SEV Biblia, Chapter 27:40
Alzando las anclas, se dejaron al mar, largando tambin las ataduras de los gobernalles; y alzada la vela mayor al soplo del aire, íbanse a la orilla.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Acts 27:40
Verse 40. Taken up the anchors] Weighed all the anchors that they had cast out of the stern. Some think the meaning of the word is, they slipped their cables; and so left the anchors in the sea. This opinion is expressed in the margin. Loosed the rudder bands] Or, the bands of the rudders; for large vessels in ancient times had two or more rudders, one at the side, and another at the stern, and sometimes one at the prow. The bands, zeukthriav, were some kind of fastenings, by which the rudders were hoisted some way out of the water; for, as they could be of no use in the storm, and, should there come fair weather, the vessel could not do without them, this was a prudent way of securing them from being broken to pieces by the agitation of the waves. These bands being loosed, the rudders would fall down into their proper places, and serve to steer the vessel into the creek which they now had in view.
Hoisted up the mainsail] artemona is not the mainsail, (which would have been quite improper on such an occasion,) but the jib, or triangular sail which is suspended from the foremast to the bowspirit; with this they might hope both to steer and carry in the ship.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 40. And when they had taken up the anchors , etc.] The four anchors they cast out of the stern, ( Acts 27:29) or when they had cut the anchors, as the Syriac and Arabic versions render it; that is, had cut the cables to which the anchors were fastened: they committed themselves unto the sea ; or left them, the anchors, in the sea; or committed the ship to the sea, and themselves in it, endeavouring to steer its course to the place they had in view: and loosed the rudder bands ; by which the rudder was fastened to the ship. -The rudder, in navigation, is a piece of timber turning on hinges in the stern of a ship, and which opposing sometimes one side to the water, and sometimes another, turns or directs the vessel this way or that. The rudder of a ship is a piece of timber hung on the stern posts, by four or five iron hooks, called pintles, serving as it were for the bridle of a ship, to turn her about at the pleasure of the steersman. -The rudder being perpendicular, and without side the ship, another piece of timber is fitted into it at right angles, which comes into the ship, by which the rudder is managed and directed: this latter is properly called the helm or tiller, and sometimes, though improperly, the rudder itself. -A narrow rudder is best for a ships sailing, provided she can feel it; that is, be guided and turned by it, for a broad rudder will hold much water when the helm is put over to any side; yet if a ship has a fat quarter, so that the water cannot come quick and strong to her rudder, she will require a broad rudder. - The aftmost part of the rudder is called the rake of the rudder. This is the account of a rudder with the moderns f1319 : with the ancients, the parts of the rudder were these, the clavus or helm, by which the rudder was governed; the pole of it; the wings or the two breadths of it, which were as wings, and the handle: some ships had but one rudder, most had two, and some three, and some four; those that had but one, seemed to have it in the middle of the stern; and those that had two had them on the sides, not far from the middle; and there were some ships which had them not only in the stern, but also in the prow or head of the ship f1320 : that the ancients had sometimes more rudders than one in a ship, has been abundantly proved by Bochartus and Scheherus; take only an instance or two. The Carthaginians, as Aelianus reports, decreed two governors to every ship saying it was absurd that it should have duo phdalia , two rudders, and that he who was most useful to the sailors, and had the government of the ship, should be alone, and without successor and companion; and so Apuleius says, the ship in which we were carried was shook by various storms and tempests, utroque regimine amisso, and having lost both its rudders, sunk at the precipice. Some of the Indian ships have three rudders; that of Philopators had four rudders: how many this ship had, in which the apostle was, cannot be said: but this is certain, that it had more than one; for the words are, and loosed the bands of the rudders; and since it is a clear case, that the ships of the ancients had more rudders than one to each, there is no need to suppose a figure in the text, and that the plural number is used for the singular, as Beza thinks: and the bands of them were those by which they were fastened; and they were loosed, as Schefferus conjectures, because when the anchors were cast out, they fastened the rudders higher, that they might not be broken by the dashing of the waves, especially as they were in a storm; but now having taken up the anchors, they loosed these bands: and certain it is, that not only oars but rudders were fastened with cords or ropes to the ship f1323 : according to the notion of modern navigation, the rudder band might be thought to be the rope which is turned round the tiller, and made fast to the ships side, and as the tiller is moved, surges round the end of the tiller; and very likely might be made fast, when the ship was at anchor, on one side, to keep the ship from breaking her sheer; but now being loosed, and the helm a midship, and the mainsail hoisted, the ship ran to the shore before the wind. And hoised up the main sail to the wind : which they had before struck or let down, ( Acts 27:17). The main sail is that which is upon the main mast. The Ethiopic version renders it, the great sail. The great sail was that which is called acatius, which is another word than is here used: so Isidore says acatius is the greatest sail, and is placed in the middle of the ship; epidromos is the next in size, and is placed at the stern; and dolon is the least sail, and is fixed at the head: and both the Syriac and Arabic versions here render it, the little sail; and which sailors put up when they are afraid to use large sails, which would carry too much wind; but the word here used is artemo, which the above writer says is commended rather for the sake of directing the ship, than for swiftness.
And this seems to be the use that was now made of it, namely, to guide the ship into the creek or bay. And made toward the shore ; which was in the creek, or to the haven in it.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 39-44 - The ship that had weathered the storm in the open sea, where it ha room, is dashed to pieces when it sticks fast. Thus, if the heart fixe in the world in affection, and cleaving to it, it is lost. Satan' temptations beat against it, and it is gone; but as long as it keep above the world, though tossed with cares and tumults, there is hop for it. They had the shore in view, yet suffered shipwreck in the harbour; thus we are taught never to be secure. Though there is grea difficulty in the way of the promised salvation, it shall, withou fail, be brought to pass. It will come to pass that whatever the trial and dangers may be, in due time all believers will get safely to heaven. Lord Jesus, thou hast assured us that none of thine shal perish. Thou wilt bring them all safe to the heavenly shore. And what pleasing landing will that be! Thou wilt present them to thy Father and give thy Holy Spirit full possession of them for ever __________________________________________________________________
Greek Textus Receptus
και 2532 CONJ τας 3588 T-APF αγκυρας 45 N-APF περιελοντες 4014 5631 V-2AAP-NPM ειων 1439 5707 V-IAI-3P εις 1519 PREP την 3588 T-ASF θαλασσαν 2281 N-ASF αμα 260 ADV ανεντες 447 5631 V-2AAP-NPM τας 3588 T-APF ζευκτηριας 2202 N-APF των 3588 T-GPN πηδαλιων 4079 N-GPN και 2532 CONJ επαραντες 1869 5660 V-AAP-NPM τον 3588 T-ASM αρτεμονα 736 N-ASM τη 3588 T-DSF πνεουση 4154 5723 V-PAP-DSF κατειχον 2722 5707 V-IAI-3P εις 1519 PREP τον 3588 T-ASM αιγιαλον 123 N-ASM
Vincent's NT Word Studies
40. Taken up (perielontev). Wrong. The word means to remove, and refers here to cutting the anchor-cables, or casting off, as Rev.Committed themselves (eiwn). Wrong. The reference is to the anchors. Rev., correctly, left them in the sea.
Rudder bands (zeukthriav twn phdaliwn). Lit., the bands of the rudders. The larger ships had two rudders, like broad oars or paddles, joined together by a pole, and managed by one steersman. They could be pulled up and fastened with hands to the ship; as was done in this case, probably to avoid fouling the anchors when they were cast out of the stern. The bands were now loosened, in order that the ship might be driven forward.
Mainsail (artemwna). Only here in New Testament. Probably the foresail. So Rev.
Made toward (kateicon). Lit., held; bore down for.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
27:40 {Casting off} (perielontes). Second aorist active of periairew. Literally, "Having taken away from around," that is all four anchors from around the stern. Cf. the other verbs with agkuras in verse #29,30. {They left them in the sea} (eiwn eis ten qalassan). Imperfect active of ea", either descriptive or inchoative. They let the anchors go and the ropes fell down into the sea. {At the same time loosing the bands of the rudders} (hama anentes tas zeukterias twn pedaliwn). On the use of hama with the participle, old Greek idiom see Robertson, _Grammar_, p. 1139. The second aorist active participle of aniemi, to relax, loosen up. Old verb, in N.T. #Ac 16:26; 27:40; Eph 6:9; Heb 13:5. Thayer notes that zeukterias (bands) occurs nowhere else, but several papyri use it of yokes and waterwheels (Moulton and Milligan's _Vocabulary_). The word for rudders (pedalion) is an old one (from pedon, the blade of an oar), but in the N.T. only here and #Jas 3:4. Page notes that the ancient ships had a pair of paddle rudders like those of the early northmen, one on each quarter. The paddle rudders had been fastened while the ship was anchored. {Hoisting up the foresail to the wind} (eparantes ton artemwna tei pneousei). Supply aurai (breeze) after pneousei (blowing). It is not clear what "sail" is meant by "artem"na." No other example in Greek is known, though the scholiast to Juvenal XII. 68 explains velo prora suo by _artemone solo_. Hence "foresail" is probably correct. {They made for the beach} (kateicon eis ton aigialon). Imperfect active of katecw, to hold down, perhaps inchoative. "They began to hold the ship steadily for the beach."
