Acts 27:40Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The writer said this to show the force of the storm they had experienced, because often things do not happen this way. They lowered the sail, that is, the sails, which is done when there is a strong wind, in order to lessen the wind's force. They suffered the storm in the Adriatic Sea, where it is difficult to be saved. Nevertheless, they also take human measures for salvation, and Paul does not hinder this. "When day came," the writer says, "they loosed the rudders, raised the foresail to the wind, and made for the shore."

They loosened the fastenings when day came. The ship too was wrecked by day, so that those on it would not perish from fear, and so that they might see the fulfillment of the prophecy.

The next day they saw the gently sloping shore of some bay and directed the ship there. But they struck a sandbank, and the ship ran aground. The bow stuck fast and remained immovable, while the stern was broken by the force of the waves.

So that the prisoners would not scatter, the soldiers wanted to kill them. But the centurion, wishing to save Paul, restrained them from this intention.

So that none of the prisoners might swim away and escape, he ordered the soldiers who could swim to disembark first and form a guard along the shore.

After this, all the others who had sailed on the ship swam to the shore, some on planks and others on pieces of the ship. In this way all were saved onto land.

At daybreak the shore did indeed appear, and the travelers directed their half-ruined ship toward its sloping part. But before reaching the shore, the bow drove into the sand, while "the stern was broken up by the force of the waves." Only one means of salvation remained: to throw themselves into the water and, by every means, swimming, on boards, and on other fragments of the shattered ship, make their way to shore.

"Loosing the rudders" means the two customary rudders, right and left. During the storm they had been tied so that they would not act, since the ship was simply being given over to the will of the winds. The same was done with the rudders while the ship lay at anchor, to protect them from the force of the waves. "Raising the foresail" was done so that the ship would not sail too quickly with the wind toward the shore. With a large sail, the wind could have driven the ship very forcefully, which could have been unsafe since the sailors did not know the place.

Having been strengthened by food, all began to lighten the ship as much as possible, throwing overboard the remaining cargo of wheat. When day came, they noticed a gently sloping shore and began to steer toward it.

For this purpose they cast off the anchors and raised a small sail. With its help they brought the bow to the shore, to a sandbank projecting into the sea. The waves began to strike the stern of the ship, and it began to break apart.

"Paul's prediction was being fulfilled, but those who saw their salvation were not fully instructed by it. The ship breaks apart by day, so that they would not die from fear, and so that you too might see the fulfillment of the prophecy.