Acts 27 · Verse 8

Acts 27:8

And, hardly passing it, came unto a place which is called The fair havens; nigh whereunto was the city of Lasea.
Acts 27:8, King James Version

Acts 27:8 in other translations

BSBAfter we had moved along the coast with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near the town of Lasea.
WEBWith difficulty sailing along it we came to a certain place called Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea.
ASVand with difficulty coasting along it we came unto a certain place called Fair Havens; nigh whereunto was the city of Lasea.
YLTand hardly passing it, we came to a certain place called ‘Fair Havens,' nigh to which was the city of Lasaea.
DARBYand coasting it with difficulty we came to a certain place called Fair Havens, near to which was the city of Lasaea.
BBEAnd sailing down the side of it, as well as we were able, we came to a certain place named Fair Havens, near which was the town of Lasea.
WebsterAnd hardly passing it, came to a place which is called, The fair havens; nigh to which was the city of Lasea.

What does Acts 27:8 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
8. And hardly passing it--"with difficulty coasting along it," from the same cause as before, the westerly current and head winds. came to ... the Fair Havens--an anchorage near the center of the south coast, and a little east of Cape Matala, the southern most point of the island. nigh whereunto was the city Lasea--identified by the Reverend George Brown [Smith, Voyages and Shipwreck of St. Paul, Appendix 3, Second Edition, 1856]. (To this invaluable book commentators on this chapter, and these notes, are much indebted).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 8. And, hardly passing it. Scarcely being able to pass by it without being wrecked. Being almost driven on it. They passed round the east end of the island, because they had been unable to sail directly forward between the island and the main land.

The fair havens. This was on the south-eastern part of the island of Crete. It was probably not so much a harbour as an open kind of road, which afforded good anchorage for a time. It is called by Stephen, the geographer, "the fair shore."

(++) "whereunto" "near which"

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 8 The Fair Havens - This port still remains, and is known by the same name; it was situated towards the northern extremity of the island. Was the city of Lasea - There is no city of this name now remaining: the Codex Alexandrinus reads Αλασσα, Alassa; probably Lysia, near the port of Gortyna, to the eastward.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Acts 27:1-11

It was determined by the counsel of God, before it was determined by the counsel of Festus, that Paul should go to Rome; for God had work for him to do there. The course they steered, and the places they touched at, are here set down. And God here encourages those who suffer for him, to trust in him; for he can put it into the hearts of those to befriend them, from whom they least expect it. Sailors must make the…

Read the full comment on Acts 27:1-11 →

Acts 27:8 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.

μόλιςmolisWith difficultyG3433
τεteandG5037
παραλεγόμενοιparalegomenoicoasting alongG3881
αὐτὴνautēnitG846
ἤλθομενēlthomenwe cameG2064
εἰςeistoG1519
τόπονtopona placeG5117
τινὰtinacertainG5100
καλούμενονkaloumenonbeing calledG2564
ΚαλοὺςKalousFairG2570
λιμένας,limenasHavens,G3040
ᾧhōto whichG3739
ἐγγὺςengusnearG1451
πόλιςpolis[the] cityG4172
ἦνēnwasG1510
Λασαία.Lasaiaof Lasea.G2996

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
The fair havens.The Fair Havens, still known by the same name, was a port on the south-eastern part of Crete, near Lasea, of which nothing now remains.
8

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Acts 27:7

    And when we had sailed slowly many days, and scarce were come over against Cnidus, the wind not suffering us, we sailed under Crete, over against Salmone;

  • Acts 27:8

    And, hardly passing it, came unto a place which is called The fair havens; nigh whereunto was the city of Lasea.

  • Acts 27:9

    Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished them,

Read all of Acts 27

Acts 27:8 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y costeándola difícilmente, llegamos á un lugar que llaman Buenos Puertos, cerca del cual estaba la ciudad de Lasea.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		et l’ayant longée avec peine, nous sommes arrivés en un lieu qui est appelé Beaux-Ports, près duquel était la ville de Lasée.
German
Elberfelder 1871		und als wir mit Mühe an ihr dahinfuhren, kamen wir an einen gewissen Ort, Schönhafen genannt, in dessen Nähe die Stadt Lasea war.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		et vix juxta navigantes, venimus in locum quemdam qui vocatur Boniportus, cui juxta erat civitas Thalassa.