Acts 27:7-21
27:7 a The great difficulty was due in part to the lateness of the season (27:9 b).• Cnidus was a seaport on the southwestern coast of Asia Minor near the island of Cos.
• The cape of Salmone was located at the northeastern tip of Crete, the largest of the Greek islands.
27:8 c Fair Havens was a small bay on the southern side of the island of Crete.
27:9 d because it was so late in the fall: This was a dangerous time for a voyage on the Mediterranean.
Summary for Acts 27:10-11: 27:10-11 e Paul realized what would happen if they went on. He warned the ship’s officers, but they and the Roman officer were unlikely to listen to an imprisoned Jewish rabbi with no experience as a seaman. Later, however, they would respect him more (27:30-36 f, 42-43 g).
27:12 h The prevailing southeasterly winds made Fair Havens an unsafe place for ships to harbor in the winter, but Phoenix, a town farther up the coast of Crete, offered a better harbor.
Summary for Acts 27:14-16: 27:14-16 i The storm, called a “northeaster,” was of typhoon strength, very threatening to both the cargo and the crew. Forced to let the ship run before the gale, they sailed past a small island called Cauda (known today as Gaudos), south of Crete.
27:17 j Binding ropes around the ship’s hull (called frapping in nautical terms) was intended to strengthen it against the tremendous pressure of the storm.
• Syrtis refers to the shallow bays filled with sandbars off the coast of North Africa west of Cyrene.
Summary for Acts 27:18-20: 27:18-20 k The violence and persistence of the storm led to throwing the cargo overboard (cp. Jon 1:5 l) and the crew’s abandoning hope.
Summary for Acts 27:21-26: 27:21-26 m Paul addressed the crew, first scolding them for not listening to him (27:10-12 n) and then encouraging them with the angel’s assurance of survival for all of them.
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