: falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground and the fore part stuck fast, and remained unmoveable, but the hinder part was broken with the violence 42 of the waves. And the soldiers' counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape. 43 But the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from their purpose; and commanded that they which could swim should cast themselves first into the sea, and get to 44 land and the rest, some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land. On the fourteenth night of the voyage there were signs that the ship was approaching land. The vessel was "hove to," and the sailors made an attempt to escape in the small boat. Their plan, however, was thwarted by the vigilance of Paul. The narrative throws a brilliant light on the commanding personality of the Apostle. Prisoner though he was, he virtually assumed the command of the ship, and it was mainly due to his foresight that the safety of the passengers was assured. When morning came, the ship was run ashore. It was smashed in the process, but all who were on board got safely to land. " 27. up and down in Adria. R.V., "in the sea of Adria.' The "Sea of Adria" is the name given to that part of the Mediterranean which lay between Italy, Greece, and Africa. 29. lest we should have fallen upon rocks. R.V., "should be cast ashore on rocky ground." 30. as the shipmen were about to flee. as the sailors were seeking to flee." R.V., 33. Paul besought them, etc. A fine illustration of Paul's practical common sense. The Divine promise did not exonerate the sailors from taking all due precaution and using all human means to ensure safety. Paul urges them to take food, lest when the critical moment arrived they should be too weak and enfeebled to grasp the opportunity. 37. two hundred threescore, etc. The figure here given-276-seems far too large for an ancient merchant-ship. Some MSS. put the number at 76—a much more reasonable estimate. 66 39. The R.V. contains some important points of difference in its rendering of this verse: but they perceived a certain bay with a beach, and they took counsel whether they could drive the ship upon it." 40. they committed themselves unto the sea. A mistranslation. The R.V. rightly renders, "And casting off the anchors, they left them in the sea." loosed the rudder bands. The rudder of an ancient ship consisted of a large flat oar which was either fastened to or passed through an aperture in the stern. In large vessels there were two rudders, as in the present case, attached to both sides of the stern. When the vessel had cast anchor, the rudders were raised out of the water and lashed to the stern. It was necessary, therefore, to untie the ropes and let them down into the water, before they could steer again. the mainsail. The Greek word used here means not "mainsail" but "foresail," so R.V. 41. a place where two seas met. The scene of the shipwreck is generally located in what is now called "St. Paul's Bay," which is situated on the N.W. of Valetta, the capital of Malta. On the west of the bay there is a small island, called Salmonetta, separated from the mainland by a narrow channel. It is generally assumed that this channel is "the meeting of the two seas men tioned here. "the the hinder part was broken. R.V., stern began to break up by the violence of the THE VOYAGE TO ROME-(continued). IV. PAUL AT MALTA (Acts xxviii. 1-10). And And when they were escaped, then they knew that the 2 island was called Melita. And the barbarous people shewed us no little kindness: for they kindled a fire, and received us every one, because of the present rain, and 3 because of the cold. And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came 4 a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand. when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet venge5 ance suffereth not to live. And he shook off the beast into 6 the fire, and felt no harm. Howbeit they looked when he should have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly: but after they had looked a great while, and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds, and said that he 7 was a god. In the same quarters were possessions of the chief man of the island, whose name was Publius; who 8 received us, and lodged us three days courteously. And it came to pass, that the father of Publius lay sick oi a fever and of a bloody flux: to whom Paul entered in, and 9 prayed, and laid his hands on him, and healed him. So when this was done, others also, which had diseases in the Io island, came, and were healed: who also honoured us with many honours; and when we departed, they laded us with such things as were necessary. The shipwrecked company were kindly received by the natives of Malta, who ministered to their needs. The governor of the island, Publius, gave them food and lodging for three days, and made arrangements for them to spend the winter in Malta. The narrative contains two apparently miraculous incidents: (1) Paul's escape from the viper (vers. 4-6); (2) the healing of Publius' father (ver. 8). 1. was called Melita. The ancient equivalent for the modern Malta. 2. the barbarous people. The Greeks bestowed the name "barbarian upon all who did not use the Greek language. The phrase used here does not therefore indicate that the inhabit ants of Malta were savages. It simply refers to the fact that their language was Phoenician, and not Greek. 3. out of the heat. R.V., "by reason of the heat." 4. the venomous beast. There is no word for "venomous in the original. Its addition is an unwarranted attempt on the part of the translators to heighten the effect of the story. vengeance suffereth not to live. R.V., more correctly, "Justice hath not suffered to live.” The abstract term is here personified. 6. The R.V. is a truer rendering of the Greek, and makes better English: "But they expected that he would have swollen, or fallen down dead." said he was a god. Compare the action of the people of Lystra (xiv. 11). of the accuracy of Luke. Inscriptions which have been discovered in Malta prove that the governor of the island bore the title of "chief man. 8. The R. V. renders "sick of fever and dysentery." The technical terms used to describe the illness imply that the writer of Acts was acquainted with medicine. See iii. 7. 10. honours. Tokens of respect-gifts of money and other presents over and above the necessaries mentioned in the next clause. THE VOYAGE TO ROME-(continued). V. THE JOURNEY FROM MALTA TO ROME II And after three months we departed in a ship of Alexandria, which had wintered in the isle, whose sign was 12 Castor and Pollux. And landing at Syracuse, we tarried 13 there three days. And from thence we fetched a compass, and came to Rhegium: and after one day the south wind 14 blew, and we came the next day to Puteoli: where we found brethren, and were desired to tarry with them seven 15 days and so we went toward Rome. : And from thence, when the brethren heard of us, they came to meet us as far as Appii forum, and The three taverns: whom when Paul 16 saw, he thanked God, and took courage. And when we came to Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard: but Paul was suffered to dwell by himself with a soldier that kept him. After remaining three months in Malta, the prisoners were embarked on an Alexandrian ship, and sailed for Italy. They touched at Syracuse and Rhegium, and finally landed at Puteoli, from |