Acts 27:7

And when we had sailed slowly many days, and scarce were come over against Cnidus, the wind not suffering us, we sailed under Crete, over against Salmone;

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(7) When we had sailed slowly many days.—The Etesian gales from the north-west, which prevail in the Archipelago during the latter part of July and the whole of August, were still blowing strongly, and during the “many days” (probably a fortnight or three weeks) the ship had not been able to traverse more than the 120 miles that lay between Myra and Cnidus. To reach the latter place they had probably coasted along Lycia, and gone through the straits between Rhodes and the mainland.

And scarce were come over against Cnidus.—Better, with difficulty. Cnidus was situated on a neck of land with a harbour on either side, and was apparently a naval station for the ships that were engaged in the corn-trade between Egypt and Greece (Thucyd. viii. 35). Here, as the coast trends away to the north, and they had no longer the shelter of the land, they were exposed to the full force of the Etesian winds. It was useless to attempt to make head against these, and their only alternative was to steer southward, so as to get, if possible, under the lee of the coast of Crete, the modern Candia. They succeeded in getting as far as Cape Salmone, the eastern point of the island, and finding here some shelter, went on their way westward under the lee of the coast. The name of Salmone appears in Strabo (x. 4) as Samonion, in Pliny (iv. 12) as Samnonium. In modern Greek it takes the form of Capo Salomon.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

27:1-11 It was determined by the counsel of God, before it was determined by the counsel of Festus, that Paul should go to Rome; for God had work for him to do there. The course they steered, and the places they touched at, are here set down. And God here encourages those who suffer for him, to trust in him; for he can put it into the hearts of those to befriend them, from whom they least expect it. Sailors must make the best of the wind: and so must we all in our passage over the ocean of this world. When the winds are contrary, yet we must be getting forward as well as we can. Many who are not driven backward by cross providences, do not get forward by favourable providences. And many real Christians complain as to the concerns of their souls, that they have much ado to keep their ground. Every fair haven is not a safe haven. Many show respect to good ministers, who will not take their advice. But the event will convince sinners of the vanity of their hopes, and the folly of their conduct.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Had sailed slowly - By reason of the prevalence of the western winds, Acts 27:4.

Over against Cnidus - This was a city standing on a promontory of the same name in Asia Minor, in the part of the province of Caria called Doris, and a little northwest of the island of Rhodes.

The wind not suffering us - The wind repelling us in that direction; not permitting us to hold on a direct course, we were driven off near to Crete.

We sailed under Crete - See Acts 27:4. We lay along near to Crete, so as to break the violence of the wind. For the situation of Crete, see the notes on Acts 2:11.

Over against Salmone - Near to Salmone. This was the name of the promontory which formed the eastern extremity of the island of Crete.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

7. sailed slowly many days—owing to contrary winds.

and scarce—"with difficulty."

were come over against Cnidus—a town on the promontory of the peninsula of that name, having the island of Coos (see on [2129]Ac 21:1) to the west of it. But for the contrary wind they might have made the distance from Myra (one hundred thirty miles) in one day. They would naturally have put in at Cnidus, whose larger harbor was admirable, but the strong westerly current induced them to run south.

under—the lee of

Crete—(See on [2130]Tit 1:5).

over against Salmone—the cape at the eastern extremity of the island.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Had sailed slowly many days; the wind being contrary, or at least very bare, and, it may be, their ship much laden.

Cnidus; a city or promontory over against Crete, which is now called Candia, a known island in the Mediterranean.

Salmone; a sea town in Candia, or the easterly promontory there, so called.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And when we had sailed slowly many days,.... Because of contrary winds, as in Acts 27:4 or else for want of wind, as some think; the Syriac version renders it, "and because it sailed heavily"; that is, the ship being loaden with goods:

and scarce were come over against Cnidus; or "Gnidus", as it is sometimes called; it was a city and promontory in Doris, in the Chersonese or peninsula of Caria, famous for the marble statue of Venus made by Praxiteles (r); it was over against the island of Crete, and is now called Capo Chio; it was the birthplace of Eudoxus, a famous philosopher, astrologer, geometrician, physician and lawgiver (s); it is made mention of in:

"And to all the countries and to Sampsames, and the Lacedemonians, and to Delus, and Myndus, and Sicyon, and Caria, and Samos, and Pamphylia, and Lycia, and Halicarnassus, and Rhodus, and Aradus, and Cos, and Side, and Aradus, and Gortyna, and Cnidus, and Cyprus, and Cyrene.'' (1 Maccabees 15:23)

Jerom (t) says, it was a famous island over against Asia, joining to the province of Caria; some think it has its name from the fish "Gnidus", which is taken about this place, and which is of such an extraordinary nature, that when taken in the hand, it stings like a nettle; others (u) derive it from "hanad", or "gnad", which, in the Phoenician language signifies "to join"; because, as both Pausanias (w) and Strabo (x) say, it was joined by a bridge or causeway to the continent: it had two ports in it, as the last mentioned writer says, but into neither of them did the ship put, in which the apostle was; nor do we read of the Gospel being preached here, or of a church in it until the "sixth" century, when mention is made of a bishop of Gnidus in the acts of the synod at Rome and Constantinople (y):

the wind not suffering us; to go right forward, as the Syriac version adds:

we sailed under Crete; or below it, as in Acts 27:4 This is now called Candy; See Gill on Acts 2:11, over against Salmone; now called Capo Salamone: this, by Pliny (z), Ptolomy (a), and Mela (b), is called Samonium or Sammonium, and by them said to be a promontory in the island of Crete, on the east side of it, over against the island of Rhodes; Strabo calls it Salmonion, an eastern promontory of Crete; and Jerom a maritime city of the island of Crete.

(r) Plin. l. 5. c. 28. Ptolom. l. 5. c. 2. Mela, l. 1. c. 16. Pausanias, l. 1. p. 2.((s) Laert. de Vit. Philosoph. l. 8. p. 622. (t) De locis Hebraicis, fol. 96. A. (u) Hiller. Onomasticum, p. 790. (w) Eliac. 1. sive, l. 5. p. 335. (x) Geograph. l. 14. (y) Magdeburg. Hist. cent. 6. c. 2. p. 4. (z) Hist. l. 4. c. 12. (a) Geograph. l. 3. c. 17. (b) De orbis Situ, l. 2. c. 7.

Geneva Study Bible

And when we had sailed slowly many days, and scarce were come over against Cnidus, the wind not suffering us, we sailed under Crete, over against {a} Salmone;

(a) Which was a high hill of Crete.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Expositor's Greek Testament

Acts 27:7. ἐν ἱκαναῖς ἡμέραις or ἱκανός: in temporal sense only in Luke in N.T., see Hawkins, p. 151, and cf. Vindiciæ Lucanæ (Klostermann), p. 51.—βραδυπλοοῦντες: Artemid., Oneir., iv., 30; ταχυπλοεῖν, Polyb. (Blass), evidently on account of the strong westerly winds; the distance was about a hundred and thirty geographical miles to Cnidus.—καὶ μόλις γεν. κατὰ τὴν Κ.: “and were come with difficulty off Cnidus,” R.V., to this point the course of the two ships would be the same from Myra; here they would no longer enjoy the protection of the shore, or the help of the local breezes and currents; “so far the ship would be sheltered from the north-westerly winds, at Cnidus that advantage ceased” (J. Smith).—Κνίδον: the south-west point of Asia Minor, the dividing line between the western and southern coast; a Dorian colony in Caria having the rank of a free city like Chios; see 1Ma 15:23.—μὴ προσεῶντος: “as the wind did not permit our straight course onwards,” Ramsay, so Blass, J. Smith, p. 79: the northerly wind in the Ægean effectually prevented them from running straight across to the island of Cythera, north of Crete; cf. Wendt’s note (1899), in loco, inclining to agree with Ramsay, see critical note; others take the words to mean “the wind nor permitting us unto it,” i.e., to approach Cnidus (Hackett), so too R.V., margin. But there does not seem to have been any reason why they should not have entered the southern harbour of Cnidus. They might have done so, and waited for a fair wind, had they not adopted the alternative of running for the east and south coast of Crete. The verb προσεῶντος does not occur elsewhere, and the same must be said of the conjecture of Blass, προεῶντος.—ὑπεπλεύ.: “we sailed under the lee of Crete off. Cape Salmone” (Ramsay), i.e., a promontory on the east of the island, and protected by it from a north-westerly wind (Ramsay). Strabo has Σαλμώνιον and Σαμώνιον (Pliny, Sammonium); Σαλμώνις is also found; Σαλμώνιον (or Σαμμ.) may be explained, sc. ὄρος, Winer-Schmiedel, p. 65.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

7. sailed slowly many days] Kept back by the same head-winds.

and scarce were come over against Cnidus] The word rendered “scarce” would be better “with difficulty.” They had been forced to hug the coast all the way from Myra, and when off Cnidus they were only opposite to the S.W. extremity of Asia Minor. Cnidus was, as its remains demonstrate, a famous seaport town in ancient times, and we find that Jews dwelt there in the days of the Maccabees (1Ma 15:23). It was a notable seat of the worship of Aphrodité.

the wind not suffering us] Better, with R. V., “not further suffering us,” i.e. not allowing us to make further progress.

under Crete] Rev. Ver., “under the lee of Crete.” See above on Acts 27:4. Crete is the modern island of Candia. Salmone was the eastern extremity of the island, off which when they came they sheltered themselves under the island, and sailed to the south of it, to avoid the wind as much as might be.

Bengel's Gnomen

Acts 27:7. Μὴ προσεῶντος) the wind not admitting us towards Crete.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 7. - Were come with difficulty for scarce were come, A.V.; further suffering for suffering, A.V.; under the lee of for under, A.V. Had sailed slowly (βραδυπλοοῦντες, only here). They were evidently sailing near the wind, and would have to tack frequently. They made in many days no more progress (some hundred and thirty miles) than they would have made in twenty-four hours with a favorable wind. With difficulty (μόλις) they could only just manage to do it, the wind not suffering them (μὴ προσεῶντος, here only). When they had with great difficulty got as far as over against Cnidus, on the coast of Carla, the north wind which caught them made it impossible to go further north. Accordingly they struck nearly due south, and bore down upon Crete, and passing Cape Salmone, its eastern extremity, they came along the southern side of the island. Acts 27:7

Vincent's Word Studies

Many (ἱκαναῖς)

See on Luke 7:6.

Scarce (μόλις)

Incorrect. Render, as Rev., with difficulty. So, also, hardly, in Acts 27:8. The meaning is not that they had scarcely reached Cnidus when the wind became contrary, nor that they had come only as far as Cnidus in many days; but that they were retarded by contrary winds between Myra and Cnidus, a distance of about one hundred and thirty miles, which, with a favorable wind, they might have accomplished in a day. Such a contrary wind would have been the northwesterly, which prevails during the summer months in that part of the Archipelago.