Acts 27:39

39 And when the day was come, they knew no land; and they beheld an haven that had a water bank, into which they thought, if they might, to bring up the ship. [Soothly when day was made, they knew not land; forsooth they beheld some haven having a water bank, into which they thought, if they might, to cast the ship.]

Acts 27:39 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 27:39

And when it was day they knew not the land
What place it was, or the name of it:

but they discovered a certain creek with a shore;
a gulf or bay, with a shore near it; the Ethiopic version explains it,

an arm of the sea,
where was a port, where they thought they could secure themselves, or get ashore:

into which they were minded, if it were possible, to thrust in the
ship;
whither they had a mind, and consulted to run the ship, if it could be done by any means, believing it was the most likely method of saving themselves, and that; for notwithstanding the assurance they had that no man's life should be lost, they made use of all proper means for their safety and security.

Acts 27:39 In-Context

37 And we were all men in the ship, two hundred seventy and six. [Soothly we were all the souls in the ship, two hundred seventy and six.]

38 And they were filled with meat, and discharged the ship, and cast wheat into the sea. [And they full-filled with meat, discharged the ship, casting out wheat into the sea.]

39 And when the day was come, they knew no land; and they beheld an haven that had a water bank, into which they thought, if they might, to bring up the ship. [Soothly when day was made, they knew not land; forsooth they beheld some haven having a water bank, into which they thought, if they might, to cast the ship.]

40 And when they had taken up the anchors, they betook them to the sea, and slacked together the jointures of rudders [And when they had taken up the anchors, they betook them into the sea, and slaked together the jointures of rudders]. And with a little sail lifted up, by blowing of the wind [after blowing of the wind] they went to the bank.

41 And when we felled into a place of gravel gone all about with the sea, they hurtled the ship. And when the former part was fixed, it dwelled unmoveable [And the former part fixed, dwelled unmoveable], and the last part was broken of the strength of the sea.