Acts 27:9–12

 ⁹ Now when much time had been spent, and sailing was now dangerous because the Fast was already over, Paul advised them, ¹⁰ saying, “Men, I perceive that this voyage will end with disaster and much loss, not only of the cargo and ship, but also our lives.” ¹¹ Nevertheless the centurion was more persuaded by the helmsman and the owner of the ship than by the things spoken by Paul. ¹² And because the harbor was not suitable to winter in, the majority advised to set sail from there also, if by any means they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete opening toward the southwest and northwest, and winter there. 

Commentary 

Vs. 9-10 ⁹ Now when much time had been spent, and sailing was now dangerous because the Fast was already over, Paul advised them, ¹⁰ saying, “Men, I perceive that this voyage will end with disaster and much loss, not only of the cargo and ship, but also our lives.” 

Their journey then had taken much more time than they anticipated it would. And knowing that the season was now late the Apostle Paul having perceived that their journey will end in disaster if they continued on, now advises them to port where they are, rather than sailing onwards towards Rome during the late fall and on into the winter months, which is typically the stormy season. 

Vs. 11-12 ¹¹ Nevertheless the centurion was more persuaded by the helmsman and the owner of the ship than by the things spoken by Paul. ¹² And because the harbor was not suitable to winter in, the majority advised to set sail from there also, if by any means they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete opening toward the southwest and northwest, and winter there. 

Though the Apostle Paul had shared with them likely what the Lord had revealed to him, the centurion was still more persuaded by the helmsman and the owner of the ship to press on, for the harbor there was not suitable to winter in. As well the majority of those on the voyage also expressed their desires to immediately set sail, if by any means they could reach Phoenix a harbor of Crete and winter there, which also opened up passages both southwest and northwest to them. And so soon they will begin their perilous journey which will be continued on in the next blog entry. 

Scripture Quotations 

New King James (1982):Thomas Nelson.