Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Acts: Chapter 27]
27:40 {Casting off} (\perielontes\). Second aorist active of
\periaire•\. Literally, "Having taken away from around," that is
all four anchors from around the stern. Cf. the other verbs with
\agkuras\ in verse 29,30. {They left them in the sea} (\ei•n
eis t•n thalassan\). Imperfect active of \ea•\, either
descriptive or inchoative. They let the anchors go and the ropes
fell down into the sea. {At the same time loosing the bands of
the rudders} (\hama anentes tas zeukt•rias t•n p•dali•n\). On the
use of \hama\ with the participle, old Greek idiom see Robertson,
_Grammar_, p. 1139. The second aorist active participle of
\ani•mi\, to relax, loosen up. Old verb, in N.T. Ac 16:26;
27:40; Eph 6:9; Heb 13:5. Thayer notes that \zeukt•rias\ (bands)
occurs nowhere else, but several papyri use it of yokes and
waterwheels (Moulton and Milligan's _Vocabulary_). The word for
rudders (\p•dalion\) is an old one (from \p•don\, the blade of an
oar), but in the N.T. only here and Jas 3:4. Page notes that
the ancient ships had a pair of paddle rudders like those of the
early northmen, one on each quarter. The paddle rudders had been
fastened while the ship was anchored. {Hoisting up the foresail
to the wind} (\eparantes ton artem•na t•i pneous•i\). Supply
\aur•i\ (breeze) after \pneous•i\ (blowing). It is not clear what
"sail" is meant by "\artem•na\." No other example in Greek is
known, though the scholiast to Juvenal XII. 68 explains \velo
prora suo\ by _artemone solo_. Hence "foresail" is probably
correct. {They made for the beach} (\kateichon eis ton
aigialon\). Imperfect active of \katech•\, to hold down, perhaps
inchoative. "They began to hold the ship steadily for the beach."
27:41 {But lighting upon} (\peripesontes de\). Second aorist
active participle of \peripipt•\, old verb to fall into and so be
encompassed by as in Lu 10:30; Jas 1:2. There is a current on
one side of St. Paul's Bay between a little island (Salmonetta)
and Malta which makes a sand bank between the two currents.
Unexpectedly the ship stuck in this sandbar. {Where two seas met}
(\dithalasson\). Used in Strabo and Dio Chrysostom for divided
seas (\dis, thalassa\). {They ran the vessel aground} (\epekeilan
t•n naun\). First aorist active indicative of old verb
\epikell•\, to run a ship ashore. Only here in N.T. Here also we
have the only N.T. use of \naus\ for ship (from \na•, ne•\, to
swim) so common in ancient Greek. Our word navy is from this word
through the Latin. {Struck} (\ereisasa\). First aorist active
participle of \ereid•\, old verb to fix firmly. Only here in N.T.
http://www.ccel.org/r/robertson_at/wordpictures/htm/AC27.RWP.html (16 of 18) [28/08/2004 09:08:19 a.m.]