SEV Biblia, Chapter 27:17
el cual tomado, usaban de remedios, ciendo la nave; y teniendo temor de que diesen en la Sirte, abajadas las velas, eran así llevados.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Acts 27:17
Verse 17. Undergirding the ship] This method has been used even in modern times. It is called frapping the ship. A stout cable is slipped under the vessel at the prow, which they can conduct to any part of the ship's keel; and then fasten the two ends on the deck, to keep the planks from starting: as many rounds as they please may be thus taken about the vessel. 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: "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." P. 24, 4to. edit. The same was done by a British line-of-battle ship in 1763, on her passage from India to the Cape of Good Hope.
The quicksands] eiv thn surtin, Into the syrt. There were two famous syrts, or quicksands, on the African coast; one called the syrtis major, lying near the coast of Cyrene; and the other, the syrtis minor, not far from Tripoli. Both these, like our Goodwin Sands, were proverbial for their multitude of ship-wrecks. From the direction in which this vessel was driven, it is not at all likely that they were in danger of drifting on any of these syrts, as the vessel does not appear to have been driven near the African coast through the whole of her voyage. And as to what is said, chap. xxvii. 27, of their being driven up and down in Adria, diaferomenwn en tw adria, it must mean their being tossed about near to Sicily, the sea of which is called Adria, according to the old Scholiast upon Dionysius's Periegesis, ver. lx25: to sikelikon touto to pelagov adrian kalousi? they call this Sicilian sea, Adria. We are therefore to consider that the apprehension, expressed in ver. 17, is to be taken generally: they were afraid of falling into some shoals, not knowing in what part of the sea they then were; for they had seen neither sun nor stars for many days; and they had no compass, and consequently could not tell in what direction they were now driving. It is wrong therefore to mark the course of this voyage, as if the vessel had been driven across the whole of the Mediterranean, down to the African coast, and near to the syrts, or shoal banks; to which there is scarcely any reason to believe she had once approximated during the whole of this dangerous voyage.
Strake sail] calasantev to skeuov. What this means is difficult to say. As to striking or slackening sail, that is entirely out of the question, in such circumstances as they were; when it is evident they could carry no sail at all, and must have gone under bare poles. Some think that lowering the yards, and taking down the top-mast, is what is intended; but in such a perilous situation this would have been of little service. Others think, letting go their main or sheet anchor, is what is meant; but this seems without foundation, as it would have been foolishness in the extreme to have hoped to ride out the storm in such a sea. Passing by a variety of meanings, I suppose cutting away, or by some means letting down the mast, is the action intended to be expressed here; and this would be the most likely means of saving the vessel from foundering.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 17. Which when they had taken up , etc.] 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 the ship : with cords and ropes, which they drew under the keel of the ship, and so bound both sides of the ship, that it might not split and fall to pieces; which may be what is now called frapping, and is done by putting large ropes under the keel, and over the gunwale; and is used when a ship by labouring hard in the sea breaks the bolts in her sides, and this keeps her from parting. Horace refers to this use of ropes in tempests, when he says, Nonne vides ut sine funibus vix durare carinae possint imperiosius Aequor? do not you see that without ropes the keels can scarcely endure the more imperious sea? Isidorus makes mention of several sorts of ropes made use of in storms; spirae, he says, are ropes that are used in tempests, which the mariners after their manner call curcubae; tormentum is a long rope in ships, according to the same writer, which reaches from head to stern, by which they are bound faster together: and fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands : which were on the African coast, here called Syrtes; either from the conflux of sand and slime, and such like things, which made them very dangerous for shipping, and being covered with water, could not be seen and guarded against, and especially in a storm; or from their drawing of vessels into them, which they retain, suck in, and swallow up; and such the mariners might know were not far off: there were two very remarkable ones on the coast of Africa, the one is called the greater Syrtes, the other the lesser f1297 ; the greater was more to the south than the lesser, and also more to the east, and the lesser was to the west: of these Syrtes, Jerom says, they are sandy places in the great sea very terrible, and to be feared, because they use to draw all into them; they are near the Egyptian sea; the Lybian sea, which washes the African shore, is by Seneca called from them the Syrtic sea f1299 : wherefore, they strake sail ; let down their sails; so read some manuscripts in New College, Oxford; in the Greek text it is, they let down the vessel; not the boat they had taken in, of which we read after; nor an anchor, or anchors, which would have been improper in a storm; nor the mast, it can hardly be thought that should be the first thing they should cut down, when they did not cast out the tackling till the third day; the storm was vehement on the first, more vehement on the second, when they lightened the ship, and most vehement on the third, when they cast out the tackling; and as Scheffer f1300 observes, the mast is never cut down before the loss of other things; wherefore this is to be understood of letting down the sail yard, and contracting the sails; the Syriac version renders it, we let down the main sail; or, the sail, using the Greek word Armenon, which signifies a sail: and so were driven ; about in the sea, wheresoever the winds and waves carried them; or very likely the ship was driven before the wind under her bare poles.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 12-20 - Those who launch forth on the ocean of this world, with a fair gale know not what storms they may meet with; and therefore must not easil take it for granted that they have obtained their purpose. Let us neve expect to be quite safe till we enter heaven. They saw neither sun no stars for many days. Thus melancholy sometimes is the condition of the people of God as to their spiritual matters; they walk in darkness, an have no light. See what the wealth of this world is: though coveted a a blessing, the time may come when it will be a burden; not only to heavy to be carried safely, but heavy enough to sink him that has it The children of this world can be prodigal of their goods for the saving their lives, yet are sparing of them in works of piety an charity, and in suffering for Christ. Any man will rather make shipwreck of his goods than of his life; but many rather make shipwrec of faith and a good conscience, than of their goods. The means the sailors used did not succeed; but when sinners give up all hope of saving themselves, they are prepared to understand God's word, and to trust in his mercy through Jesus Christ.
Greek Textus Receptus
ην 3739 R-ASF αραντες 142 5660 V-AAP-NPM βοηθειαις 996 N-DPF εχρωντο 5530 5711 V-INI-3P υποζωννυντες 5269 5723 V-PAP-NPM το 3588 T-ASN πλοιον 4143 N-ASN φοβουμενοι 5399 5740 V-PNP-NPM τε 5037 PRT μη 3361 PRT-N εις 1519 PREP την 3588 T-ASF συρτιν 4950 N-ASF εκπεσωσιν 1601 5632 V-2AAS-3P χαλασαντες 5465 5660 V-AAP-NPM το 3588 T-ASN σκευος 4632 N-ASN ουτως 3779 ADV εφεροντο 5342 5712 V-IPI-3P
Vincent's NT Word Studies
17. Helps (bohqeiaiv). Any apparatus on hand for the purpose: ropes, chains, etc.Undergirding (upozwnnuntev). In modern nautical language, frapping: passing cables or chains round the ship's hull in order to support her in a storm. Mr. Smith ("Voyage and Shipwreck of St. Paul") cites the following from the account of the voyage of Captain George Back from the arctic regions in 1837: "A length of the stream chain-cable was passed under the bottom of the ship four feet before the mizzen-mast, hove tight by the capstan, and finally immovably fixed to six ringbolts on the quarter-deck. The effect was at once manifest by a great diminution in the working of the parts already mentioned; and, in a less agreeable way, by impeding her rate of sailing."
Quicksands (thn surtin). The rendering of the A.V. is too general. The word is a proper name, and has the article. There were two shoals of this name - the "Greater Syrtis" (Syrtis Major), and the "Smaller Syrtis" (Syrtis Minor). It was the former upon which they were in danger of being driven; a shallow on the African coast, between Tripoli and Barca, southwest of the island of Crete.
Strake sail (calasantev to skeuov). Lit., as Rev., lowered the gear. See on goods, Matt. xii. 29. It is uncertain what is referred to here. To strike sail, it is urged, would be a sore way of running upon the Syrtis, which they were trying to avoid. It is probably better to understand it generally of the gear connected with the fair-weather sails. "Every ship situated as this one was, when preparing for a storm, sends down upon deck the 'top-hamper,' or gear connected with the fair-weather sails, such as the topsails. A modern ship sends down top-gallant masts and yards; a cutter strikes her topmast when preparing for a gale" (Smith, "Voyage," etc.). The stormsails were probably set.
