Shipwrecked
Acts 27:9-20 KJV 9 Now when much time was spent, and when sailing
was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past, Paul
admonished them, 10 And said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage
will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but
also of our lives. 11 Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and
the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul.
12 And because the haven was not commodious to winter in, the more part
advised to depart thence also, if by any means they might attain to
Phenice, and there to winter; which is an haven of Crete, and lieth toward
the south west and north west. 13 And when the south wind blew softly,
supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing thence, they
sailed close by Crete. 14 But not long after there arose against it a
tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon. 15 And when the ship was caught,
and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive. 16 And running
under a certain island which is called Clauda, we had much work to come
by the boat: 17 Which when they had taken up, they used helps,
undergirding the ship; and, fearing lest they should fall into the
quicksands, strake sail, and so were driven. 18 And we being exceedingly
tossed with a tempest, the next day they lightened the ship; 19 And the
third day we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship. 20 And
when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest
lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away.
Introduction
The Rome-bound party had transferred to a substantial ship out of Alexandria, Egypt. The time of year was no longer in their favor in that winter was coming on and it would very soon not be conducive to sail the seas. The ideal time for sailing in that part of the world in those times was 336
from April to October. There might be storms but nothing like it is in the winter season. At best, they are pushing the time frame of safety.
It had been slow sailing for many days, but they finally arrived with much difficulty off Cnidus. There the wind forced them to sail west under Crete off Salmone. Again, with much difficulty, they arrived at Fair Havens, in the south part of Crete. They spent “much time” (verse nine) there.
Shipwreck
Sailing was now dangerous, because the Fast, or the Day of Atonement, was over. This would have been around September or October.
Paul advised the centurion that the Lord had revealed to him that the voyage would end in disaster. It would be with the loss of all the cargo and the ship with the possibility of the loss of their lives. The centurion, however, was persuaded otherwise by the master and owner of the ship because Fair Havens was not a suitable port to spend the winter. The majority prevailed and the decision to try for Phoenix was made. Phoenix was a harbor that faced both southwest and northwest, which made it a safer haven.
Lured into a sense of excitement because of a soft south wind, they set sail along the coast of Crete. It was not long, however, until they were caught up by a strong wind. Luke calls it “Euroclydon.” It was probably a hurricane. They were forced to let the wind drive the ship because they were unable to control it. They were able to get a small reprieve near the island of Clauda, a small island southwest of Crete. There they secured the small boat onboard the ship and they used cables to undergird the ship. Albert Barns explains this procedure.
The ancients were accustomed to pass cables or strong ropes
around a vessel to keep the planks from springing or starting by the action of the sea. This is now called “frapping” a vessel. The operation of “frapping” a vessel is thus described in Falconer’s Marine Dictionary. “To frap a ship is to pass
four or five turns of a large cable-laid rope round the hull or 337
frame of a ship to support her in a great storm, or otherwise, when it is apprehended that she is not strong enough to resist the violent efforts of the sea.” An instance of this kind is mentioned in Lord Anson’s voyage round the world.
Speaking of a Spanish man-of-war in a storm, he says, “They
were obliged to throw overboard all their upper-deck guns,
and take six turns of the cable round the ship to prevent her opening.”1
After accomplishing this, they once again set sail, but also afraid that they would run aground on the Syrtis Sands off the coast of Africa.
At one point on this trip, the sailors express fear of the Syrtis Sands (Acts 27:17.) You have to wonder why sailors in the
ocean would be afraid of sand. Here is why. According to
ancient historians and geographers such as Dio Chrysostom
and Strabo, who lived at about the same time as Luke and
Paul the sands are shallow gulfs off the coast of
Africa. There is a greater and lesser gulf. We know these
today as the Gulf of Sirte off the coast of Libya and the Gulf of Gabes off of Tunisia. Once caught in the gulf it is impossible for a large sailing vessel to pull back out or to land safely on the rocky shoals….The Gulf has fearsome cross currents and long sand bars extending miles out to sea.
Once caught inside a ship is either destroyed on the rocks or marooned on a sandbar miles from shore. The ship taking
Paul to Rome was one of the largest of its day as it carried a heavy load of grain. If the ship was caught in the quicksands of Syrtis death was inevitable. The sailors had good reason
to fear.2
They were now at the mercy of the winds. They were driven and tossed violently by the tempest. They tried to lighten the load by throwing the ship’s tackle overboard. After three days of being tossed and turned, they 338
had given up all hope of being rescued or of even getting out of the situation alive.
Acts 27:21-44 KJV 21 But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the
midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not
have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss. 22 And
now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any
man's life among you, but of the ship. 23 For there stood by me this night
the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, 24 Saying, Fear not,
Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee
all them that sail with thee. 25 Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I
believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me. 26 Howbeit we must be
cast upon a certain island. 27 But when the fourteenth night was come,
as we were driven up and down in Adria, about midnight the shipmen
deemed that they drew near to some country; 28 And sounded, and found
it twenty fathoms: and when they had gone a little further, they sounded
again, and found it fifteen fathoms. 29 Then fearing lest we should have
fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for
the day. 30 And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, when
they had let down the boat into the sea, under colour as though they would
have cast anchors out of the foreship, 31 Paul said to the centurion and
to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved. 32 Then
the soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat, and let her fall off. 33 And while
the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to take meat, saying, This
day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued fasting,
having taken nothing. 34 Wherefore I pray you to take some meat: for this
is for your health: for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of
you. 35 And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to
God in presence of them all: and when he had broken it, he began to eat.
36 Then were they all of good cheer, and they also took some meat. 37
And we were in all in the ship two hundred threescore and sixteen souls.
38 And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, and cast out
the wheat into the sea. 39 And when it was day, they knew not the land:
but they discovered a certain creek with a shore, into the which they were
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minded, if it were possible, to thrust in the ship. 40 And when they had
taken up the anchors, they committed themselves unto the sea, and loosed
the rudder bands, and hoised up the mainsail to the wind, and made
toward shore. 41 And falling into a place where two seas met, they ran
the ship aground; and the forepart stuck fast, and remained unmoveable,
but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves. 42 And the
soldiers' counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim
out, and escape. 43 But the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from
their purpose; and commanded that they which could swim should cast
themselves first into the sea, and get to land: 44 And the rest, some on
boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass,
that they escaped all safe to land.
Running Aground on Malta
After a time, Paul came with some comforting words, words that were prompted by a visit from an angel. After many days without seeing the sun or the stars, all hope was lost. They navigated by the sun and stars. Without the sight of either of those, there was no way to determine where they were or any method of determining any direction or heading. They had not eaten in many days when Paul addressed those on the ship. He reminded them they should have listened to him previously, but he encouraged them to take heart for no lives would be lost, only the ship. He tells them that an angel appeared to him telling him that there was no need to be afraid because he, Paul, must appear before Caesar and that God had granted the lives of all those with him. He encourages them to take heart, although they must run aground on a certain island.
After two weeks of drifting in the storm on the Adriatic Sea, they ran aground on Malta. Sensing they were nearing ground around midnight; soundings confirmed their fears. The sailors made an attempt to flee the vessel by using the skiff. They were prevented by Paul and the Roman soldiers, allowing the skiff to fall off the ship into the sea.
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Come dawn, Paul encourages them to eat, and he offers thanks in their presence. After eating, they further lightened the ship by throwing the cargo, the wheat, into the sea. During the day, they tried to run the ship into a bay with a beach. The front of the ship ran aground where two seas met, and the stern began to break up. The Roman soldiers wanted to kill the prisoners but were ordered not to by the centurion because he wanted to save Paul.
He ordered the soldiers to go first so that they would be able to help everyone else. This would also ensure that none of the prisoners would be able to escape. Everyone on the ship made it to land without any loss of life.
Some were able to swim while others were able to make it aboard some broken pieces of the ship.3
Conclusion
In the next part, we will consider their stay on the island of Malta.
1 Rick Meyers, e-Sword, Version 13.0.0, Albert Barnes Commentary on Acts 27:17
2 https://amazingbibletimeline.com/blog/syrtis-sands/
3 Extensive background details used from a Harmony of the Life of Paul, Mark A. Copeland, copyright 2007
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