Clarke's Bible Commentary - Acts 27:28
Verse 28. And sounded] bolisantev, Heaving the lead. Twenty fathoms] orguiav eikosi, About forty yards in depth. The orguia is thus defined by the Etymologicon: shmainei thn ektasin twn ceirwn, sun tw platei tou sthqouv? It signifies the extent of the arms, together with the breadth of the breast. This is exactly the quantum of our fathom.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 28. And sounded , etc.] Or let down their plummet, or sounding line; which was a line with a piece of lead at the end of it, which they let down into the water, and by that means found what depth it was, by which they could judge whether they were near land or not. The sounding line, with the ancients, was called by different names; sometimes bolis, and this is the name it has here, bolisantev , they let down the bolis: and the bolis is, by some, described thus; it is a brazen or leaden vessel, with a chain, which mariners fill with grease, and let down into the sea, to try whether the places are rocky where a ship may stand, or sandy where the ship is in danger of being lost: it is also called catapirates, which is thus described by Isidore; catapirates is a line with a piece of lead, by which the depth of the sea is tried. Herodotus makes mention of it under this name, and observes, that when persons are within a days voyage of Egypt, if they let down the catapirates, or sounding line, they will bring up clay, even when in eleven fathom deep According to modern accounts, there are two kinds of lines, occasionally used in sounding the sea, the sounding line, and the deep sea line: the sounding line is the thickest and shortest, as not exceeding 20 fathoms in length, and is marked at two, three, and four fathoms with a piece of black leather between the strands, and at five with a piece of white leather: the sounding line may be used when the ship is under sail, which the deep sea line cannot. The plummet is usually in form of a nine pin, and weighs 18 pounds; the end is frequently greased, to try whether the ground be sandy or rocky, etc. f1313 . The deep sea line is used in deep water, and both lead and line are larger than the other; at the end of it is a piece of lead, called deep sea lead, has a hole at the bottom, in which is put a piece of tallow, to bring up the colour of the sand at the bottom, to learn the differences of the ground, and know what coasts they are on. And found it twenty fathoms ; or orgyas; a fathom is a measure which contains six feet, and is the utmost extent of both arms, when stretched into a right line: the fathom, it seems, differs according to the different sorts of vessels; the fathom of a man of war is six feet, that of merchant ships five feet and a half, and that of fly boats and fishing vessels five feet: if the fathom here used was the first of these, the sounding was an hundred and twenty feet; the Ethiopic version renders it, twenty statues of a man. And when they had gone a little further, they sounded again, and found it fifteen fathoms ; or ninety feet; by which they imagined that they were near the continent, or some island: in some places, as the coasts of Virginia, for instance, by the use of the deep sea line, it is known how far it is from land; for as many fathoms of water as are found, it is reckoned so many leagues from land.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 21-29 - They did not hearken to the apostle when he warned them of their danger; yet if they acknowledge their folly, and repent of it, he wil speak comfort and relief to them when in danger. Most people brin themselves into trouble, because they do not know when they are wel off; they come to harm and loss by aiming to mend their condition often against advice. Observe the solemn profession Paul made of relation to God. No storms or tempests can hinder God's favour to his people, for he is a Help always at hand. It is a comfort to the faithful servants of God when in difficulties, that as long as the Lor has any work for them to do, their lives shall be prolonged. If Pau had thrust himself needlessly into bad company, he might justly have been cast away with them; but God calling him into it, they ar preserved with him. They are given thee; there is no greate satisfaction to a good man than to know he is a public blessing. He comforts them with the same comforts wherewith he himself wa comforted. God is ever faithful, therefore let all who have an interes in his promises be ever cheerful. As, with God, saying and doing ar not two things, believing and enjoying should not be so with us. Hop is an anchor of the soul, sure and stedfast, entering into that withi the veil. Let those who are in spiritual darkness hold fast by that and think not of putting to sea again, but abide by Christ, and wai till the day break, and the shadows flee away.
Greek Textus Receptus
και 2532 CONJ βολισαντες 1001 5660 V-AAP-NPM ευρον 2147 5627 V-2AAI-3P οργυιας 3712 N-APF εικοσι 1501 A-NPM βραχυ 1024 A-ASN δε 1161 CONJ διαστησαντες 1339 5660 V-AAP-NPM και 2532 CONJ παλιν 3825 ADV βολισαντες 1001 5660 V-AAP-NPM ευρον 2147 5627 V-2AAI-3P οργυιας 3712 N-APF δεκαπεντε 1178 A-NUI
Robertson's NT Word Studies
27:28 {They sounded} (bolisantes). First aorist active participle of bolizw rare verb only here and in Eustathius who says it was familiar in ancient Greek. Apparently from bolis, a missile or dart, and so to throw down the lead into the sea, to heave the lead, to take soundings. The inscriptions give bolimos for "leaden." {Twenty fathoms} (orguias eikosi). this old word, from oregw, to stretch, means the distance from one outstretched middle finger tip to the other likewise out-stretched. {After a little space} (bracu diastesantes). Literally, "standing apart a little" (second aorist active participle of diistemi), that is, the ship going a short distance further on. A ship today approaching St. Paul's Bay by the rocky point of Koura would pass first twenty, qen fifteen fathoms (Furneaux).
