Acts 27:11

11 But the centurion believed more to the governor, and to the lord of the ship, than to these things that were said of Paul.

Acts 27:11 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 27:11

Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the
owner of the ship
Who were either one and the same person, or if two persons, the one was the owner, whose the ship was, and the other, he that was at the helm, and steered and directed it; or the one might be the captain, and the other the pilot. The (kubernhthv) , or "governor", as he is here called with the ancients, was he who sat on an eminence in the stern of the ship, at the helm, and had the direction of it; he gave the orders, which others executed: what qualified him for his post chiefly lay in three things; in the knowledge of the constellations, and winds, of the former that he might direct the course of the ship according to them, and by them foresee future tempests, and of the latter, that he might be acquainted with the several points, from whence they blew; also in the knowledge of ports, and places to put into, and of rocks and sands, that they might be escaped; likewise in the knowledge of the use of the helm, and sails ^F12; for one part of his business, as ^F13 Seneca observes, was to give orders after this manner; so and so move the helm, so and so let down the sails in every ship there was a governor, and in larger ones sometimes there were two; ^F14 Aelianus says, the Carthaginians had always two governors in a ship: the other word, (nauklhrov) , is in the glossary rendered "navicularius", which signifies "the owner" of the ship; and so we render it; though perhaps he is the same with the "proreta", who governed the prow or head of the ship, and was the next in dignity to the governor, and a kind of a sub-governor; and his business was to observe tempests, to explore promontories, rocks and sands, and show them to the governor ^F15; and so Isidore ^F16 says, the owner of the ship is called Naucleros, because the ship is in his lot, "cleros" signifying lot: and as these best understood naval affairs, Julius gave more heed to what they said, and rather believed them,

than those things which were spoken by Paul;
by a spirit of prophecy, which he had no notion of; for though he treated him civilly as a man, he had no regard to him as a Christian, or as one endued with the Spirit of God, which he knew nothing of.

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FOOTNOTES:

F12 Scheffer. de Militia Navali Veterum, l. 4. c. 6. p. 296, 297.
F13 Ep. 95.
F14 Var. Hist. l. 9. c. 40.
F15 Scheffer. ib. p. 302, 303.
F16 Originum, l. 19. c. 1. p. 162.

Acts 27:11 In-Context

9 And when much time was passed, and when sailing then was not secure [and when now sailing was not secure], for that fasting was passed, Paul comforted them,

10 and said to them, Men, I see that sailing beginneth to be with wrong and much harm, not only of the charge and of the ship [not only of charge and ship], but also of our lives.

11 But the centurion believed more to the governor, and to the lord of the ship, than to these things that were said of Paul.

12 And when the haven was not able to dwell in winter, full many ordained counsel to sail from thence, if on any manner they might come to Phenice, to dwell in winter at the haven of Crete [+And when the haven was not able to dwell in winter, full many ordained counsel to sail thence, if in any manner they might come to Phenice, to wintern in the haven of Crete], which beholdeth to Africa, or south west, and to Corum, or north west.

13 And when the south blew, they guessed them to hold purpose; and when they had removed from Assos, they sailed to Crete. [Soothly the south blowing, they guessing them to hold purpose, when they had taken up from Assos, sailed to Crete.]