Acts 27:20 kjv
And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away.
Acts 27:20 nkjv
Now when neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest beat on us, all hope that we would be saved was finally given up.
Acts 27:20 niv
When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved.
Acts 27:20 esv
When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned.
Acts 27:20 nlt
The terrible storm raged for many days, blotting out the sun and the stars, until at last all hope was gone.
Acts 27 20 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Acts 27:20 | ...no small storm battered us, and finally all hope of our being saved was extinguished. | Direct account of the event |
| Deuteronomy 28:65 | And there you will have no peace, and there will be no resting place for the sole of your foot. | Consequence of disobedience |
| Job 30:15-16 | My soul is stripped of its good ; the days of affliction have taken hold of me. My soul is writhing in me. | Expression of deep suffering |
| Psalm 69:3 | I am weary with my calling [for help]; my throat is dry. My eyes fail while waiting for my God. | Desperation and longing for God |
| Isaiah 44:27 | who says to the deep, ‘Be dry; I will drain your rivers’ | God's sovereignty over the sea |
| Jeremiah 15:12 | Can iron beat iron from the north and bronze? | Utter destruction and defeat |
| Lamentations 1:7 | Jerusalem, in days of her distress and wandering, remembered her former glories. | Loss of hope and remembrance |
| Lamentations 3:4 | He has aged my flesh and my skin, and broken my bones. | Physical and emotional breakdown |
| Jonah 2:3 | for you cast me into the deep, into the very heart of the seas, and the flood surrounded me; all your waves and your billows passed over me. | Shipwreck and desolation |
| Matthew 14:30 | But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” | Fear and perceived abandonment |
| Mark 4:39 | And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. | Christ's power over the elements |
| John 6:19 | then they had rowed about twenty-five or thirty stadia, they saw Jesus walking on the sea... | Uncertainty and fear at sea |
| 2 Corinthians 11:25 | Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; | Paul's own accounts of hardships |
| 2 Corinthians 11:27 | in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. | Description of his suffering |
| Hebrews 6:19 | We have this hope as an anchor of the soul, firm and secure. | Hope as a spiritual anchor |
| Hebrews 12:12 | Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees. | Encouragement amidst trials |
| 1 Peter 5:10 | And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. | God's restoration after suffering |
| Revelation 18:10 | standing at a distance, in the fear of the smoke of her burning, crying out, ‘Woe, woe, the great city! for in one hour your judgment has come.’ | Devastation and finality |
| Acts 27:21 | Then Paul stood among them and said, “Men, you should have been persuaded by me not to sail from Crete and to gain this harm and loss.” | Paul's foresight and reproach |
| Acts 27:33 | As day was about to dawn, Paul urged them all to take some food, saying, “It is now the fourteenth day that you have continued fasting, having waited for nothing.” | Instruction for sustenance |
Acts 27 verses
Acts 27 20 Meaning
This verse describes a profound sense of despair and hopelessness experienced by Paul and his companions during a severe storm at sea. The sun and stars were not visible for many days, and the storm raged, indicating a complete lack of any navigational aid or hope for survival. Their physical condition deteriorated due to lack of food.
Acts 27 20 Context
Chapter 27 of Acts details the perilous sea voyage of Paul and others to Rome. They were sailing under the care of Julius, a centurion, as Paul was an appellant to Caesar. The voyage was plagued by unfavorable winds and weather. After passing Crete, they encountered a fierce storm, likely a Mediterranean hurricane known as a Euroclydon. For many days, the storm intensified, disorienting them completely and destroying any semblance of order or safety. This verse marks the peak of their despair.
Acts 27 20 Word analysis
- And: Connects this verse to the preceding description of the storm's intensity and duration.
- after: Indicates the passage of time following the initial engagement with the storm.
- many: Emphasizes the prolonged nature of their ordeal.
- days: Quantifies the extended period of hardship and lack of visibility.
- passed: Signifies the continuous onslaught of the tempest.
- and: Joins the observations about the sun and stars with the ongoing fury of the storm.
- neither: Negates the presence of the sun and stars, crucial for navigation.
- sun: The celestial body providing light and bearing, essential for maritime orientation. Its absence signifies a total loss of guidance.
- nor: Connects the absence of the sun to the absence of the stars.
- stars: Other celestial bodies used for navigation, especially at night.
- any: Expresses a complete absence, reinforcing the dire situation.
- appeared: Means to come into view or become visible. Their non-appearance underscores their utter lostness.
- for: Introduces the reason or cause for their despair.
- a: Indicates singularity or distinctness.
- long: Further emphasizes the extended duration of the phenomenon.
- time: The general duration or period.
- and: Connects the lack of celestial visibility to the continuing severity of the storm.
- great: Denotes a high degree or intensity.
- storm: A violent disturbance of the atmosphere with strong winds and usually rain, thunder, lightning, or snow.
- continued: Highlights the ongoing and persistent nature of the tempest.
- to : Part of an infinitive phrase.
- rage: To be violently or uncontrollably angry or excited. Describes the storm's fierce energy.
- and: Connects the raging storm to the emotional state of the people.
- all: Refers to the entirety of the hope.
- hope: A feeling of expectation and desire.
- of: Indicates possession or origin.
- our: Denotes belonging to themselves.
- being: Indicates existence or occurrence.
- saved: To be rescued from danger or difficulty.
- was: Indicates past tense.
- given up: To relinquish or abandon, in this context, surrender to their fate.
Word Group Analysis:
- "neither sun nor stars any longer appeared for many days": This phrase encapsulates the complete loss of navigation and the feeling of being utterly adrift and abandoned. The inability to see celestial bodies meant they had no way to determine their course or location, plunging them into utter uncertainty.
- "And a great storm continued to rage": This phrase emphasizes the persistent and overwhelming nature of the natural forces arrayed against them, contributing significantly to their despair.
- "and all hope of our being saved was given up": This clause summarizes the cumulative effect of the previous descriptions—the complete eradication of any expectation of survival, leading to total despondency.
Acts 27 20 Bonus section
The term "great storm" (cheimōn megas) can imply not just physical intensity but also a period of intense spiritual trial, common in the lives of faithful servants. The lack of sun and stars can symbolize a spiritual darkness, where God's presence or guidance seems hidden. This mirrors times of testing for believers when God's favor is not immediately apparent. The abandonment of hope is a significant spiritual marker; it's often in these moments of ultimate weakness that God's strength is most powerfully revealed (2 Cor 12:9). This passage serves as a powerful reminder that human resources and understanding are finite, and complete surrender to God's power is often the path to deliverance.
Acts 27 20 Commentary
The passengers and crew on the ship were completely disoriented and lost. For an extended period, the severe storm blocked any view of the sun or stars, which were essential for ancient navigation. This prolonged darkness and the relentless fury of the tempest had a devastating psychological impact, extinguishing all hope of survival. They felt completely at the mercy of the elements, facing imminent death. This extreme distress is often a precursor to divine intervention or a lesson in complete reliance on God.