Acts 27:15

Acts 27:15 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive.
• New International Version (NIV)The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And when the ship was caught and could not face the wind, we gave way to it and were driven along.
• New King James Version (NKJV)So when the ship was caught, and could not head into the wind, we let her drive.

Context of Acts 27:15

13The wind began to blow from the south, but it was not strong. So the sailors thought, ‘Now we can do what we wanted to do. We can sail to Phoenix.’ So they pulled up the ship's anchor and left the port. Then we sailed as near as we could to the coast of Crete. 14But soon a very strong wind began to blow. This wind blew from the north-east and it blew strongly across the island. The storm hit the ship very powerfully. It was not possible for the sailors to sail the ship straight into the wind. So they did not try to do that any more. Instead, they let the wind blow the ship along. 16After that, we passed the south end of a small island called Cauda. Here we found a place where the wind did not blow so strongly. The sailors lifted the ship's small boat out of the water to make it safe. 17They tied it on the ship with ropes. Then they tied some more ropes under the ship so that it would not break in pieces. The men were afraid of what might happen. There were some places along the coast of Libya where the water was not very deep. The ship might hit one of these places and then it might break. So they took the ship's largest sail down. Then they let the wind blow the ship along.

Acts 27:15 word by word

συναρπασθέντος δὲ τοῦ πλοίου καὶ μὴ δυναμένου ἀντοφθαλμεῖν τῷ ἀνέμῳ ἐπιδόντες ἐφερόμεθα.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andδέde · thenG1161
• when the shipὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• when the shipπλοῖονploion · boatG4143
• was caughtσυναρπάζωsunarpazō · to seizeG4884
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• couldδύναμαιdunamai · be ableG1410
• notμήmē · notG3361
• bear up intoἀντοφθαλμέωantophthalmeō · to faceG503
• the windἄνεμοςanemos · windG417
• we letἐπιδίδωμιepididōmi · to give/deliverG1929
• driveφέρωpherō̄ · to bear/leadG5342

Cross-references for Acts 27:15

• Acts 27:27The storm had continued for 14 days and nights. The strong wind was blowing the ship across the Mediterranean Sea. About midnight, the sailors thought that we were near to the land.
• James 3:4Also, think about ships that sail on the sea. They are very large. Strong winds push them with great power. But we fix a piece of wood at the back of the ship. With this small piece of wood, the master can cause the ship to go anywhere that he wants it to go.

Commentaries on Acts 27:15

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15And when the ship was caught - . The ship was violently hurried away before this strong levanter; so that it was impossible for her, , to face the wind, to turn her prow to it, so as to shake it out, as I have heard sailors say, and have seen them successfully perform in violent tempests and squalls. We let her drive - We were obliged to let her go right before this tempestuous wind, whithersoever it might drive her.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15The ship was caught - By the wind. It came suddenly upon them as a tempest. Could not bear up … - Could not resist its violence, or the helmsman could not direct the ship. It was seized by the wind, and driven with such violence, that it became unmanageable. We let her drive - We suffered the ship to be borne along by the wind without attempting to control it.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-20Verses 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 easily take it for granted that they have obtained their purpose. Let us never expect to be quite safe till we enter heaven. They saw neither sun nor stars for many days. Thus melancholy sometimes is the condition of the people of God as to their spiritual matters; they walk in darkness, and have no light. See…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 14-16the Northeaster: This storm had the strength of a hurricane or cyclone. It threatened both the cargo and the crew. Forced to let the ship run in front of the storm, they sailed past a small island called Cauda (known today as Gaudos), south of Crete.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 14-1514-15. a tempestuous--"typhonic" wind--that is, like a typhon or tornado, causing a whirling of the clouds, owing to the meeting of opposite currents of air. called Euroclydon--The true reading appears to be Euro-aquilo, or east-northeast, which answers all the effects here ascribed to it.Read the comment

Topics related to Acts 27:15

• Paul

In the dictionaries

• Cheer
• Close
• Creek
• Crete
• Euroclydon
• Exhort
• Fast
• Gain
• Hinder
• James

Commentaries on Acts 27

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings