Quicksands
QUICKSANDS
Mal 27:17, probably the dangerous sandbanks and whirlpools in two gulfs on the African coast south of Malta; they were called the Greater and the Lesser Syritis, and were much dreaded by ancient mariners. The course of the wind by which Paul and his companions were driven, threatened to cast them into the Lesser Syrtis.
Fuente: American Tract Society Bible Dictionary
Quicksands
See Syrtis.
Fuente: Dictionary of the Apostolic Church
Quicksands
found only in Acts 27:17, the rendering of the Greek Syrtis. On the north coast of Africa were two localities dangerous to sailors, called the Greater and Lesser Syrtis. The former of these is probably here meant. It lies between Tripoli and Barca, and near Cyrene. The Lesser Syrtis lay farther to the west.
Fuente: Easton’s Bible Dictionary
Quicksands
The Syrtis, in the sea off the N. African coast between Carthage and Cyrene. (See CLAUDA; EUROCLYDON; MELITA; PAUL.) Act 27:17, for “strake sail” (which would have hurried them into the danger), translated “they lowered the gear” (chalasantes to skeuos), i.e., afraid of falling into the Syrtis with the storm from the N.E., they took down the higher sail and kept only the storm sail set, turning the ship’s head off shore and standing on as best they could. There were two Syrtes; the eastern one the gulf of Sidra, the western one, smaller, the gulf of Cabes.
Fuente: Fausset’s Bible Dictionary
Quicksands
QUICKSANDS (Act 27:17, RV [Note: Revised Version.] Syrtis).The Syrtes, Major and Minor, are situated on the N. coast of Africa, in the wide bay between the headlands of Tunis and Barca. They consist of sandbanks occupying the shores of the Gulf of Sidra on the coast of Tripoli, and that of Gabes on the coast of Tunis or Carthage. They have been considered a source of danger to mariners from very early times, not only from the shifting of the sands themselves, but owing to the cross currents of the adjoining waters.
Fuente: Hastings’ Dictionary of the Bible
Quicksands
kwiksandz. See SYRTIS.
Fuente: International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
Quicksands
* Note: This is the AV rendering in Act 27:17 of Surtis, “Syrtis” (RV). The Syrtes, Major and Minor, lie on the north coast of Africa, between the headlands of Tunis and Barca. They have been regarded as dangerous to mariners from very early times, both from the character of the sands and from the crosscurrents of the adjoining waters. In the voyage described in this chapter the vessel had left the shelter of the island of Cauda and was drifting before the N.E. wind Euraquilo. The mariners might well fear that they would be driven on the Syrtes on the leeward of their course. The changing character of the tempest, however, drove them into the sea of Adria.