Acts 27:15Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

And see the divine economy. First they set the ship free and sailed. Then, when the wind arose, they yielded to its force and were barely saved.

One should not constantly seek strictly proper expressions in Scripture. “To withstand” (αντοφθαλμειν, “to look against”) is an expression suited to a person, not to a ship.

Another translation is clearer: The ship was seized so that it could not resist the wind. Giving the ship over to the waves, they began to gather the sails. Then we sailed past an island called Cauda, at which they could not land. But after lowering the boat, they began to help the ship by undergirding it. They dragged anchors, fearing that they might run onto the Syrtis shoal. From this it is clear that, after lowering ropes from the middle of the ship on both sides and around its forepart, they tied anchors to those ropes by which they dragged them. This is just as among us, that is, in the British Sea, stones the size of millstones are usually tied behind a ship that must be restrained.

When the ship stopped in the bay of Fair Havens, the season was already late. The fast of the Day of Atonement had already passed, on the tenth day of the month Tishri, in the second half of September. The winter months, dangerous for navigation, had arrived. Paul had gained considerable experience in sea journeys during his apostolic travels. He advised them to spend the winter in Fair Havens. But this bay was unsuitable for wintering. Therefore the centurion, trusting the helmsman and the ship's master more, agreed to the advice of others. They wished, if possible, to reach the harbor of Phoenix for the winter. It lay on the same shore of Crete, but capes jutting into the sea protected it better from the southwest and northwest winds.

As soon as they rounded the neighboring cape, a terrible hurricane, Euroclydon, burst from the gorges of Cretan Ida. It immediately seized the ship and dragged it with wild fury over the fearfully heaving sea, making futile all the efforts of the brave sailors.

But they were mistaken in their calculations. Not long after they sailed from Fair Havens, a stormy wind, a typhoon or hurricane, rose against it, that is, against the ship. This vivid expression means that it did not allow them to approach Phoenix, but carried them away from Crete into the open sea; see verse 16. Called Euroclydon: because this word is read differently in ancient manuscripts, and because of differing derivations, it is given different meanings. Probably this word indicated the direction of the wind, while the preceding word indicated its force. It is thought that this was the name of a northeastern wind, stormy or hurricane-like. This hurricane seized the ship so that it could no longer obey the rudder. It was driven away from Crete and carried according to the will of the wind and waves.

The storm on the sea arose so suddenly that the travelers, while at the island of Crete, could not enter the harbor they desired. The sea was stirred so quickly because a northeastern wind began to blow. Such a wind raises great waves with particular speed. These waves so engulfed the vessel that it gave itself entirely over to them. Then they ran toward the little island of Cauda. There the boat, probably suspended from the ship's side, began to break away. The ship itself also began to be so shaken that it had to be undergirded. Ahead there was a shoal. Fearing to run aground on it, they lowered the sail and gave themselves over to the waves. The waves tossed the ship in every direction and caused a rolling motion unbearable even to seasoned sailors.