Acts 27:27-44 Shipwreck at Malta

Acts 27:27-32 After two weeks at sea in the storm (this was a really long-lasting storm!) the sailors recognized the signs that they were approaching land. A fathom is the distance fingertip-to-fingertip of an adult with arms outstretched to the sides, typically thought to be about 5 feet 6 inches to six feet, depending on the size of the person whose arms are used as a standard. Twenty fathoms would be about 110-120 feet or 33-36m of depth. The average depth of the Adriatic Sea is reported to be 250 m and of the Mediterranean Sea 1,500 m. The Syrtis shallows are not in the Adriatic, but in the southern part of the Med, off the north coast of Africa. So verse 27 indicates that somehow the sailors had figured out that they had been pushed north to the Adriatic.

          One has to wonder why the sailors thought they would be better off escaping from the ship in the small boat than staying with the big boat. Granted, it would only founder in very shallow water compared to the larger ship, but it would offer virtually no protection against the waves and wind. By this time, the centurion was apparently trusting of Paul, or at least recognized the wisdom of his words, and the soldiers thwarted the sailors' plan. The soldiers probably did not know that much about sailing, although perhaps they had learned a lot by observation. But they knew enough to know that without the sailors operating the ship, they would not be able to save it.

Acts 27:33-38 They had been on lean rations, no doubt, but Paul indicates they had eaten nothing for two weeks. Even under the best of circumstances, a two week fast would be trying and leave a person weakened. In order to survive being shipwrecked, they would need energy. So they ate and were encouraged by Paul's words that no one would perish.

Acts 27:39-44 After two weeks in a storm at sea, the trip ends with a scene of utter chaos. The guardian angels must have been working overtime to protect the lives of all 276 people as the ship hit a reef, the soldiers wanted to kill the prisoners, and everyone had to swim to shore or float to shore with a piece of debris. But they succeeded in getting to shore alive, all of them.