Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Acts 27:6
And there the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing into Italy; and he put us therein.
6. a ship of Alexandria ] They found a means of transport into Italy sooner perhaps than they had expected. It may be that the same strong contrary winds from the west which had altered already the course of their voyage from Sidon, had carried this vessel across the Mediterranean to the Asiatic coast. Myra was certainly out of the way for persons sailing from N. Africa to Italy.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
A ship of Alexandria – A ship belonging to Alexandria. Alexandria was in Egypt, and was founded by Alexander the Great. It appears from Act 27:38 that the ship was laden with wheat. It is well known that great quantities of wheat were imported from Egypt to Rome, and it appears that this was one of the large ships which were employed for that purpose. Why the ship was on the coast of Asia Minor is not known But it is probable that it had been driven out of its way by adverse winds or tempests.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 6. A ship of Alexandria] It appears, from Ac 27:38, that this ship was laden with wheat, which she was carrying from Alexandria to Rome. We know that the Romans imported much corn from Egypt, together with different articles of Persian and Indian merchandise.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Alexandria; a famous port town in Egypt, formerly called No, of which we read, Jer 46:25; unto this place the ship did belong, which was now in the road or haven of Myra, intending for Italy, whither they carried corn, and Persian and Indian commodities, from thence.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
6. there . . . found a ship ofAlexandria, sailing into Italy, and he put us therein(See onAc 27:2). As Egypt was thegranary of Italy, and this vessel was laden with wheat (Ac27:35), we need not wonder it was large enough to carry twohundred seventy-six souls, passengers and crew together (Ac27:37). Besides, the Egyptian merchantmen, among the largest inthe Mediterranean, were equal to the largest merchantmen in our day.It may seem strange that on their passage from Alexandria to Italythey should be found at a Lycian port. But even still it is notunusual to stand to the north towards Asia Minor, for the sake of thecurrent.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And there the centurion found a ship of Alexandria,…. Alexandria was the chief city in Egypt, built by Alexander the great, from whom it took its name; it was situated near the sea, and had a famous haven or port, which R. Benjamin n calls
, “the port of Alexandria”; from hence ships were sent into several parts for trade and commerce, and one of these Julius found at Myra: the top sail was a distinguishing sign of a ship of Alexandria, for none might spread their top sails but ships of Alexandria o; these were not obliged to strike sail when they came into a port: the Jewish writers make frequent mention of
, “a ship of Alexandria” p; by which they intend a ship of a large bulk, which had a cistern in it for fresh water for a long voyage; and by this they distinguish ships of bulk from those small ones, that were used about their coasts; a ship of Alexandria with them was a ship that went from the land of Israel to Alexandria; whereas here it seems to design one that belonged to Alexandria, and went from thence to other parts: and this ship was
sailing into Italy; and it was usual for ships to go from Alexandria to Puteoli in Italy, and from thence to Alexandria upon trade and business q
and he put us therein; the centurion removed Paul and his companions, and the rest of the prisoners, with whatsoever soldiers were under his care, out of the ship of Adramyttium, into the ship of Alexandria; that is, he ordered them to remove out of one into the other.
n Itinerar. p. 121. o Senec. Ep. 77. Alex. ab Alex. Genial. Dier. l. 4. c. 2. p T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. 35. 1. & Erubin, fol. 14. 2. & Gloss. in ib. Misn. Ohalot, c. 8. sect. 1. & Celim, c. 15. sect. 1. & Maimon. & Bartenora in ib. q Senec. Ep. 77. Philo in Flaccum, p. 968, 969.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Sailing for Italy ( ). This was the opportunity for which Lysias had been looking. So he put (, first aorist active of , to cause to enter. Cf. in verse 2) prisoners and soldiers on board. This was a ship of Alexandria bound for Rome, a grain ship (38) out of its course because of the wind. Such grain ships usually carried passengers.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
A ship of Alexandria. Employed in the immense corn trade between Italy and Egypt. See verse 38. The size of the vessel may be inferred from verse 37.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “And there the centurion found,” (kakei heuron ho hekatontarches) “And there the centurion found or located;” the centurion Julius was apparently responsible for securing safe travel for all prisoners in his hand to Rome, Act 27:1; Act 27:3; Act 27:37; Act 27:43.
2) “A ship of Alexandria,” (ploion Aleksandrion) “An Alexandrian ship,” from Alexandria, Egypt, the then most important seaport city in Egypt, home of Apollos the Jewish Christian orator, Act 18:24-28; 1Co 1:12; 1Co 3:4-7.
3) “Sailing into Italy; (pleon eis ten Italian) “That was sailing to Italy,” perhaps carrying wheat (grain) from Egypt to Italy, Act 27:38. Because Egypt was then Rome’s granary.
4) “And he put us therein.” (enebibasen hemas eis auto) “And put us into and on board it. “The “us” included the prisoners and Paul, Luke, and Aristarchus of Thessalonica, Act 27:2; Col 4:10; Act 19:29.
THE SHIP OF ALEXANDRIA AND ITS CARGO
Read in succession Act 27:6; Act 27:10; Act 27:38. The continuous story told by these verses is not seen till they are thus combined. We find that the vessel was a ship of Alexandria, sailing into Italy. We read of the lading; it was therefore a merchant vessel. The cargo, whatever it was (we do not discover this till afterwards), was so valuable that it was only cast overboard in the last extremity. By-and-by we discover that that cargo was wheat. One by one these circumstances drop out “at intervals in the course of the narrative, unarranged, unpremeditated, thoroughly incidental; so that the chapter might be read twenty times, and their agreement with one another, and with contemporary history, be still overlooked.” Now how does this consistent narrative coincide with known facts of history? Thus: – Egypt was the great corn-producing country of antiquity. It sometimes grew corn enough in one year to last for two, and supply other countries. The famine-stricken Israelites went down to the valley of the Nile to buy corn in the days of Joseph. In the days of Paul it was the granary of Rome. It was from the Egyptian port of Alexandria that this vessel sailed. Suetonius tells us that in times of scarcity the vessels coming from that port to Italy were watched with intent anxiety as they approached the coast. What was by no means usual in the vessels of that day, these merchant ships of Alexandria were in size almost equal to our old men-of-war, and might therefore well accommodate the centurion and his numerous party, in addition to its own crew and lading.
– Bible Lore.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(6) A ship of Alexandria sailing into Italy.A glance at the map will show that the ship, which was probably one of those engaged in the corn-trade between Egypt and Rome, must have been driven out of its course. This may have been owing to the prevalence of the westerly winds already noticed. The Alexandrian traders, however, as a rule, avoided taking the course along the coast of Africa, through fear of the quicksands of the great Syrtis, and took that between Crete and the Peloponnesus. The presence of this merchantship led to a change of plan. It seemed an easier and more expeditious route to go straight to Rome, instead of landing at Mysia, and then taking another ship to Macedonia in order to journey by land to the coast of the Adriatic. A local inscription describes Myra as a horrea, or store-house of corn (Lewins St. Paul, ii. p. 187), and the Alexandrian ship may therefore have gone thither to discharge part of its cargo. It has been assumed, but on insufficient grounds, that Aristarchus here parted from St. Paul, and went on in the Adramyttium ship.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
2. From Myra to Fair Havens , Act 27:6-12 .
6. A ship of Alexandria Egypt, with her fertile Nile-valley, was at this time the wheat field of Rome. During the navigable months her ships laden with merchandises in multitudes plied their merry way to the great metropolis. Their shortest route was along the coast of Africa until they neared the Syrtes, and then a northwest line. But when the autumnal west winds begin to grow powerful, they take the Syrian coast and avail themselves of the powerful western current along the shores of Asia Minor. Dr. Hackett has shown with great clearness that the season of Paul’s arrival at Myra would be the very height of the wheat trade from Egypt, when vessels from Alexandria would be surest found.
Into Italy The direct route would have been past Rhodes, westward along south of Peloponnesus, through the straits of Messina to Puteoli.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘And there the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing for Italy, and he put us in it.’
The ship they next boarded had come from Alexandria in Egypt and was a grain ship (compare Act 27:38) although also possibly carrying other freight (Act 27:18). It was bound for Italy. It would appear to have been a government ship, or at least under contract to the government, for final control of the ship seems to have been in the hands of the highest ranking person aboard, the centurion (Act 27:11). According to a contemporary description, these large ships were often 180 feet long, 50 feet wide, and 44 feet deep from the deck to the bottom of the hold.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Act 27:6. A ship of Alexandria sailing, &c. Or, Bound for Italy, and put us on board. There was a great trade carried on between Alexandria and the coasts of Italy, consisting chieflyof the produce of Egypt, and of Persian and Indian goods. The usual ports for this traffic were in Italy; and the Alexandrians were indulged with a particular privilege to engage their commerce.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Act 27:6-7 . Whether the Alexandrian ship was freighted with grain (which at least is not to be proved from Act 27:38 ) or with other goods, cannot be determined; as also whether it was by wind and weather, or by affairs of trade, that it was constrained not to sail directly from Alexandria to Italy, but first to run into the Lycian port.
] It was already on its voyage from Alexandria to Italy.
. ] he embarked us , put us on board, a vox nautica . [167] See examples in Palairet and Wolf.
Act 27:7 . But when we had made slow way for a considerable number of days, and had come with difficulty toward Cnidus (into its neighbourhood, thus in the offing, having passed along by Rhodes), so that the wind did not allow us (to land at Cnidus), we sailed under Crete, near Salmone . The wind thus came from the north, so that the vessel was drawn away from Cnidus and downward towards Crete.
] finds a definite reference in the immediately preceding , and hence the view of Grotius (following the Peshito), that rectum tenere cursum should be supplied, is to be rejected.
Cnidus was a city of Caria on the peninsula of Cnidia, celebrated for the worship of Aphrodite and for the victory of Cimon over Pisander. See Forbiger, Geogr. II. p. 221.
The promontory , on the east coast of Crete, is called in Strabo, x. p. 727, , and in Dionys. Perieg. 110, .
[167] Baumgarten, II. p. 373 f., collects the nautical expression of this chapter, adducing, however, much that belongs to the general language.
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
6 And there the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing into Italy; and he put us therein.
Ver. 6. Sailing into Italy ] To show that they had a terrible tempestuous time of it all along, from Sidon to Malta. So have the saints of God here, for the most part, ab utero ad urnam, from the womb to the tomb, from the birth to the burial. This made Solomon prefer his coffin before his cradle, Ecc 7:1 , yea, before his crown; as Queen Elizabeth also did; for indeed, this life is pestered with so many miseries and molestations, satanical and secular, that it were to be accounted little better than hell were it not for the hopes of heaven, that sweetest harbour and haven of happiness. (Bernard.)
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
6 .] The Alexandrian ship may have been laden with corn for Rome; but this cannot be inferred from Act 27:38 , for the ship had been lightened before , Act 27:18 .
On her size, see below, Act 27:37 .
Most probably this ship had been prevented taking the direct course to Italy, which was by the south of Crete, by the prevailing westerly winds. Under such circumstances, says Mr. Smith (p. 32), “ships, particularly those of the ancients, unprovided with a compass, and ill calculated to work to windward, would naturally stand to the N. till they made the land of Asia Minor, which is peculiarly favourable for such a mode of navigation, because the coast is bold and safe, and the elevation of the mountains makes it visible at a great distance; it abounds in harbours, while the sinuosities of its shores and the westerly current would enable them, if the wind was at all off the land, to work to windward, at least as far as Cnidus, where these advantages ceased. Myra lies due N. from Alexandria, and its bay is well calculated to shelter a wind-bound ship. The Alexandrian ship was not, therefore, out of her course at Myra, even if she had no call to touch there for the purposes of commerce.”
, the present, should be rendered on her voyage.
Act 27:6 . : St. Luke does no mention what kind of ship, but the fact that it was on its way from Egypt to Italy, and that in Act 27:38 the cargo was evidently grain, makes it a reasonable inference that the ship was carrying corn for conveyance to Rome. On this trade to Rome, Seneca, Epist. , 77, and for the large size of the ships ( cf. Act 27:37 ) so employed cf. references in Wetstein to Lucian and Plutarch, and Breusing, p. 157, Goerne, and also for the reputation of the Alexandrian ships and sailors. : there was nothing unlikely in this, if Myra was situated as above described. The ship, therefore, Ramsay holds, had not been blown out of her course, and the westerly winds, prejudicial to the run of the Adramyttian ship from Sidon to Myra, were favourable for the direct run of a ship from Alexandria, cf. Act 27:9 , and the course taken by the Alexandrian ship was probably a customary one during a certain season of the year for the voyage from Alexandria to Italy. Blass, on the other hand, quoting from Lucian, maintains that the ship was obliged to quit the usual course owing to the winds, but Ramsay has here the entire support of J. Smith, u. s. , p. 73. : vox nautica , Holtz-mann, cf. Thuc., i., 53.
centurion. Greek. hekatontarchos. See Act 21:32.
Alexandria. Egypt was the granary of the ancient world, and this was a corn ship, bound for Italy. See Act 27:38.
put us = caused us to embark. Greek. embibazo. Only here. A medical word, used of setting a dislocated limb.
therein = into (Greek. eis) it.
6.] The Alexandrian ship may have been laden with corn for Rome; but this cannot be inferred from Act 27:38, for the ship had been lightened before, Act 27:18.
On her size, see below, Act 27:37.
Most probably this ship had been prevented taking the direct course to Italy, which was by the south of Crete, by the prevailing westerly winds. Under such circumstances, says Mr. Smith (p. 32), ships, particularly those of the ancients, unprovided with a compass, and ill calculated to work to windward, would naturally stand to the N. till they made the land of Asia Minor, which is peculiarly favourable for such a mode of navigation, because the coast is bold and safe, and the elevation of the mountains makes it visible at a great distance; it abounds in harbours, while the sinuosities of its shores and the westerly current would enable them, if the wind was at all off the land, to work to windward, at least as far as Cnidus, where these advantages ceased. Myra lies due N. from Alexandria, and its bay is well calculated to shelter a wind-bound ship. The Alexandrian ship was not, therefore, out of her course at Myra, even if she had no call to touch there for the purposes of commerce.
, the present, should be rendered on her voyage.
the centurion: Act 27:1
Alexandria: Alexandria, now Scanderoon, was a celebrated city and port of Egypt, built by Alexander the Great, situated on the Mediterranean and the lake Moeris, opposite the island of Pharos, and about twelve miles from the western branch of the Nile. Act 6:9, Act 18:24, Act 28:11
Reciprocal: Act 21:2 – finding
6
Act 27:6. At Myra all on board had to change to another ship.
Voyage from Myra to Fair Havens, 6-8.
Act 27:6. A ship of Alexandria sailing into Italy. The centurion obtained here, what he expected he might obtain in one of the harbours along this coast, a new opportunity for prosecuting his voyage farther towards Italy. This opportunity was afforded by the ship bound for Italy, which he found in port at Myra. It evidently was a large and commodious ship; for there were 276 persons on board at the time of the wreck, as we learn afterwards (Act 27:37). The majority of these, of course, were passengers. It is a popular fallacy to suppose that the trading ships of the Mediterranean, under the Roman Empire, were necessarily small craft. We have abundant proof that they were often of 500 or 1000 tons. This would especially be the case with the great corn ships of Alexandria, which took grain from Egypt to Rome and the other large towns of Italy; and this, as we learn from the subsequent narrative, was one of that class (Act 27:38). Another Alexandrian ship (Act 28:11) took these people on board, besides her own crew and passengers. See the Excursus at the end of the chapter.
A question, indeed, arises here, as to why this Alexandrian corn ship was found in harbour at Myra. She was bound for Italy, which is far to the west, and Myra is nearly due north of Alexandria. This question, however, is very easily answered. Independently of the possibility that there might be passengers to be landed at this port, we must remember that the wind had been blowing for some time from the north-west, and that what was unfavourable to the ship of Adramyttium was equally unfavourable to the ship of Alexandria. Thus it was extremely natural that a vessel bound from Egypt to Italy should stand to the north, where the Asiatic coast is high and easily seen, where good harbours are abundant, and where the above described advantages as to wind and water would be found. And this is in strict accordance with the practice, under such circumstances, of modern sailing ships in the Levant.
Traveling in an Alexandrian Ship
The ship Julius found was out of Alexandria and bound for Italy. Likely, this ship was part of a large, government regulated, commercial fleet of ships which carried much needed grain to the world’s capitol. Julius, Paul and the rest of their company boarded that ship. It sailed, against a late summer, northwesterly wind, for the port of Cnidus. The wind was so unfavorable that the captain sailed along the southern shore of Crete. When they finally reached the port of Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea, a decision had to be made as to the course to be pursued.
Luke noted that the Fast, or Day of Atonement, was now over, so it was around October 1. Paul advised them not to attempt further travel at such a dangerous time of year. In fact, Bruce says “the Mediterranean was not safe for ancient vessels after September 15 until about March 15.” The apostle’s concern was not just for the cargo but also the lives of those on board. Yet, Julius was inclined to listen more closely to the words of the ship’s pilot and the owner than to Paul. The majority of those on board hoped to reach Phoenix and its more accommodating harbor ( Act 27:6-12 ).
See notes on verse 5
6, 7. At that time Alexandria, Egypt, was one of the greatest mercantile cities in the world; at the mouth of the Nile valley, the most productive country on the globe, it becomes the emporium whence vast quantities of wheat are shipped to Rome. Hence Egypt was pronounced the granary of Rome. So here Julius, finding an Alexandrian corn-ship bound for Rome, embarks with all of his prisoners. Cnidus is a peninsula at the entrance of the Aegean Sea between the islands of Cos and Rhodes, around which the ship is awfully impeded in her passage because of contrary winds. After many days of slow and toilsome progress they have succeeded in reaching the island of Crete opposite the city of Salmone, endeavoring to sail round on the north side of it, using it as a protection from the winds.
Verse 6
Alexandria; in Egypt. There was an extensive commercial intercourse, in those days, between Egypt and Rome, as a great deal of grain from the valley of the Nile, was consumed in Rome. (See Acts 27:38.)
At Myra Julius transferred his party to another ship bound for Italy. This was a grain ship (Act 27:38) that had accommodations for at least 276 passengers (Act 27:37). There were no ships devoted exclusively to passenger travel at this time. [Note: Witherington, p. 759.] Its port of origin was Alexandria, the capital of Egypt. Egypt was the major supplier of grain for Italy. A large fleet of these ships sailed between Egypt and Italy along the coast of Palestine, Syria, and Asia Minor carrying food. According to a contemporary description, these large ships were usually 180 feet long, 50 feet wide, and 44 feet deep from the deck to the hold. [Note: Lionel Casson, Ships and Seamanship in the Ancient World, pp. 158-59.]
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Fuente: Gary Hampton Commentary on Selected Books
Fuente: McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries (New Testament)
Fuente: William Godbey’s Commentary on the New Testament
Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)