18. Lightened (èkßoλǹv étoloûvto). Lit., made a casting out. Rev., began to throw the freight overboard. Note the imperfect, began to throw. The whole cargo was not cast overboard: the wheat was reserved to the last extremity (ver. 38).

19. Tackling (σKevǹν). The word means equipment, furniture. The exact meaning here is uncertain. Some suppose it to refer to the main-yard; an immense spar which would require the united efforts of passengers and crew to throw overboard. It seems improbable, however, that they would have sacrificed so large a spar, which, in case of shipwreck, would support thirty or forty men in the water. The most generally received opinion is that it refers to the furniture of the shipbeds, tables, chests, etc.

21. Hearkened (Tεidaрxýσavтas). See on obey, ch. v. 29. Loosed (áváyeodai). Rev., set sail. See on Luke viii. 22. Harm (üßpv). See on ver. 10.

23. The angel. Rev., correctly, an angel. There is no article.

Of God (TOû OεOû). Rev., correctly, supplies the article: "the God," added because Paul was addressing heathen, who would have understood by angel a messenger of the gods.

27. Adria. The Adriatic Sea: embracing all that part of the Mediterranean lying south of Italy, east of Sicily, and west of Greece.

Deemed (úπevóovv). Better, as Rev., suspected or surmised.

That they drew near to some country. Lit., that some land is drawing near to them.

30. Under color (popáσe). Lit., on pretence.

Cast (EKTEίVEL). Lit., to stretch out. The meaning is, to (ἐκτείνειν). carry out an anchor to a distance from the prow by means of the small boat. Rev., lay out.

33. While the day was coming on (axp dè ov čμeλλev nuépa víveodai). Lit., until it should become day: in the interval between midnight and morning.

39. Bay (κóλπov). See on bosom, Luke vi. 38.

Shore (aiyaλov). See on Matt. xiii. 2. Better, as Rev., beach.

They were minded (éẞovλevσavTO). Better, as Rev., took counsel. See on Matt. i. 19.

40. Taken up (πepieλóvтes). Wrong. The word means to remove, and refers here to cutting the anchor-cables, or casting off, as Rev.

Committed themselves (ewv). Wrong. The reference is to the anchors. Rev., correctly, left them in the sea.

Rudder-bands (Çevктηpías tŵv πηdaλíwv). Lit., the bands of the rudders. The larger ships had two rudders, like broad oars or paddles, joined together by a pole, and managed by one steersman. They could be pulled up and fastened with bands to the ship; as was done in this case, probably to avoid fouling the anchors when they were cast out of the stern. The bands were now loosened, in order that the ship might be driven forward.

Mainsail (upréμova). Only here in New Testament. Probably the foresail. So Rev.

Made toward (xaтεîɣov). Lit., held; bore down for.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

1. They knew. The best texts read we knew: ascertained or recognized: with a reference to ver. 39.

2. Barbarous people. From the Roman point of view, regarding all as barbarians who spoke neither Greek nor Latin. Not necessarily uncivilized. It is equivalent to foreigners. Compare Rom. i. 14; 1 Cor. xiv. 11. The inhabitants of Malta were of Carthaginian descent. "Even in the present day the natives of Malta have a peculiar language, termed the Maltese, which has been proved to be essentially an Arabic dialect, with an admixture of Italian " (Gloag).

No little (où TUXoûσav). See on special, ch. xix. 11. Rev., much better, "no common kindness."

Kindness (pavρwπíav). See on the kindred adverb courteously, ch. xxvii. 3.

Present rain (Vetòv tòv ¿peσtŵτa). Lit., which was upon us, or had set in. No mention of rain occurs up to this point in the narrative of the shipwreck. The tempest may thus far have been unattended with rain, but it is hardly probable.

3. Of sticks (þpvyávwv). Only here in New Testament. From opúyw, to roast or parch. Hence, dry sticks.

Out of (ek). The best texts read ảπó, by reason of.

4. Justice (4in). Personified.

Suffereth not (oux elaσev). The aorist tense: did not suffer. His death is regarded as fixed by the divine decree.

5. The beast (Tò Inpíov). Luke uses the word in the same. way as the medical writers, who employed it to denote venom

ous serpents, and particularly the viper; so much so that an antidote, made chiefly from the flesh of vipers, was termed Inpiaký. A curious bit of etymological history attaches to this θηριακή. latter word. From it came the Latin theriaca, of which our treacle (molasses) is a corruption. Treacle, therefore, is origi nally a preparation of viper's flesh, and was used later of any antidote. Thus Coverdale's translation of Jer. viii. 22 has, "There is no more treacle in Gilead." Gurnall ("Christian in Complete Armor") says: "The saints' experiences help them to a sovereign treacle made of the scorpion's own flesh (which they through Christ have slain), and that hath a virtue above all other to expel the venom of Satan's temptations from the heart." So Jeremy Taylor: "We kill the viper and make treacle of him."

6. Swollen (íμmраodai). Only here in New Testament. The usual medical word for inflammation.

Looked (рoodоKávтwv). Occurring eleven times in Luke, and only five times in the rest of the New Testament. Frequent in medical writers, to denote expectation of the fatal result of illness.

ἄτοπον).

No harm (undev ǎтоTOV). Lit., nothing out of place. The word άTOTоs occurs three times in Luke, and only once elsewhere in the New Testament (2 Thess. iii. 2). Used by physicians to denote something unusual in the symptoms of disease, and also something fatal or deadly as here. Rev., nothing amiss. Compare Luke xxiii. 41; and Acts xxv. 5, where the best texts insert the word.

Said (exeyov). The imperfect, denoting current talk.

A god. "Observe," says Bengel, "the fickleness of human reasoning. He is either an assassin, say they, or a god. So, at one time bulls, at another stones" (Acts xiv. 13, 19).

7. The chief man (TÔ πρÓτ). Official title, without refer

ence to his rank and possessions. Though not occurring as the official designation of the governor of Malta in any ancient author, it has been found in two inscriptions discovered in the island.

8. Sick (ovvexóμevov). Lit., taken or holden. See on taken, Luke iv: 38.

Fever (πUρETOîs). Lit., fevers. This peculiarly medical use of the plural is confined to Luke in the New Testament. It denotes successive and varying attacks of fever.

(δυσεντερία).

Bloody flux (Svσevтepia). Only here in New Testament. Our word dysentery is nearly a transcript of it. Hippocrates often speaks of the two complaints in combination.

Healed (iúoaтo). See on Luke vi. 19. (ἰάσατο).

10. Honors (Tuaîs). The word was applied to payments for professional services, and that fact may have influenced Luke in selecting it; but it is evidently not used in that sense here.

11. Sign. Answering to the ship's name in modern times. It was the image of a god, a man, a beast, or of some other object, sculptured or painted on the prow. The figure of the guardian deity was affixed to the stern.

Castor and Pollux. Known as the twin brothers and the Dioscuri, or sons of Jove. They were regarded as tutelary deities of sailors.

16. The centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard. The best texts omit.

20. I am bound (Tepíxeμai). Lit., compassed.

22. We desire (ağtoûμev).

Compare ch. xv. 38.

Rather, we think it fitting.

Sect. See on heresies, 2 Pet. ii. 1.