Acts 27:6

And there the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing into Italy; and he put us therein.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(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 (Lewin’s 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.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

27:1-11 It was determined by the counsel of God, before it was determined by the counsel of Festus, that Paul should go to Rome; for God had work for him to do there. The course they steered, and the places they touched at, are here set down. And God here encourages those who suffer for him, to trust in him; for he can put it into the hearts of those to befriend them, from whom they least expect it. Sailors must make the best of the wind: and so must we all in our passage over the ocean of this world. When the winds are contrary, yet we must be getting forward as well as we can. Many who are not driven backward by cross providences, do not get forward by favourable providences. And many real Christians complain as to the concerns of their souls, that they have much ado to keep their ground. Every fair haven is not a safe haven. Many show respect to good ministers, who will not take their advice. But the event will convince sinners of the vanity of their hopes, and the folly of their conduct.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

A ship of Alexandria - A ship belonging to Alexandria. Alexandria was in Egypt, and was founded by Alexander the Great. It appears from Acts 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.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

6. there … found a ship of Alexandria, sailing into Italy, and he put us therein—(See on [2128]Ac 27:2). As Egypt was the granary of Italy, and this vessel was laden with wheat (Ac 27:35), we need not wonder it was large enough to carry two hundred seventy-six souls, passengers and crew together (Ac 27:37). Besides, the Egyptian merchantmen, among the largest in the Mediterranean, were equal to the largest merchantmen in our day. It may seem strange that on their passage from Alexandria to Italy they should be found at a Lycian port. But even still it is not unusual to stand to the north towards Asia Minor, for the sake of the current.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Alexandria; a famous port town in Egypt, formerly called No, of which we read, Jeremiah 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.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire 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. Ephesians 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. Ephesians 77. Philo in Flaccum, p. 968, 969.

Geneva Study Bible

And there the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing into Italy; and he put us therein.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Meyer's NT Commentary

Acts 27:6-7. Whether the Alexandrian ship was freighted with grain (which at least is not to be proved from Acts 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.

πλέον] It was already on its voyage from Alexandria to Italy.

ἐνεβ. ἡμᾶς] he embarked us, put us on board, a vox nautica.[167] See examples in Palairet and Wolf.

Acts 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.

προσεῶντος] finds a definite reference in the immediately preceding ΚΑΤᾺ ΤῊΝ ΚΝΊΔΟΝ, 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 Σαλμώνη, on the east coast of Crete, is called in Strabo, x. p. 727, ΣΑΛΜΏΝΙΟΝ, and in Dionys. Perieg. 110, ΣΑΛΜΩΝΊς.

[167] Baumgarten, II. p. 373 f., collects the nautical expression of this chapter, adducing, however, much that belongs to the general language.

Expositor's Greek Testament

Acts 27:6. πλοῖον: 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 Acts 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. Acts 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.—εὑρὼν: 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. Acts 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.—ἐνεβίβασεν: vox nautica, Holtz-mann, cf. Thuc., i., 53.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

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.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 6. - For, for into, A.V. He put us therein; ἐνεβίβασεν, only here in the New Testament, and once in the LXX. (Proverbs 4:11). It is a nautical term for embarking men on board ship (Thucydides, Xenophon, Lucian, etc.), and is also used by medical writers for "placing patients in a bath." The corn-vessel (naris frumentaria) from Alexandria to Italy may very probably have been driven out of its direct course by the same contrary winds which forced St. Paul to sail under Cyprus (see Howson, vol. it. p. 325, note 5), or commercial objects may have brought it to Lycia, to carry Asiatic merchandize to Rome, in addition to its cargo of Egyptian wheat - possibly "timber from the woody mountains of Lycia" (Lewin, vol. it. p. 188, note). Acts 27:6

Vincent's Word Studies

A ship of Alexandria

Employed in the immense corn trade between Italy and Egypt. See Acts 27:38. The size of the vessel may be inferred from Acts 27:37.