And when it was determined that we should sail into Italy, &c.] The chief city of which was Rome, the metropolis of the empire, where Caesar had his palace, to whom the apostle had appealed; and his voyage thither was determined by Festus, with the advice of Agrippa and his council, pursuant to the…

And entering into a ship of Adramyttium Which was in the port of Caesarea; for from thence they set sail to the place where this ship was bound, which very likely was the place here mentioned; there was a city of this name in Africa, and which was built upon the sea shore, and is sometimes called…

And the next day we touched at Sidon This was a famous city in Phoenicia, upon the northern border of the land of Israel; it was a maritime place, and noted for trade and navigation; Mela “Sidon, a famous city of Phoenicia, formerly the border of the Canaanites, to the north, situated at the foot…

And when we had launched from thence From Sidon: we sailed under Cyprus, because the winds were contrary; that is, they sailed below the island of Cyprus; of which see whereas if the wind had been right for them, they would have sailed above the island; leaving it on the right hand, in a straight…

And when we had sailed over the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia For these two seas joined, as Pliny says [[5]], “mare Pamphylium Cilicio jungitur”, the Pamphylian sea is joined to the Cilician; and in another place [[6]] he observes, that in the Pamphylian sea were islands of no note, and in the…

And there the centurion found a ship of Alexandria Alexandria was the chief city in Egypt, built by Alexander the great, from whom it took its name; it was situated near the sea, and had a famous haven or port, which R.

And when we had sailed slowly many days Because of contrary winds, as in or else for want of wind, as some think; the Syriac version renders it, “and because it sailed heavily”; that is, the ship being loaden with goods: and scarce were come over against Cnidus; or “Gnidus”, as it is sometimes…

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 [[2]] in Eubaea, and by Herodotus [[3]] in Sicily; but by Stephanus [[4]] is said to…

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…

And said unto them, Sirs, I perceive Not only by the tempestuous weather which they had met with, and still continued, and which they must expect to have, if they continued on their voyage; but by a spirit of prophecy, which he was endued with, by which he foresaw, and so foretold, as follows; that…

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…

And because the haven was not commodious to winter in Which was called the “Fair Havens”, which name it might have by an antiphrasis, it being just the reverse; it might be a good summer haven, but not be fit for winter: perhaps it might be an open road or bay, and having nothing to shelter from…

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,…

But not long after They had not been long at sea, but there arose against it; the ship, or the island of Crete, or both: a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon; in the Greek text it is a “Typhonic” wind, so called, not from the name of a country from whence it blew; rather from Typho, the same with…

And when the ship was caught By the wind, snatched up by it, and forcibly carried away: and could not bear up into the wind; and against it, or look it in the face, as the word signifies; could not ply to windward, the wind being so high and the sea so strong: we let her drive; about the sea, at…

And running under a certain island Or below a certain island and hard by, it or under the sea shore of it, where the sea might be smoother, the wind not being there so strong: which is called Clauda: by Ptolomy [[22]] it is called Claudus, and was near the island of Crete, and now called Gozo.

Which when they had taken up When they had got the boat into the ship: they used helps; the mariners made use of other persons, called in the assistance of the soldiers, and passengers, and prisoners; or for the help of the ship, they made use of cords, chains, and such like things: undergirding…

And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest Sometimes being lifted up as it were to the heavens, and then presently sinking down, as if they were going into the bottom of the sea; such a condition at sea is described to the life by the Psalmist, in .

And the third day From the time this storm began, and this tempestuous weather held: we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship; by which seems to be meant their naval stores and instruments, as sails, ropes, cables, anchors and yet we afterwards read of their anchors and main sail: it…

And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared The Syriac version adds, “nor moon”; which is an usual description of dark, cloudy, and tempestuous seasons; and which was not only uncomfortable to them, because they could not see these luminaries, and enjoy their beneficial light and…

But after long abstinence From food, not for want of it, as appears from what follows, nor in a religious way, in order to obtain the favour of God; but either for want of appetite, and a nauseousness and loathing of food, through the tossing of the ship, fright at the storm, and fears of death;…

And now I exhort you to be of good cheer To take heart and courage, and not be cast down, though things had been thus with them, and they were now in a very melancholy plight and condition.

For there stood by me this night the angel of God One of the ministering, spirits that stand before God, and who was sent by him to the apostle; and appeared to him, either in a vision by a dream, or rather when he was awake, and stood by him, as he was praying for deliverance from the storm; for…

Saying, fear not, Paul For though the apostle knew and believed he should go to Rome, and appear before Caesar, to whom he had appealed, and where he should bear a testimony for Christ; and though he had previous notice of this storm, and of the loss and damage which should be sustained, and which…

Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer Which he repeats with more fervency and earnestness, there being so much reason for it: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me: true faith lays hold and, settles upon the word and promises of God; and the true believer, knowing his power and…

Howbeit, we must be cast upon a certain island. ] This circumstance is foretold, that when the whole affair should come to pass, it might be manifest that it was not a casual thing, a fortuitous event, a business of chance, but was predetermined by God, made known to the apostle, and predicted by…

But when the fourteenth night was come From their setting out from the Fair Havens in Crete, or from the beginning of the storm: as they were driven up and down in Adria: or “in the Adriatic sea”, as the Syriac version renders it: the Adriatic sea is now called by the Turks the gulf of Venice, and…

And sounded Or let down their plummet, or sounding line; which was a line with a piece of lead at the end of it, which they let down into the water, and by that means found what depth it was, by which they could judge whether they were near land or not.

Then fearing lest they should have fallen upon rocks Or rough places, as shelves, rocks, or sands, as they might well fear, when the water shallowed so fast, from 20 to 15 fathoms: they cast four anchors out of the stern; or hinder part of the ship; the Ethiopic version calls it, “the head of the…

And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship To save their lives, concluding that it was in the utmost danger, and that it would quickly, notwithstanding the anchors cast out, break away, and fall upon the rocks, and split to pieces: when they had let down the boat into the sea; which…

Paul said to the centurion, and to the soldiers He did not direct his speech to the governor and owner of the ship, who very likely, being sensible of the danger, were in the scheme with the mariners, and at the head of them; but to Julius the centurion, and the soldiers under him, who having no…

Then the soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat With which it had been fastened to the sides of the ship, and by which the mariners were letting it down, in order to get into it, and go off: and let her fall off; from the sides of the ship into the sea, and so prevented the shipmen quitting the…

And while the day was coming on Between midnight and break of day: Paul besought them all to take meat; to sit down and eat a meal together: saying, this day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried; or have been waiting for, or expecting; that is, as the Arabic version expresses it, a shipwreck;…

Wherefore I pray you to take some meat To sit down composedly, and eat meat cheerfully and freely: for this is for your health; the Alexandrian copy reads, “for our health”; it was for the health of them all, that they might be better able to bear the shock and fatigue of the shipwreck, and be in…

And when he had thus spoken he took bread A piece of bread, of common bread, into his hands; for this could never be the eucharist, or Lord’s supper, which the apostle now celebrated, as some have suggested, but such sort of bread that seafaring men commonly eat: mention is before made of “meat” or…

Then were they all of good cheer Encouraged by the apostle’s words and example: and they all took some meat; and made a comfortable meal, which they had not done for fourteen days past.

And we were in all in the ship Reckoning the master and owner of the ship, and the centurion and the soldiers, and the apostle and his company, with whatsoever passengers there might be: two hundred and threescore and sixteen souls; the Alexandrian copy reads, “two hundred seventy and five”; and…

And when they had eaten enough ] Were satisfied, having eaten a full meal: they lightened the ship; of its burden, that it might the better carry them to the shore, and that by the following method: and cast out the wheat into the sea; which seems to have been part of the ship’s provision; or one…

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…

And when they had taken up the anchors The four anchors they cast out of the stern, or “when they had cut the anchors”, as the Syriac and Arabic versions render it; that is, had cut the cables to which the anchors were fastened: they committed themselves unto the sea; or left them, the anchors, in…

And falling into a place where two seas met An “isthmus”, on each side of which the sea ran; and which the inhabitants of Malta, as Beza says, show to this day, and call it, “la Cala de San Paulo”, or the Descent of Saint Paul.

And the soldiers’ counsel was to kill the prisoners Paul, and the rest: this they had not only an inclination to, but they declared it, and gave it as their opinion, and what they thought advisable to be done directly: lest any of them should swim out and escape; and they should be accountable for…

But the centurion, willing to save Paul Not only because he was a Roman citizen, but because he perceived he was some extraordinary person; and chiefly because he was moved there unto by a superior influence, that Satan might not have his end; and that the will of God might be fulfilled, that he…

And the rest, some on boards Doors, tables, planks, or any such like things: and some on broken pieces of the ship; or what came from it, as masts, beams and so it came to pass that they escaped all safe to land; not one was lost, as Paul had foretold.