The Meaning of Acts 27:10 Explained

Acts 27:10

KJV: And said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives.

YLT: saying to them, 'Men, I perceive that with hurt, and much damage, not only of the lading and of the ship, but also of our lives -- the voyage is about to be;'

Darby: saying, Men, I perceive that the navigation will be with disaster and much loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.

ASV: and said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only of the lading and the ship, but also of our lives.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And said  unto them,  Sirs,  I perceive  that  this voyage  will be  with  hurt  and  much  damage,  not  only  of the lading  and  ship,  but  also  of our  lives. 

What does Acts 27:10 Mean?

Context Summary

Acts 27:1-13 - On A Dangerous Voyage
The we indicates that the good physician, Luke, had rejoined the party. Separated from Paul by the Apostle's imprisonment, he now accompanied him on the ship to Rome. The centurion was indulgently disposed toward Paul. He may have been one of the brilliant crowd who had listened to Paul's last address. It was a most merciful Providence that placed the Apostle with such a man. He showed exceptional kindness in releasing Paul on parole at Sidon, that he might visit his friends, and, no doubt, provide himself with necessaries against the stormy and hazardous winter voyage.
The travelers were fortunate enough to find at Myra a large vessel carrying wheat from Egypt to Rome. There was room for the centurion, his soldiers, and prisoners, as well as such others as chose to accompany them. It was toward the close of September, and perhaps at Fair Havens the Apostle and any Jewish Christians on board may have observed the great Day of Atonement, the one fast of the Jewish calendar. The season for navigation with sailing vessels was drawing to a close, and Paul counseled delay, but his words were unheeded. The man who knew God was wiser than the men who knew the sea. [source]

Chapter Summary: Acts 27

1  Paul shipping toward Rome,
10  foretells of the danger of the voyage,
11  but is not believed
14  They are tossed to and fro by a storm;
41  and suffer shipwreck;
44  yet all come safe to land

Greek Commentary for Acts 27:10

I perceive [θεωρῶ]
As the result of careful observation. See on Luke 10:18. [source]
Hurt [ὕβρεως]
The word literally means insolence, injury, and is used here metaphorically: insolence of the winds and waves, “like our 'sport' or 'riot' of the elements” (Hackett). Some take it literally, with presumption, as indicating the folly of undertaking a voyage at that season; but the use of the word in Acts 27:21is decisive against this. [source]
Damage [ζημίας]
Better, as Rev., loss. Hurt and damage (A. V.) is tautological. See on the kindred verb, notes on lose, Matthew 16:26, and east away, Luke 9:25. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Acts 27:10

Acts 27:21 Harm [ὕβριν]
See on Acts 27:10. [source]
Acts 11:28 Should be [μελλειν εσεσται]
Μελλω — Mellō occurs either with the present infinitive (Acts 16:27), the aorist infinitive (Acts 12:6), or the future as here and Acts 24:15; Acts 27:10. Over all the world (επ ολην την οικουμενην — eph' holēn tēn oikoumenēn). Over all the inhabited earth (γην — gēn understood). Probably a common hyperbole for the Roman empire as in Luke 2:1. Josephus (Ant. VIII. 13, 4) appears to restrict it to Palestine. In the days of Claudius He was Roman Emperor a.d. 41-44. The Roman writers (Suetonius, Dio Cassius, Tacitus) all tell of dearths (assiduae sterilitates) during the brief reign of Claudius who was preceded by Caligula and followed by Nero. [source]
Acts 27:22 No loss of life [αποβολη πσυχης ουδεμια]
Old word from αποβαλλω — apoballō to throw away, only twice in N.T. Romans 11:15 (rejection) and here. He had foretold such loss of life as likely (Acts 27:10), but he now gives his reason for his changed view. [source]
Galatians 6:5 His own burden [τὸ ἴδιον φορτίον]
For ἴδιον ownsee on 1 Timothy 6:1. With φορτίον burdencomp. βάρη burdens Galatians 6:2. It is doubtful whether any different shade of meaning is intended. Originally βάρη emphasizes the weight of the burden, φορτίον simply notes the fact that it is something to be born ( φέρειν ), which may be either light or heavy. See Matthew 11:30; Matthew 23:4; Psalm 37:4; Luke 11:46. Comp. Acts 27:10, the lading of a ship. [source]
Galatians 6:5 Each shall bear his own burden [το ιδιον πορτιον βαστασει]
Πορτιον — Phortion is old word for ship‘s cargo (Acts 27:10). Christ calls his πορτιον — phortion light, though he terms those of the Pharisees heavy (Matthew 23:4), meant for other people. The terms are thus not always kept distinct, though Paul does make a distinction here from the βαρη — barē in Galatians 6:2. [source]
Philippians 3:7 Have I counted [ηγημαι]
Perfect middle indicative, state of completion and still true. Loss (ζημιαν — zēmian). Old word for damage, loss. In N.T. only in Phil. and Acts 27:10, Acts 27:21. Debit side of the ledger, not credit. [source]
Philippians 3:7 Loss [ζημιαν]
Old word for damage, loss. In N.T. only in Phil. and Acts 27:10, Acts 27:21. Debit side of the ledger, not credit. [source]

What do the individual words in Acts 27:10 mean?

saying to them Men I understand that with disaster and much loss not only of the cargo ship but also the lives of us is about to be the voyage
λέγων αὐτοῖς Ἄνδρες θεωρῶ ὅτι μετὰ ὕβρεως καὶ πολλῆς ζημίας οὐ μόνον τοῦ φορτίου πλοίου ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ψυχῶν ἡμῶν μέλλειν ἔσεσθαι τὸν πλοῦν

λέγων  saying 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: λέγω 
Sense: to say, to speak.
αὐτοῖς  to  them 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
Ἄνδρες  Men 
Parse: Noun, Vocative Masculine Plural
Root: ἀνήρ  
Sense: with reference to sex.
θεωρῶ  I  understand 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 1st Person Singular
Root: θεωρέω  
Sense: to be a spectator, look at, behold.
ὅτι  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ὅτι  
Sense: that, because, since.
ὕβρεως  disaster 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: ὕβρις  
Sense: insolence.
πολλῆς  much 
Parse: Adjective, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: πολύς  
Sense: many, much, large.
ζημίας  loss 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: ζημία  
Sense: damage, loss.
μόνον  only 
Parse: Adverb
Root: μόνον  
Sense: only, alone, but.
τοῦ  of  the 
Parse: Article, Genitive Neuter Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
φορτίου  cargo 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Neuter Singular
Root: φορτίον  
Sense: a burden, load.
πλοίου  ship 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Neuter Singular
Root: πλοῖον  
Sense: a ship.
καὶ  also 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: καί  
Sense: and, also, even, indeed, but.
ψυχῶν  lives 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Plural
Root: ψυχή  
Sense: breath.
ἡμῶν  of  us 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 1st Person Plural
Root: ἐγώ  
Sense: I, me, my.
μέλλειν  is  about 
Parse: Verb, Present Infinitive Active
Root: μέλλω  
Sense: to be about.
ἔσεσθαι  to  be 
Parse: Verb, Future Infinitive Middle
Root: εἰμί  
Sense: to be, to exist, to happen, to be present.
πλοῦν  voyage 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: πλόος 
Sense: a voyage.