Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Acts 27:34
Wherefore I pray you to take [some] meat: for this is for your health: for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you.
34. to take some meat ] “Meat” in the older English was used for any kind of food, which is what the Greek signifies, “nourishment.” Therefore in these verses the R. V. has everywhere “food.”
this is for your health ] [ R. V. safety.] The R. V. is the better rendering of the Greek, and agrees with what has been said on Act 27:32. The men when they had eaten would be able to do more towards their own preservation.
there shall not a hair fall, &c.] The best MSS. have “perish” instead of “fall,” and so R. V. The phrase is a proverbial one to express complete deliverance. Cp. 1Sa 14:45; 2Sa 14:11; 1Ki 1:52; Luk 21:18.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Not a hair fall from the head … – A proverbial expression, denoting that they would be preserved safe; that none of them would be lost, and that in their persons they should not experience the least damage, 1Ki 1:52; 1Sa 14:45.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 34. A hair fall from the head] A proverbial expression for, ye shall neither lose your lives nor suffer any hurt in your bodies, if ye follow my advice.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
This is for your health; that they might be stronger to endure that pain and perform that labour which was necessary towards their escape; for God would have them to use all means for their deliverance.
For there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you; a proverbial speech used by the Jews, as 1Ki 1:52, signifying that they should not suffer the least detriment in their bodies, much less the loss of their lives. Thus God numbereth our hairs, and his providence extendeth over every one of them, as Mat 10:30; Luk 21:18.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
34. I pray you to take some meat,for this is for your health, for there shall not a hair fall from . .. any of youOn this beautiful union of confidence in thedivine pledge and care for the whole ship’s health and safety see onAc 27:31.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Wherefore I pray you to take some meat,…. To sit down composedly, and eat meat cheerfully and freely:
for this is for your health; the Alexandrian copy reads, “for our health”; it was for the health of them all, that they might be better able to bear the shock and fatigue of the shipwreck, and be in better spirits, and in a better capacity to help themselves, and one another:
for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you; a proverbial phrase, expressing the utmost safety of their lives, and therefore might cheerfully eat their food, and rest themselves, and be satisfied. To dream of shaving the hair, portended shipwreck to sailors; nor was it lawful for any to pare his nails, or cut off his hair, but in a storm; to which custom, some think, the apostle here alludes w; see 1Sa 14:45.
w Kirchman. de funer. Rom. l. 2. c. 14. p. 212, 213.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
For this is for your safety ( ). Note in sense of “safety,” literal meaning, not spiritual salvation. This is the only instance in the N.T. of the use of with the ablative meaning “from the side of” your safety, though a classic idiom (Robertson, Grammar, p. 623), an example of Luke’s literary style.
Perish (). Future middle (intransitive) of (-), to destroy. So the oldest MSS. rather than from , to fall. This proverbial expression occurs also in Lu 21:18 which see and in 1Sam 14:45; 2Sam 14:11; 1Kgs 1:52.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
1) “Wherefore I pray you to take some meat:” (dio parakalo humas metalabein trophes) “Wherefore I beseech you all to take some food,” I appeal to you all to eat a full, regular meal, as we are now anchored here, perhaps near a safe landing place.
2) “For this is for your health:” (touto gar pros tes humeteros soterias huparchei) “For this is (important) to your health or safety,” your salvation from death by drowning, as they were soon to be shipwrecked and would have to swim ashore, and would need new physical strength for the final ordeal in reaching land safely.
3) “For there shall not an hair,” (oudenos gar humon thriks) “For not one hair of you all,” or any one of you. Effort on their part was godly and necessary, though the Divine pledge was that not one hair was to fall from an head in death; The figure of speech may be found 1Ki 1:52; Mat 10:30.
4) “Fall from the head of any of you.” (apo tes kephales apoleitai) “Shall fall or perish, from anyone of you all.” This indicates that faith in God and good works, obedience to God, should exist harmoniously and continually together, Jas 1:22; Jas 2:15-20. This is a providential assurance of perfect safety from the danger at hand.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(34) This is for your health.Better, safety, or preservation. The Greek word is not that commonly translated health, and the translators seem to have used it in the wider sense which it had in older English. So, for example, in Wiclifs version, the knowledge of salvation in Luk. 1:77 appears as the science of health. Wiclif has health here also, and is followed by all the chief English versions, except the Geneva, which has safe-guard. What St. Paul means is that the preservation of his fellow-passengers depended on their keeping up their strength. The gracious assurance that followed was, as before, not independent of their co-operation.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
34. Not a hair fall Little as the sailors deserved such mercy, and little worthy as the soldiers would prove.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Act 27:34. There shall not an hair fall from the head, &c. This expression appears to have been a proverbial and general expression of entire safety. Comp. 1Ki 1:52. Mat 10:30. Luk 12:7; Luk 21:18.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Act 27:34 . . .] on the side of your deliverance , e salute vestra, i.e. corresponding, conducing to your deliverance . Comp. Thuc. iii. 59. 1, v. 105. 3; Plat. Gorg . p. 459 C; Arr. An . vii. 16. 9. See on this use of with the genitive (only found here in the N.T.), Bernhardy, p. 264; Winer, p. 350 [E. T. 467 f.]. Observe the emphatic ; your benefit I have in view.
. . .] assigns the reason for the previous . . . For your deliverance, I say, for , etc. In this case their own exertions and the bodily strengthening necessary for this purpose are conceived as conditioning the issue.
On the proverbial expression itself, which denotes their being kept utterly exempt from harm , comp. Luk 21:18 ; 1Sa 14:45 ; 2Sa 14:11 ; 1Ki 1:52 .
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
34 Wherefore I pray you to take some meat: for this is for your health: for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you.
Ver. 34. Not an hair ] A proverbial speech, Luk 21:18 . See Mat 10:30 . See Trapp on “ Mat 10:30 “
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Act 27:34 . : so that they might be ready for the work which would be necessary. , see critical note. : here only with genitive in N.T., cf. Blass, Gram. , p. 136; i.e. , stands, so to speak, on the side of our deliverance, Latin a parte, cf. Thuc., ii. 86; iii. 59; Plat., p. 459 C; Winer-Moulton, xlviii. f. ., emphatic. .: “safety,” R.V., only used here and in Heb 11:7 of the preservation of physical life, safety, so in classical Greek and in Greek medical writers, see on Act 16:17 ; “health,” A.V., not limited formerly as now to the condition of body and mind, cf. Luk 1:77 , “science of health” Wycliffe = “knowledge of salvation,” and cf. also Psa 67:2 , “thy saving health,” literally “thy salvation” (Humphry). Effort on their part was necessary, and yet no hair of their heads should perish; what a significant union of faith in God and self-help! (Bethge.) , see Act 27:22 , cf. Luk 21:18 , nowhere else in N.T., but the proverbial phrase, as it apparently was, is found in 1Sa 14:45 , 2Sa 14:11 , 1Ki 1:52 ( cf. Mat 10:29 ), see critical note, and cf. Shakespeare, Tempest , Act 1 Scene 2.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
pray. Same as “besought”, Act 27:33.
is. Greek. huparcho. See Luk 9:48.
health = salvation. Greek. soteria. The verb sozo is frequently translated “heal”. Mat 9:21, Mat 9:22. Joh 11:12 (do well). Act 4:9; Act 14:9.
there shall not, &c. Literally a hair of no one (Greek. oudeis) of you shall fall from his head
hair. Greek. thrix. Only occurs in Acts.
fall. The texts read “perish”, as in Luk 21:18. Figure of speech Paroemia. App-6. Compare 1Sa 14:45. 2Sa 14:11. 1Ki 1:52. Mat 10:30.
from. Greek. apo, with texts. App-104.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Act 27:34. , for your safety) that ye may be the stronger (the better able) for swimming to land.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
for this: Mat 15:32, Mar 8:2, Mar 8:3, Phi 2:5, 1Ti 5:23
for there: 1Ki 1:52, Mat 10:30, Luk 12:7, Luk 21:18
Reciprocal: 1Sa 14:45 – there shall not 2Sa 14:11 – not one hair 1Ki 18:41 – Get Dan 3:27 – nor was Act 27:10 – I perceive Act 27:22 – for
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Act 27:34. This is for your health. The correct meaning is: This is essential for your safety. Their imminent danger was not death from starvation, but from drowning in the waves. They had laborious and difficult work before them; and it was necessary that they should recruit their strength.
There shall not a hair fall from the head of any of you. This was a proverb denoting entire safety and exemption from the slightest harm. See 1Ki 1:52; Mat 10:30; Luk 21:18.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
See notes on verse 33
Fuente: McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries (New Testament)
27:34 Wherefore I pray you to take [some] meat: for this is for your health: for there shall not an {g} hair fall from the head of any of you.
(g) This is a proverb which the Hebrews use, by which is meant that they will be safe, and that not one of them will perish.