The Meaning of Acts 27:14 Explained

Acts 27:14

KJV: But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon.

YLT: and not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, that is called Euroclydon,

Darby: But not long after there came down it a hurricane called Euroclydon.

ASV: But after no long time there beat down from it a tempestuous wind, which is called Euraquilo:

KJV Reverse Interlinear

But  not  long  after  there arose  against  it  a tempestuous  wind,  called  Euroclydon. 

What does Acts 27:14 Mean?

Context Summary

Acts 27:14-26 - Savior Of The Ship's Company
The crew, being greatly exhausted by severe exertion and want of food, were the more willing to listen to the Apostle when he came to the front with his wise counsels and good cheer. They had previously ignored His advice, but were glad and wise enough to take it on this second occasion.
How calm faith makes us! We can sleep soundly amid the roar of the storm and dream of angels when our hearts are stayed on God. His messengers can cleave their way through the murkiest skies and most drenching storms, to succor those who need their help. What a beautiful confession that was: Whose I am and whom I serve! Can we all appropriate it? The first clause is literally true of us all. We belong to Christ by creation and redemption. But do we acknowledge His ownership and place our all in His service?
In the midst of the excitement, Paul was able to give thanks. Let not the good habit of grace before meals drop out of our practice or homes. What a magnificent sentence is this also-I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me. Yes, there is no peace outside of that faith. And it shall be, O believer, your happy experience! [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 27:14

After no long time [μετ ου πολυ]
Litotes again. [source]
Beat down from it [εβαλεν κατ αυτης]
Second aorist active indicative of βαλλω — ballō to throw. Here “dashed” (intransitive). Αυτης — Autēs is in the ablative, not genitive case, beat “down from it” (Crete), not “against it or on it.” (Robertson, Grammar, p. 606). Αυτης — Autēs cannot refer to πλοιον — ploion (boat) which is neuter. So the ablative case with κατα — kata as in Mark 5:13, Homer also. The Cretan mountains are over 7,000 feet high. A tempestuous wind which is called Euraquilo (ανεμος τυπωνικος ο καλουμενος Ευρακυλων — anemos tuphōnikos ho kaloumenos Eurakulōn). ΤυπωνΤυπως — Tuphōn̂Tuphōs was used for the typhoon, a violent whirlwind (τυρβο — turbo) or squall. This word gives the character of the wind. The Ευρακυλων — Eurakulōn (reading of Aleph A B against the Textus Receptus Ευροκλυδων — Eurokludōn) has not been found elsewhere. Blass calls it a hybrid word compounded of the Greek ευρος — euros (east wind) and the Latin αθυιλο — aquilo (northeast). It is made like ευρονοτος — euronotos (southeast). The Vulgate has euroaquilo. It is thus the east north east wind. Page considers Euroclydon to be a corruption of Euraquilo. Here the name gives the direction of the wind. [source]
A tempestuous wind which is called Euraquilo [ανεμος τυπωνικος ο καλουμενος Ευρακυλων]
ΤυπωνΤυπως — Tuphōn̂Tuphōs was used for the typhoon, a violent whirlwind It is made like ευρονοτος — euronotos (southeast). The Vulgate has euroaquilo. It is thus the east north east wind. Page considers Euroclydon to be a corruption of Euraquilo. Here the name gives the direction of the wind. [source]
There arose against it [ἔβαλε κατ ' αὐτῆς]
Against what? Some say, the island of Crete; in which case they would have been driven against the island, whereas we are told that they were driven away from it. Others, the ship. It is objected that the pronoun αὐτῆς it, is feminine, while the feminine noun for ship ( ναῦς ) is not commonly used by Luke, but rather the neuter, πλοῖον . I do not think this objection entitled to much weight. Luke is the only New Testament writer who uses ναῦς (see Acts 27:41), though he uses it but once; and, as Hackett remarks, “it would be quite accidental which of the terms would shape the pronoun at this moment, as they were both so familiar.” A third explanation refers the pronoun to the island of Crete, and renders, “there beat down from it. ” This is grammatical, and according to a well-known usage of the preposition. The verb βάλλω is also used intransitively in the sense of tofall; thus Homer Iliad,” xi., 722), of a riverfalling into the sea. Compare Mark 4:37: “the the waves beat ( ἐπέβαλλεν ) into the ship;” and Luke 15:12the portion of goods thatfalleth ( ἐπιβάλλον ) to me.” The rendering of the Rev. is, therefore, well supported, and, on the whole, preferable' there beat down from it. It is also according to the analogy of the expression in Luke 8:23, there came down a storm. See note there, and see on Matthew 8:24. [source]
A tempestuous wind [ἄνεμος τυφωνικὸς]
Lit., a typhonic wind. The word τυφῶν means a typhoon, and the adjective formed from it means of the character of a typhoon. [source]
Euroclydon [Εὐροκλύδων]
The best texts read Εὐρακύλων , Euraquilo: i.e., between Eurus, “the E. S. E. wind,” and Aquilo, “the north-wind, or, strictly, N. 1/3 E.” Hence, E. N. E. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Acts 27:14

Revelation 7:1 Standing [εστωτας]
Second perfect predicate participle of ιστημι — histēmi intransitive and followed by επι — epi and the accusative case γωνιας — gōnias as already in Revelation 3:20 Old word for angle (Matthew 6:5), also in Revelation 20:8.Holding Present active participle of κρατεω — krateō to hold fast (Mark 7:3; John 20:23). The four winds (cf. Matthew 24:31) are held prisoner by angels at each of the four corners. Some Jews held the winds from due north, south, east, west to be favourable, while those from the angles (see Acts 27:14) were unfavourable (Charles). There is an angel of the fire (Revelation 14:18) and an angel of the waters (Revelation 16:5).That no wind should blow (ινα μη πνεηι ανεμος — hina mē pneēi anemos). Negative purpose clause with ινα μη — hina mē and the present active subjunctive, “lest a wind keep on blowing.”Upon any tree Accusative case here with επι — epi rather than the preceding genitives (γησ ταλασσης — gēsthalassēs), “upon the land or upon the sea,” but “against any tree” (picture of attack on the tree like a tornado‘s path). [source]
Revelation 7:1 Holding [κρατουντας]
Present active participle of κρατεω — krateō to hold fast (Mark 7:3; John 20:23). The four winds (cf. Matthew 24:31) are held prisoner by angels at each of the four corners. Some Jews held the winds from due north, south, east, west to be favourable, while those from the angles (see Acts 27:14) were unfavourable (Charles). There is an angel of the fire (Revelation 14:18) and an angel of the waters (Revelation 16:5).That no wind should blow (ινα μη πνεηι ανεμος — hina mē pneēi anemos). Negative purpose clause with ινα μη — hina mē and the present active subjunctive, “lest a wind keep on blowing.”Upon any tree Accusative case here with επι — epi rather than the preceding genitives (γησ ταλασσης — gēsthalassēs), “upon the land or upon the sea,” but “against any tree” (picture of attack on the tree like a tornado‘s path). [source]

What do the individual words in Acts 27:14 mean?

After not long however there came down from it a wind tempestuous - called the Northeaster
μετ’ οὐ πολὺ δὲ ἔβαλεν κατ’ αὐτῆς ἄνεμος τυφωνικὸς καλούμενος Εὐρακύλων

μετ’  After 
Parse: Preposition
Root: μετά  
Sense: with, after, behind.
πολὺ  long 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: πολύς  
Sense: many, much, large.
δὲ  however 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: δέ  
Sense: but, moreover, and, etc.
ἔβαλεν  there  came 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: βάλλω 
Sense: to throw or let go of a thing without caring where it falls.
κατ’  down 
Parse: Preposition
Root: κατά 
Sense: down from, through out.
αὐτῆς  from  it 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Feminine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
ἄνεμος  a  wind 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἄνεμος  
Sense: wind, a violent agitation and stream of air.
τυφωνικὸς  tempestuous 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: τυφωνικός  
Sense: like a whirlwind, tempestuous.
  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
καλούμενος  called 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Middle or Passive, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: καλέω  
Sense: to call.
Εὐρακύλων  the  Northeaster 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: εὐρακύλων 
Sense: south east wind raising mighty waves.