Acts 27

Acts 27:1

A Centurion] A Captain of an hundred footmen.

Augustus band] The Band or Cohort was the tenth part of a Roman Legion; and these Bands or Cohorts were of severall numbers, names, and uses: that first wherem the Standard was, consisted of 1105. footmen and 132 horse, &c. Ther was a Pretorian Band or Cohort, to guard the Magistrate in his Province; these hre mentioned seem to be such as Augustus appointed to some the like offices. See Vegetius de re Militar. l. 2. c 7.

Acts 27:2

Adramyttium] A Citie and Port of Mysia.

Acts 27:3

Sidou] A Citie in Phoenicia.

Acts 27:7

Cnidus] A little Iland over against Caria.

Crete] Or, Candie. An Iland in the Mediterranean Sea, formerly it had 100. Cities.

Salmone] This was an Eastern promontory, or high Cliffe of Crete. See Strab. l. 2.

Acts 27:8

The fair havens] It seemeth so called of the safetie and commodiousnesse of the Road; as we call a Road of ours, the Downs.

Lasea] A sea Town and Citie of Crete.

Acts 27:9

the fast] Of this fast yearly to be kept of the Jewes, see Lev. 16. 29. & 23. 27. Numbers 29:7. This was about October; so that Paul advised them to winter there, rather then to put to sea in the deep of winter, then at hand.

Acts 27:10

hurt] Or, injury.

Acts 27:12

Phenice] A port of Crete, not Phenicia a region in Syria.

Acts 27:14

Euroclydon] A North-east winde, furious and stormy, usuall about those places in the beginning of winter: some call it the seamans plague.

Acts 27:15

we let her drive] A Ship is said to drive when the Anchor cannot hold her, but that she falleth away with the Wind or Tyde; so also when a Ship is at hull, or a trie, that is, hath taken in all her Sails. and tyed down the Helm to the Lee-side of the Ship, going as Winde and Tyde carries her, we say she drives, &c.

Cauda] A little Iland.

to come by the boat] To recover, take up, and save the boat.

Acts 27:17

undergirding the ship] This undergirding is by trusses, which are rops made fast to the yards, used either to bind fast the yard to the mast, when the ship rowles a hull, or at an anchor, or to hale down the yards in a storme or gust.

into the quick-sands] Certain sands which swallow up ships that stict fast and sit upon them.

Acts 27:18

they lightened the ship] By casting the goods over-boord.

Acts 27:19

the tackling of the ship] The Greek word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, signifieth store, munition and necessary furniture for ships; so Jonah 1:5. they cast overboord 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 their instruments or furniture: the 70. give it by the very word here used, and so the Syriack interpreter, vasa ipsius navis, &c.

Acts 27:20

all hope that we should be saved] Meaning in respect of second causes, and mans reasons.

Acts 27:21

have gained this harm] That is, prevented it.

Acts 27:23

the angel of God] Whom he sent to comfort and assure me.

Acts 27:24

God hath given thee all them that saile with thee] Or, surely given as a favour. Thou hast prayed for them, God hath heard thee, and will for thy sake save their lives.

Acts 27:25

for I beleeve God] I am consider out of good experience, that God will perform his promise.

Acts 27:26

we must be cast] Thus it will fall out, that we must be cast.

in Adria about midnight] That is, in the Adriatick sea which divideth Italy from Dalmatia, and reacheth up to Venice.

Acts 27:28

And sounded] To find the depth of the waters by casting out a plummet of lead fastned to a long line.

Acts 27:29

out of the stern] Or, hinder part of the ship.

Acts 27:30

out of the foreship] The prow or formost part of the ship.

Acts 27:31

Except these abide in the ship] Not because the will of God, or his power to save, or the effect of his promise, depended on second causes; but because he that had ordained the end, ordained the meanes also, and that he would not have them tempt him, by dividing that which he hath united.

Acts 27:33

continued fasting] He meaneth, they eat no set meales, or so little for feare, that it was in a manner a fasting.

Acts 27:34

hair fall from the head] By this Hebrew phrase is meant, that they should be safe and sound 1 Sa. 14 45. 1 Kin. 1. 52. Matthew 10:30.

Acts 27:40

taken up the anchors] Or cut the anchors they left them in the sea.

and loosed the rudder-bands] The Rudder is that peece of timber, which hanging at the sterm post of the ship, is as the bridle to direct the course; this they had bound when they would drive, v. 15. and now because they would have it to direct the ship, that they might with their best advantag run her ashore, they loos it again.

and hoised up the main saile] Which before they had strucken by reason of the violence of the storme; now they hoise it, that the ship might feele the wind, and work for their running ashore.