The Meaning of Acts 27:42 Explained

Acts 27:42

KJV: And the soldiers' counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape.

YLT: And the soldiers' counsel was that they should kill the prisoners, lest any one having swam out should escape,

Darby: And the counsel of the soldiers was that they should kill the prisoners, lest any one should swim off and escape.

ASV: And the soldiers counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them'should swim out, and escape.

Discover Acts 27:42

CONTEXT: What is the Context of Acts 27:42?

MEANING: What does Acts 27:42 Mean?

WORDS: What do the individual words in Acts 27:42 mean?

RELATIONS: What do the major concepts mean in Acts 27:42?

What is the context of Acts 27:42?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the soldiers' counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape.

What does Acts 27:42 Mean?

Context Summary

Acts 27:35-44 - Saving Paul Saved Them All

The sailors endeavored to head the vessel toward the mouth of a creek that appeared before them, but she ran aground and stuck fast. It was here that a new and unexpected peril confronted Paul and his fellow-prisoners. The soldiers proposed to kill them, lest they should swim ashore and escape; but the centurion, perhaps out of gratitude to the man to whom they all owed their lives, forbade the soldiers and ordered everyone to endeavor somehow to get to land.

It does not so much matter how we get to heaven, as that we get there. Some who trust most in ritual and ceremonies may get there on broken pieces of the ship, but happier are they who can cast themselves directly upon the mercy of God in Jesus Christ. It was a drenched and shivering group that stood on the shore on that chill November day. Thank God, our condition will be very different when we emerge on the shore of eternity after crossing the cold waters. And as we stand on the beach of the glassy sea, all of us will render praise to Him who has brought us safe home. [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 27:42

Counsel was to kill [βουλη εγενετο ινααποκτεινωσιν]
The soldiers did not relish the idea of the escape of the prisoners. Hence there came this “counsel” Regular Greek idiom for purpose Soldiers were responsible for the lives of prisoners (Acts 12:19). [source]

Swim out [εκκολυμβησας]
First aorist active participle of εκκολυμβαω ekkolumbaō old verb to swim out and so away. Escape (διαπυγηι diaphugēi). Second aorist (effective) active subjunctive of διαπευγω diapheugō to make a clean (δια dia) escape. [source]

Escape [διαπυγηι]
Second aorist (effective) active subjunctive of διαπευγω diapheugō to make a clean (δια dia) escape. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Acts 27:42

Acts 16:27 Open [ανεωιγμενος]
Perfect passive participle with double reduplication in predicate position, standing open. Drew his sword (σπασαμενος την μαχαιραν spasamenos tēn machairan). First aorist middle participle of σπαω spaō to draw, as in Mark 14:47, drawing his own sword himself. Our word spasm from this old word. Was about Imperfect active of μελλω mellō with both syllabic and temporal augment and followed here by present infinitive. He was on the point of committing suicide as Brutus had done near here. Stoicism had made suicide popular as the escape from trouble like the Japanese harikari. Had escaped (εκπεπευγεναι ekpepheugenai). Second perfect active infinitive of εκπευγω ekpheugō old verb with perfective force of εκ ek to flee out, to get clean away. This infinitive and accusative of general reference is due to indirect discourse after νομιζων nomizōn Probably the prisoners were so panic stricken by the earthquake that they did not rally to the possibility of escape before the jailor awoke. He was responsible for the prisoners with his life (Acts 12:19; Acts 27:42). [source]

Acts 16:27 Was about [ημελλεν]
Imperfect active of μελλω mellō with both syllabic and temporal augment and followed here by present infinitive. He was on the point of committing suicide as Brutus had done near here. Stoicism had made suicide popular as the escape from trouble like the Japanese harikari. Had escaped (εκπεπευγεναι ekpepheugenai). Second perfect active infinitive of εκπευγω ekpheugō old verb with perfective force of εκ ek to flee out, to get clean away. This infinitive and accusative of general reference is due to indirect discourse after νομιζων nomizōn Probably the prisoners were so panic stricken by the earthquake that they did not rally to the possibility of escape before the jailor awoke. He was responsible for the prisoners with his life (Acts 12:19; Acts 27:42). [source]

Acts 16:27 Had escaped [εκπεπευγεναι]
Second perfect active infinitive of εκπευγω ekpheugō old verb with perfective force of εκ ek to flee out, to get clean away. This infinitive and accusative of general reference is due to indirect discourse after νομιζων nomizōn Probably the prisoners were so panic stricken by the earthquake that they did not rally to the possibility of escape before the jailor awoke. He was responsible for the prisoners with his life (Acts 12:19; Acts 27:42). [source]

What do the individual words in Acts 27:42 mean?

Of the now soldiers [the] plan was that the prisoners they should kill lest anyone having swum away should escape

Τῶν δὲ στρατιωτῶν βουλὴ ἐγένετο ἵνα τοὺς δεσμώτας ἀποκτείνωσιν μή τις ἐκκολυμβήσας διαφύγῃ

Τῶν	Of the
Parse: Article, Genitive Masculine Plural Root: ὁ Sense: this, that, these, etc.
δὲ	now
Parse: Conjunction Root: δέ Sense: but, moreover, and, etc.
στρατιωτῶν	soldiers
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Plural Root: στρατιώτης Sense: a (common) soldier.
βουλὴ	[the] plan
Parse: Noun, Nominative Feminine Singular Root: βουλή Sense: counsel, purpose.
ἵνα	that
Parse: Conjunction Root: ἵνα Sense: that, in order that, so that.
δεσμώτας	prisoners
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Plural Root: δεσμώτης Sense: one bound, a prisoner.
ἀποκτείνωσιν	they should kill
Parse: Verb, Aorist Subjunctive Active, 3rd Person Plural Root: ἀποκτείνω Sense: to kill in any way whatever.
μή	lest
Parse: Adverb Root: μή Sense: no, not lest.
τις	anyone
Parse: Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun, Nominative Masculine Singular Root: τὶς Sense: a certain, a certain one.
ἐκκολυμβήσας	having swum away
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular Root: ἐκκολυμβάω Sense: to swim out of.
διαφύγῃ	should escape
Parse: Verb, Aorist Subjunctive Active, 3rd Person Singular Root: διαφεύγω Sense: to flee through danger, to escape.

What are the major concepts related to Acts 27:42?

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Similar Scriptures for Acts 27:42

		Psalms 74:20 [2]
		Luke 23:40-41 [2]
		Acts 12:19 [2]
		Proverbs 12:10 [2]
		Mark 15:15-20 [2]
		Ecclesiastes 9:3 [2]