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Acts 27:17

New Testament Historical ASV (1901)

What does Acts 27:17 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “and when they had hoisted it up, they used helps, under-girding the ship; and, fearing lest they should be cast upon the Syrtis, they lowered the gear, and so were driven.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

and when they had hoisted it up, they used helps, under-girding the ship; and, fearing lest they should be cast upon the Syrtis, they lowered the gear, and so were driven.
Acts 27:17 — American Standard Version

Context — Acts 27

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
14But after no long time there beat down from it a tempestuous wind, which is called Euraquilo:
15and when the ship was caught, and could not face the wind, we gave way [to it,] and were driven.
16And running under the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were able, with difficulty, to secure the boat:
17and when they had hoisted it up, they used helps, under-girding the ship; and, fearing lest they should be cast upon the Syrtis, they lowered the gear, and so were driven.
18And as we labored exceedingly with the storm, the next day they began to throw the [the freight] overboard;
19and the third day they cast out with their own hands the tackling of the ship.
20And when neither sun nor stars shone upon [us] for many days, and no small tempest lay on [us,] all hope that we should be saved was now taken away.
← Acts 27:16Acts 27:18 →
← Full Chapter 27 Acts Overview

What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“Which when they had taken up, etc.] When they had got the boat into the ship: they used helps; the mariners made use of other persons, called in the assistance of the soldiers, and passengers, and prisoners; or for the help of the ship, they made use of cords, chains, and such like things: undergirding the ship: with cords and ropes, which they drew under the keel of the ship, and so bound both sides of the ship, that it might not split and fall to pieces; which may be what is now called “frapping”, and is done by putting large ropes under the keel, and over the gunwale; and is used when a ship by labouring hard in the sea breaks the bolts in her sides, and this keeps her from parting.…”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“undergirding the ship--that is, passing four or five turns of a cable-laid rope round the hull or frame of the ship, to enable her to resist the violence of the seas, an operation rarely resorted to in modern seamanship. fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands--"be cast ashore" or "stranded upon the Syrtis," the Syrtis Major, a gulf on the African coast, southwest of Crete, the dread of mariners, owing to its dangerous shoals. they strake--"struck" sail--This cannot be the meaning, for to strike sail would have driven them directly towards the Syrtis. The meaning must be, "lowered the gear" (appurtenances of every kind); here, perhaps, referring to the lowering of the heavy…”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“Which when they had taken up - When they had raised up the boat into the ship, so as to secure it. They used helps - They used ropes, cables, stays, or chains, for the purpose of securing the ship. The danger was that the ship would be destroyed, and they therefore made use of such aids as would prevent its loss. Undergirding the ship - The ancients were accustomed to pass cables or strong ropes around a vessel to keep the planks from springing or starting by the action of the sea. This is now called “frapping” a vessel. The operation of “frapping” a vessel is thus described in Falconer’s Marine Dictionary. “To frap a ship is to pass four or five turns of a large cable-laid rope round the…”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · Modern study notes
“27:17 Binding ropes around the ship’s hull (called frapping in nautical terms) was intended to strengthen it against the tremendous pressure of the storm. • Syrtis refers to the shallow bays filled with sandbars off the coast of North Africa west of Cyrene.”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“fearing: Act 27:29, Act 27:41 Acts 27:18”
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Related study paths

Read Acts 27 in contextBrowse Greek word studiesOpen this verse in the study reader

Sources and verification