SEV Biblia, Chapter 27:11
Pero el centurin creía ms al piloto y al patrn de la nave, que a lo que Pablo decía.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Acts 27:11
Verse 11. The centurion believed the master] tw kubernhth, the pilot; and owner of the ship, tw nauklhrw, the captain and proprietor. This latter had the command of the ship and the crew; the pilot had the guidance of the vessel along those dangerous coasts, under the direction of the captain; and the centurion had the power to cause them to proceed on their voyage, or to go into port, as he pleased; as he had other state prisoners on board; and probably the ship itself was freighted for government. Paul told them, if they proceeded, they would be in danger of shipwreck; the pilot and captain said there was no danger; and the centurion, believing them, commanded the vessel to proceed on her voyage. It is likely that they were now in the port called the Fair Havens.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 11. Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship , etc.] 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 pilot. The kubernhthv , or governor, as he is here called with the ancients, was he who sat on an eminence in the stern of the ship, at the helm, and had the direction of it; he gave the orders, which others executed: what qualified him for his post chiefly lay in three things; in the knowledge of the constellations, and winds, of the former that he might direct the course of the ship according to them, and by them foresee future tempests, and of the latter, that he might be acquainted with the several points, from whence they blew; also in the knowledge of ports, and places to put into, and of rocks and sands, that they might be escaped; likewise in the knowledge of the use of the helm, and sails f1282 ; for one part of his business, as Seneca observes, was to give orders after this manner; so and so move the helm, so and so let down the sails, etc. in every ship there was a governor, and in larger ones sometimes there were two; f1284 Aelianus says, the Carthaginians had always two governors in a ship: the other word, nauklhrov , is in the glossary rendered navicularius, which signifies the owner of the ship; and so we render it; though perhaps he is the same with the proreta, who governed the prow or head of the ship, and was the next in dignity to the governor, and a kind of a sub-governor; and his business was to observe tempests, to explore promontories, rocks and sands, and show them to the governor f1285 ; and so Isidore says, the owner of the ship is called Naucleros, because the ship is in his lot, cleros signifying lot: and as these best understood naval affairs, Julius gave more heed to what they said, and rather believed them, than those things which were spoken by Paul ; by a spirit of prophecy, which he had no notion of; for though he treated him civilly as a man, he had no regard to him as a Christian, or as one endued with the Spirit of God, which he knew nothing of.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-11 - It was determined by the counsel of God, before it was determined by the counsel of Festus, that Paul should go to Rome; for God had wor for him to do there. The course they steered, and the places the touched at, are here set down. And God here encourages those who suffe for him, to trust in him; for he can put it into the hearts of those to befriend them, from whom they least expect it. Sailors must make the best of the wind: and so must we all in our passage over the ocean of this world. When the winds are contrary, yet we must be getting forwar as well as we can. Many who are not driven backward by cros providences, do not get forward by favourable providences. And man real Christians complain as to the concerns of their souls, that the have much ado to keep their ground. Every fair haven is not a saf haven. Many show respect to good ministers, who will not take their advice. But the event will convince sinners of the vanity of their hopes, and the folly of their conduct.
Greek Textus Receptus
ο 3588 T-NSM δε 1161 CONJ εκατονταρχος 1543 N-NSM τω 3588 T-DSM κυβερνητη 2942 N-DSM και 2532 CONJ τω 3588 T-DSM ναυκληρω 3490 N-DSM επειθετο 3982 5712 V-IPI-3S μαλλον 3123 ADV η 2228 PRT τοις 3588 T-DPN υπο 5259 PREP του 3588 T-GSM παυλου 3972 N-GSM λεγομενοις 3004 5746 V-PPP-DPN
Vincent's NT Word Studies
11. Master (kubernhth). Only here and Apoc. xiii. 17. Lit., the steersman.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
27:11 {Gave more heed} (mallon epeiqeto). Imperfect middle of peiqw, to yield to (with the dative case). The "Frumentarian" centurion ranked above the captain and owner. As a military officer the centurion was responsible for the soldiers, the prisoners, and the cargo of wheat. It was a government ship. Though the season was not advanced, the centurion probably feared to risk criticism in Rome for timidity when the wheat was so much needed in Rome (Knowling). {To the master} (twi kubernetei). Old word from kubernaw, to steer, and so steersman, pilot, sailing-master. Common in this sense in the papyri. In N.T. only here and #Re 18:17. {And to the owner of the ship} (kai twi nauklerwi). Old word compounded of naus and kleros and used for owner of the ship who acted as his own skipper or captain. The papyri examples (Moulton and Milligan's _Vocabulary_) all have the meaning "captain" rather than "owner."
