Acts XXVI. 30–32

“And when he had thus spoken, the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and they that sat with them: and when they were gone aside, they talked between themselves, saying, This man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds. Then said Agrippa unto Festus, This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed unto Cæsar.”

See how again also they pass sentence in his favor, and after having said, “Thou art beside thyself,” (v. 24) they acquit him, as undeserving not only of death, but also of bonds, and indeed would have released him entirely, if he had not appealed to Cæsar. But this was done providentially, that he should also depart with bonds. “Unto bonds,” he says, “as an evil doer.” (1 Tim. ii. 9.) For if his Lord “was reckoned among the transgressors” (Mark xv. 28), much more he: but as the Lord did not share with them in their character, so neither did Paul. For in this is seen the marvellous thing, the being mixed up with such, and yet receiving no harm from them. “And when it was determined that we should sail into Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners unto one named Julius, a centurion of Augustus’ band. And entering into a ship of Adramyttium, we launched, meaning to sail by the coasts of Asia; one Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us. And the next day we touched at Sidon.” (ch. xxvii. 1–3.) See how far Aristarchus also accompanies Paul. To good and useful purpose is Aristarchus present, as he would take back the report of all to Macedonia. “And Julius courteously entreated Paul, and gave him liberty to go unto his friends to refresh himself. Julius gave Paul liberty,” it says, acting “courteously, that he might refresh himself;” as it was but natural that he should be much the worse from his bonds and the fear, and the being dragged hither and thither. See how the writer does not hide this either, that Paul wished “to refresh himself. And when we had launched from thence, we sailed under Cyprus, because the winds were contrary.” (v. 4.) Again trials, again contrary winds. See how the life of the saints is thus interwoven throughout: escaped from the court of justice, they fall in with shipwreck and storm. “And when we had sailed over the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia. And there the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing into Italy; and he put us therein.” (v. 5, 6.) “A ship of Alexandria,” it says. It is likely that both those (in the former ship) would bear to Asia the report of what had befallen Paul, and that these¹¹⁵⁵

1155 Καὶ τούτους, meaning perhaps those who remained at Myra.

1156 The fast referred to was that which occurred on the great day of atonement (Lev. xxiii. 27) i.e. on the tenth of the seventh month (Tisri). This would be about the end of September, after the autumnal equinox, when navigation was considered dangerous.—G.B.S.

1157 Preponderant authority favors the reading εὐρακύλων from εὖρος, the S. E. wind and the Latin Aquilo, a N. wind (so א, B* A. Vulgate Erasmus Mill, Bengel, Olshausen, Hackett, Tischendorf, Lachmann, Tregelles, Westcott and Hort, R.V.) If εὐροκλύδων is read, it is disputed whether the first part of the word is εὖρος (Alford, Gloag, Howson,) or εὐρύς, broad. Meyer defends the latter reading, on the ground that the phrase ὁ καλοὐμενος requires that the word ἐυρ. denote a name and not merely the direction of the wind and that it is easier to suppose that this reading should be modified into the former than the reverse. Alford supposes that εὐρακύλων was the name of the wind, which the Greek sailors did not understand and pronounced εὐροκλύδων. Meyer’s argument is inadequate, and the probabilities favor the reading εὐρακλύδων with the meaning, N. E. wind, a signification, moreover, which answers all the conditions of the narrative. (See Bib. Dict. sub voce.)—G.B.S.

1158 Rather, “on the Syrtis” (εἰς τὴν Σύρτιν.) There were two shoals on the coast of Africa, called by this name, the Syrtis Major and the Syrtis Minor. The former to the S. W. of Crete is the one here referred to.—G.B.S.

1159 R.V. “they lowered the gear” (σκεῦος). The word σκεῦος—utensil, implement—is in itself indefinite and must be understood from the context. It has here been taken to mean “anchor;” “mast” (Olshausen); “sail” (Meyer, Lechler, Hackett, A.V.): “gear,” meaning the ropes and topsails in order to set the ship in a direction off shore.—G.B.S.

1160 The confusion here has arisen from the scribe’s taking the four last portions a, c, e, g, i.e. 4, 5, 6, 7, and inserting between them the first three b, f, d, but in the order b, d, f, i.e. 1, 3, 2: so that the confused order becomes 4, (1), 5, (3), 6, (2), 7. The texts also needed to be redistruted. Of our mss. A, C, omit all the latter part d, e, f, g: so that B and Cat. are the authorities here followed for the old text. (of N. we have no collation).—In (f), for ἅτε οὐ περὶ τῶν ψυχῶν αὐτῶν ὄντος τοῦ λόγου which we have referred to, “Then were they of good cheer,” viz. because they believed Paul’s assurance that their lives were safe, mod. text substitutes “(they had no care for food,) ἅτε οὐ περὶ τῶν τυχόντων ὄντος τοῦ κινδύνου.” In (d), “κατεῖχον,” τοὺς οἴακας τῇ πνεούσῃ δόντες, the meaning seems to be, they bore right down (upon the shore), letting the rudder-handles go, so that the wind was right astern: πόλλακις γὰρ οὐχ οὕτῳ ποιοῦσιν, for oftentimes they steer not so, but more or less transverse to the line of the wind. Κατέφερον τὸ σκεῦος, τ. ἐ. τὰ ἰστία: what this can mean, we do not understand: but above in v. 17, old text has χαλάσαντες τὸ σκεῦος for χαλ. τὰ ἰστία: hence we read here κατεφέροντο (χαλάσαντες, or some such word) τὸ σκεῦος, τ. ε. τὰ ἰ.—For ἐγκοπτομένης τῆς ῥ& 192·μης we read with the Catena ἐγκ. τῆς πρύμνης. Mod. text substitutes ἐγκόπτοντες (Sav. τος) τοῦ πνεύματος τὴν ῥ& 192·μην.

(Recapitulation.) And Paul says, “I perceive that (this voyage will be) with hurt and loss.” (v. 10.) And observe how unassuming the expression is. That he may not seem to prophesy, but to speak as of conjecture, “I perceive,” says he. For they would not have received it, had he said this at the outset. In fact he does prophesy on this former occasion, as he does afterward, and says (there), “The God whom I serve,” leading them on. Then how comes it that it was not “with loss” (of any) “of their lives?” It would have been so, but that God brought them safe through it. For as far as depended on the nature of the thing, they had perished, but God prevented it. Then, to show that it was not from conjecture that he so spake, the master of the ship said the contrary (v. 11), and he a man of experience in the matter: so far was it from being the case that Paul’s advice was given from conjecture. Moreover, the place suggested this same (which the master said), “being not commodious;” and it was evident that from conjecture “the more part advised” (v. 12) as they did, rather than Paul. Then, severe the storm (that ensued), deep the darkness: and that they may not forget, the vessel also goes to pieces, and the corn is flung out and all beside, that they may not have it in their power after this to be shameless. For this is why the vessel goes to pieces, and¹¹⁶¹

1161 Καὶ ἐπισφίγγονται αὐτῶν αἱ ψυχαί. Hom. in Matt. p. 60, A. ἐπισφ. is applied to the action of salt in stopping corruption; and ib. 167 B. Christians are the salt of the earth, ἵνα ἐπισφίγγωμεν τοὺς διαρρέοντας. Here in a somewhat similar sense, “the vessel goes to pieces and their (dissolute) souls (which were in danger of going to pieces) are powerfully constricted, held in a close strain, braced to the uttermost.” Mod. text omits this, and for ἵνα μὴ λάθωνται—ἀναισχυντεῖν, substitutes, “That they may not perish, the corn is thrown out and all the rest.”—Below, ἀλλ᾽ ὅταν καὶ τὰ πλείονα λέγῃ τῆς συμφορᾶς: mod. text absurdly substitutes παρατρέχῃ: we insert after this the clause τότε τὰ χρηστὰ προλέγει which our mss. have below after καὶ ὁ φόβος μαρτυρεῖ.

1162 Καὶ ἐπισφίγγονται αὐτῶν αἱ ψυχαί. Hom. in Matt. p. 60, A. ἐπισφ. is applied to the action of salt in stopping corruption; and ib. 167 B. Christians are the salt of the earth, ἵνα ἐπισφίγγωμεν τοὺς διαρρέοντας. Here in a somewhat similar sense, “the vessel goes to pieces and their (dissolute) souls (which were in danger of going to pieces) are powerfully constricted, held in a close strain, braced to the uttermost.” Mod. text omits this, and for ἵνα μὴ λάθωνται—ἀναισχυντεῖν, substitutes, “That they may not perish, the corn is thrown out and all the rest.”—Below, ἀλλ᾽ ὅταν καὶ τὰ πλείονα λέγῃ τῆς συμφορᾶς: mod. text absurdly substitutes παρατρέχῃ: we insert after this the clause τότε τὰ χρηστὰ προλέγει which our mss. have below after καὶ ὁ φόβος μαρτυρεῖ.

1163 πόθεν τὰ σιτηρεσία εἶχον; i.e. what were they to subsist upon, having thrown out the rest of the corn? But they trusted Paul’s assurance for all.

1164 χαρίσασθαι i.e. to the holy man, to be saved for his sake, in like manner as “He gave (κεχάρισται) to Paul them that sailed with him,” v. 24.

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