirs, I can see that the voyage will be with danger and much heavy loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives."