Acts 27:28
And sounded, and found it twenty fathoms: and when they had gone a little further, they sounded again, and found it fifteen fathoms.
Acts 27:28 in other translations
| BSB | They took soundings and found that the water was twenty fathoms deep. Going a little farther, they took another set of soundings that read fifteen fathoms. |
|---|---|
| WEB | They took soundings and found twenty fathoms. After a little while, they took soundings again, and found fifteen fathoms. |
| ASV | and they sounded, and found twenty fathoms; and after a little space, they sounded again, and found fifteen fathoms. |
| YLT | and having sounded they found twenty fathoms, and having gone a little farther, and again having sounded, they found fifteen fathoms, |
| DARBY | and having sounded found twenty fathoms, and having gone a little farther and having again sounded they found fifteen fathoms; |
| BBE | And they let down the lead, and saw that the sea was a hundred and twenty feet deep; and after a little time they did it again and it was ninety feet. |
| Webster | And sounded, and found it twenty fathoms: and when they had gone a little further, they sounded again, and found it fifteen fathoms. |
What does Acts 27:28 mean?
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Acts 27:27-29
27-29. when the fourteenth night was come--from the time they left Fair Havens. as we were driven--drifting up and down in Adria--the Adriatic, that sea which lies between Greece and Italy. about midnight the shipmen deemed--no doubt from the peculiar sound of the breakers. that they drew near some country--"that some land was approaching them." This nautical language gives a graphic character to the narrative.
Barnes' Notes
Twenty fathoms. A fathom is six feet, or the distance from the extremity of the middle finger on one hand to the extremity of the other, when the arms are extended. The depth, therefore, was about one hundred and twenty feet.
Fifteen fathoms. They knew, therefore, that they were drawing near to shore.
Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain
Adam Clarke's Commentary
Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Acts 27:21-29
They did not hearken to the apostle when he warned them of their danger; yet if they acknowledge their folly, and repent of it, he will speak comfort and relief to them when in danger. Most people bring themselves into trouble, because they do not know when they are well off; they come to harm and loss by aiming to mend their condition, often against advice. Observe the solemn profession Paul made of relation to…
Acts 27:28 in the original Greek
Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.
Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).
Context
- Acts 27:27
But when the fourteenth night was come, as we were driven up and down in Adria, about midnight the shipmen deemed that they drew near to some country;
- Acts 27:28
And sounded, and found it twenty fathoms: and when they had gone a little further, they sounded again, and found it fifteen fathoms.
- Acts 27:29
Then fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day.
Acts 27:28 in other languages
| Spanish Reina-Valera 1909 | Y echando la sonda, hallaron veinte brazas; y pasando un poco más adelante, volviendo á echar la sonda, hallaron quince brazas. |
|---|---|
| French Bible J.N. Darby 1885 | et ayant jeté la sonde, ils trouvèrent 20 brasses; puis ayant passé un peu plus loin, et ayant encore jeté la sonde, ils trouvèrent 15 brasses. |
| German Elberfelder 1871 | Und als sie das Senkblei ausgeworfen hatten, fanden sie zwanzig Faden; nachdem sie aber ein wenig weiter gefahren waren und das Senkblei wiederum ausgeworfen hatten, fanden sie fünfzehn Faden. |
| Latin Clementine Vulgate | Qui et summittentes bolidem, invenerunt passus viginti: et pusillum inde separati, invenerunt passus quindecim. |