Acts 27:30
And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, when they had let down the boat into the sea, under colour as though they would have cast anchors out of the foreship,
Original Language Analysis
τῶν
G3588
τῶν
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
1 of 22
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
ζητούντων
were about
G2212
ζητούντων
were about
Strong's:
G2212
Word #:
4 of 22
to seek (literally or figuratively); specially, (by hebraism) to worship (god), or (in a bad sense) to plot (against life)
φυγεῖν
to flee
G5343
φυγεῖν
to flee
Strong's:
G5343
Word #:
5 of 22
to run away (literally or figuratively); by implication, to shun; by analogy, to vanish
ἐκ
out of
G1537
ἐκ
out of
Strong's:
G1537
Word #:
6 of 22
a primary preposition denoting origin (the point whence action or motion proceeds), from, out (of place, time, or cause literal or figurative; direct
τοῦ
G3588
τοῦ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
7 of 22
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
καὶ
when
G2532
καὶ
when
Strong's:
G2532
Word #:
9 of 22
and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words
τὴν
G3588
τὴν
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
11 of 22
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
σκάφην
the boat
G4627
σκάφην
the boat
Strong's:
G4627
Word #:
12 of 22
a "skiff" (as if dug out), or yawl (carried aboard a large vessel for landing)
εἰς
into
G1519
εἰς
into
Strong's:
G1519
Word #:
13 of 22
to or into (indicating the point reached or entered), of place, time, or (figuratively) purpose (result, etc.); also in adverbial phrases
τὴν
G3588
τὴν
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
14 of 22
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
ὡς
as though
G5613
ὡς
as though
Strong's:
G5613
Word #:
17 of 22
which how, i.e., in that manner (very variously used, as follows)
ἐκ
out of
G1537
ἐκ
out of
Strong's:
G1537
Word #:
18 of 22
a primary preposition denoting origin (the point whence action or motion proceeds), from, out (of place, time, or cause literal or figurative; direct
Historical Context
Ancient Mediterranean sailing required specialized knowledge of winds, currents, and coastal navigation. Lifeboats (Greek skaphe) were small boats towed behind or carried aboard larger vessels. Sailors abandoning ship would have doomed passengers unfamiliar with seamanship, making their desertion particularly treacherous during this 60 AD storm.
Questions for Reflection
- How does panic lead believers to abandon God's clear promises and pursue self-preservation?
- In what ways does God's sovereignty require rather than eliminate human responsibility and action?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
The shipmen were about to flee out of the ship—The sailors' attempted desertion reveals self-preservation instinct overriding duty and divine promise. The Greek nautai (sailors) were experienced seamen, yet panic eclipsed professional responsibility. Their deception under colour as though they would have cast anchors shows how crisis exposes character—religious pretense masking cowardice. Luke's nautical precision ('foreship,' technical anchor terminology) validates his eyewitness account.
Paul's earlier assurance (v. 22-26) that all would survive required human cooperation, not passive fatalism. The sailors' expertise was necessary for safe landing, demonstrating how divine sovereignty works through human means, not apart from them.