And when they had taken up the anchors, they committed themselves unto the sea, and loosed the rudder bands, and hoised up the mainsail to the wind, and made toward shore.
Paul stands forth among them not as a prisoner but as their counselor and comforter, rescuing them first from despair, for a man will starve himself in despair sooner than any storm can drown him. He assures them in God's name that all their lives shall be saved, and this word pulls them back from the grave when human hope is utterly gone.
AI summary
Commenting on Acts 27:21-44
Where two seas met means a shelf of sand, not the shore itself, otherwise why cast themselves into the sea afterward? The prow stuck fast and unmovable; the stern broke apart under the waves, giving them boards and pieces to escape on.
AI summary
They cut the anchor cables and left the anchors in the sea. The rudder bands were fastenings that could be raised in storm; now loosened, the rudders could be used again to steer. The foresail they hoisted was the best choice for their circumstances.
AI summary