SEV Biblia, Chapter 27:44
y los demás, parte en tablas, parte en cosas de la nave. Y así aconteció que todos se salvaron saliendo a tierra.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Acts 27:44
Verse 44. And the rest] That could not swim: some on boards, planks, spars, &c., got safe to land; manifestly by an especial providence of God; for how otherwise could the sick, the aged, the terrified, besides women and children, (of which, we may naturally suppose, there were some,) though on planks, get safe to shore?-where still the waves were violent, ver. 41, and they without either skill or power to steer their unsafe flotillas to the land? It was (in this case, most evidently) God who brought them to the haven were they would be. 1. PAUL had appealed to Caesar; and he must go to Rome to have his cause heard. God admitted of this appeal, and told his servant that he should testify of him at Rome; and yet every thing seemed to conspire together to prevent this appeal, and the testimony which the apostle was to bear to the truth of the Christian religion. The Jews laid wait for his life; and when he had escaped out of their hands, and from their territories, then the winds and the sea seemed to combine to effect his destruction. And God suffered all this malice of men, and war of elements, to fight against his servant, and yet overruled and counterworked the whole, so as to promote his own glory, and bring honour to his apostle. Had it not been for this malice of the Jews, Festus, Felix, Agrippa, Berenice, and many Roman nobles and officers, had probably never heard the Gospel of Christ. And, had it not been for Paul's tempestuous voyage, the 276 souls that sailed with him could not have had such displays of the power and wisdom of the Christians' God as must have struck them with reverence, and probably was the cause of the conversion of many. Had the voyage been smooth and prosperous, there would have been no occasion for such striking interferences of God; and, had it not been for the shipwreck, probably the inhabitants of Malta would not so soon have heard of the Christian religion. God serves his will by every occurrence, and presses every thing into the service of his own cause. This is a remark which we have often occasion to make, and which is ever in place. We may leave the government of the world, and the government of the Church, most confidently to God; hitherto he has done all things well; and his wisdom, power, goodness, and truth, are still the same.
2. In considering the dangers of a sea voyage, we may well say, with pious Quesnel, To what perils do persons expose themselves, either to raise a fortune, or to gain a livelihood! How few are there who would expose themselves to the same for the sake of God! They commit themselves to the mercy of the waves; they trust their lives to a plank and to a pilot; and yet it is often with great difficulty that they can trust themselves to the providence of God, whose knowledge, power, and goodness, are infinite; and the visible effects of which they have so many times experienced.
3. What assurance soever we may have of the will of God, yet we must not forget human means. The life of all the persons in this ship was given to St. Paul; yet he does not, on that account, expect a visible miracle, but depends upon the blessing which God will give to the care and endeavours of men.
4. God fulfils his promises, and conceals his almighty power, under such means and endeavours as seem altogether human and natural. Had the crew of this vessel neglected any means in their own power, their death would have been the consequence of their inaction and infidelity.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 44. And the rest, some on boards , etc.] Doors, tables, planks, or any such like things: and some on broken pieces of the ship ; or what came from it, as masts, beams, etc. and so it came to pass that they escaped all safe to land ; not one was lost, as Paul had foretold. And so it will be with the saints after their afflicted state in this life, who are safe by being in Christ, and by abiding in him and in the use of means; and though by reason of the many difficulties in the way, through the corruptions of their own hearts, the temptations of Satan, the hidings of God’s face, various afflictions, and sometimes violent persecutions, they are scarcely saved, yet at last they are certainly saved: so it comes to pass that they get safe on the shores of eternal bliss and happiness; because they are ordained unto it, are the care of Christ, and the purchase of his blood; and are partakers of the blessings of grace, and have the Spirit, as an earnest of the heavenly inheritance; and when landed they are safe; sin will be no more; Satan will be under their feet; there will be no more afflictions of any kind; and they will be with the Lord, and for ever with him. This voyage of the apostle, and the saints with him, was an emblem of the passage of the people of God in this world to heaven: their number was but few; who besides Luke, and Aristarchus the Macedonian, were with him, is not known, ( Acts 27:2). And so the number of the children of God, in anyone period of time, is but small in comparison of the rest of the world: the apostle and his companions had but very indifferent company, as other prisoners, a band of soldiers, and the sailors; Christ’s church is as a rose in a field, a lily among thorns, vexed with the conversation of the wicked, being in a world which lies in wickedness; and which may very fitly be compared to the sea, for the waves of afflictions in it, and the restless and uneasy spirits of the men of it. Sailing at this time was dangerous, ( Acts 27:9) as the saints’ passage through this world always is, and especially now in these last and perilous days; partly through the aboundings of immorality on the one hand, and partly through the spread of error and heresy on the other. A great storm arose, ( Acts 27:14) and there are many the Christian meets with in his voyage to heaven; and well it is for him that Christ is an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest, and that he is built on such a foundation, which the most violent storms cannot move him from. There was no sight of sun or stars for many days, ( Acts 27:20) and so it is sometimes with the people of God; the sun of righteousness is not seen by them, clouds interpose between him and them; and the stars, the ministers of the Gospel, are removed from them, and their eyes cannot behold their teachers, which make it a distressed time with them: yea, all hope of salvation was gone, ( Acts 27:20) and such at times is the case of truly gracious souls; their hope, and their strength, they are ready to say, are perished from the Lord, and they are cut off from before his eyes: there was also a long abstinence from food, ( Acts 27:21,33) which is sometimes the case in a spiritual sense, and is owing either to want of food, the word of the Lord being precious, there being a famine of hearing the word; or for want of appetite to it: and last of all, there was a design formed by the soldiers to kill Paul, and the prisoners, but were prevented by the centurion, ( Acts 27:42).
The sincere followers of Christ are accounted as sheep for the slaughter, and are killed all the day long in the intention of wicked men; who have always a good will to it, were they not restrained through the goodness of a civil government, and especially by the power and providence of God: however, at last, they get safe to their port and haven, where the wicked cease from troubling, and where the weary are at rest.
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 τους 3588 T-APM λοιπους 3062 A-APM ους 3739 R-APM μεν 3303 PRT επι 1909 PREP σανισιν 4548 N-DPF ους 3739 R-APM δε 1161 CONJ επι 1909 PREP τινων 5100 X-GPN των 3588 T-GPN απο 575 PREP του 3588 T-GSN πλοιου 4143 N-GSN και 2532 CONJ ουτως 3779 ADV εγενετο 1096 5633 V-2ADI-3S παντας 3956 A-APM διασωθηναι 1295 5683 V-APN επι 1909 PREP την 3588 T-ASF γην 1093 N-ASF
Robertson's NT Word Studies
27:44 {Some on planks} (hous men epi sanisin). Common Greek idiom (hous men--hous de) for "some--some." The only N.T. instance of the old Greek word sanis for board or plank. The breaking of the ship gave scraps of timber which some used. {They all escaped safe} (pantas diaswqenai). First aorist passive infinitive of diaswzw (the very word used for the desire of the centurion about Paul) with accusative of general reference, the clause being subject of egeneto. So Luke in this marvellous narrative, worthy of any historian in any age, shows how Paul's promise was fulfilled (verse #24). Paul the prisoner is the hero of the voyage and shipwreck, a wonderful example of God's providential care.
