Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Acts: Chapter 27]
of Paul's words and conduct. {Took food} (\proselabonto
troph•s\). Partitive genitive here (some food), not accusative as
verse 33. Paul's courage was contagious.
27:37 {Two hundred three-score and sixteen souls} (\diakosiai
hebdom•konta hex\). The Vatican Manuscript (B) has \h•s\ in place
of \diakosiai\ (two hundred) which Westcott and Hort put in the
margin. But Alford is probably correct in suggesting that the
scribe of B wrote \h•s\ by repeating the omega in \ploi•i\ with
\s\ = 200 (Greek numeral). If the number 276 seems large, it is
to be remembered that we do not know the size of the ship.
Josephus (_Life_, 3) says that there were 600 on the ship that
took him to Italy. The grain ships were of considerable size. The
number included sailors, soldiers, and prisoners. A muster or
roll call may have been made.
27:38 {When they had eaten enough} (\koresthentes troph•s\).
First aorist passive of \korennumi\, old verb to satisfy, to
satiate, with the genitive. Literally, "Having been satisfied
with food." Here only in the N.T. {They lightened}
(\ekouphizon\). Inchoative imperfect active, began to lighten.
Old verb from \kouphos\ and originally to be light, but
transitive to lighten, as here, from Hippocrates on. {Throwing
out the wheat} (\ekballomenoi ton siton\). The cargo of wheat.
The second \ekbol•\ (verse 18) or casting out and overboard
which was only partially done at first.
27:39 {They knew not} (\ouk epegin•skon\). Imperfect active of
\epigin•sk•\, to recognize. Probably conative, tried to recognize
and could not (Conybeare and Howson). The island was well-known
(28:1, \epegn•men\), but St. Paul's Bay where the wreck took
place was some distance from the main harbour (Valetta) of Melita
(Malta). {They perceived} (\katenooun\). Imperfect active of
\katanoe•\, gradually perceived after some effort as in 11:16.
This beach seemed their only hope. {They took counsel}
(\ebouleuonto\). Imperfect middle showing the process of
deliberation and doubt. The bay "having a beach" (\echonta
aigialon\) is a phrase found in Xenophon's _Anabasis_ VI. 4, 4.
{Whether they could drive} (\ei dunainto eks•sai\). This use of
the optative with \ei\ in questions of this sort (implied
indirect) is a neat Greek idiom (Robertson, _Grammar_, p. 1021).
B C Bohairic read \eks•sai\ (first aorist active infinitive of
\eks•z•\), to save out (so Westcott and Hort), instead of
\ex•sai\ (from \ex•the•\, to push out, as Textus Receptus).
http://www.ccel.org/r/robertson_at/wordpictures/htm/AC27.RWP.html (15 of 18) [28/08/2004 09:08:19 a.m.]