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Caught in a Violent Storm

Since considerable time had passed and the voyage was now dangerous[a] because the fast[b] was already over,[c] Paul advised them,[d] 10 “Men, I can see the voyage is going to end[e] in disaster[f] and great loss not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.”[g] 11 But the centurion[h] was more convinced[i] by the captain[j] and the ship’s owner than by what Paul said.[k]

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Footnotes

  1. Acts 27:9 tn Or “unsafe” (BDAG 383 s.v. ἐπισφαλής). The term is a NT hapax legomenon.
  2. Acts 27:9 sn The fast refers to the Jewish Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur. It was now into October and the dangerous winter winds would soon occur (Suetonius, Life of Claudius 18; Josephus, J. W. 1.14.2-3 [1.279-281]).
  3. Acts 27:9 tn The accusative articular infinitive παρεληλυθέναι (parelēluthenai) after the preposition διά (dia) is causal. BDAG 776 s.v. παρέρχομαι 2 has “διὰ τὸ τὴν νηστείαν ἤδη παρεληλυθέναι because the fast was already over Ac 27:9.”
  4. Acts 27:9 tn Grk “Paul advised, saying to them.” The participle λέγων (legōn) is redundant in English and has not been translated. On the term translated “advised,” see BDAG 764 s.v. παραινέω, which usually refers to recommendations.sn Paul advised them. A literary theme surfaces here: Though Paul is under arrest, he will be the one to guide them all through the dangers of the storm and shipwreck, showing clearly God’s presence and protection of him. The story is told in great detail. This literary effect of slowing down the passage of time and narrating with many details serves to add a sense of drama to the events described.
  5. Acts 27:10 tn Grk “is going to be with disaster.”
  6. Acts 27:10 tn Or “hardship,” “damage.” BDAG 1022 s.v. ὕβρις 3 states, “fig. hardship, disaster, damage caused by the elements…w. ζημία Ac 27:10.”
  7. Acts 27:10 tn Grk “souls” (here, one’s physical life).
  8. Acts 27:11 sn See the note on the word centurion in 10:1.
  9. Acts 27:11 tn Or “persuaded.”
  10. Acts 27:11 tn BDAG 456 s.v. κυβερνήτης 1 has “one who is responsible for the management of a ship, shipmaster…W. ναύκληρος, the ‘shipowner’…Ac 27:11” See further L. Casson, Ships and Seamanship in the Ancient World, 316-18.
  11. Acts 27:11 tn Grk “than by what was said by Paul.” The passive construction has been converted to an active one to simplify the translation.sn More convinced by the captain and the ship’s owner than by what Paul said. The position taken by the centurion was logical, since he was following “professional” advice. But this was not a normal voyage.