Acts 27:42 kjv
And the soldiers' counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape.
Acts 27:42 nkjv
And the soldiers' plan was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim away and escape.
Acts 27:42 niv
The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners to prevent any of them from swimming away and escaping.
Acts 27:42 esv
The soldiers' plan was to kill the prisoners, lest any should swim away and escape.
Acts 27:42 nlt
The soldiers wanted to kill the prisoners to make sure they didn't swim ashore and escape.
Acts 27 42 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Acts 27:38 | "And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship,..." | fulfillment of provision |
| Matthew 6:25-26 | "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life..." | God provides |
| 1 Corinthians 10:13 | "No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man..." | God's faithfulness in trials |
| Philippians 4:12 | "I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound..." | provision and sufficiency in Christ |
| Genesis 8:22 | "While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat..." | God's ordered creation |
| Exodus 16:16-18 | "This is the thing that the LORD has commanded..." | provision for Israel (manna) |
| Deuteronomy 8:3 | "...man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD" | dependence on God's provision |
| Psalm 23:1 | "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want." | God as provider |
| Psalm 34:9-10 | "Oh, fear the LORD, you his saints..." | those who seek God lack no good thing |
| Jeremiah 29:11 | "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD..." | God's plans for welfare |
| 1 Peter 5:7 | "casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you." | casting anxieties on God |
| Romans 8:28 | "And we know that for those who love God all things work together..." | God working all things for good |
| Colossians 1:17 | "And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together." | Christ holds all things together |
| 1 Timothy 6:7 | "For we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of it." | dependency on God, not possessions |
| Job 1:21 | "...The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD." | God's sovereignty in giving/taking |
| Mark 8:34-37 | "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself..." | self-denial, losing life for Christ |
| Acts 27:44 | "And the rest, some on planks and some on pieces of the wreckage." | assurance of survival |
| Hebrews 11:1 | "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." | faith and hope in salvation |
| Isaiah 41:10 | "fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God..." | God's presence and strength |
| Proverbs 19:21 | "Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand." | God's sovereign purpose |
Acts 27 verses
Acts 27 42 Meaning
This verse describes the desperate measure taken by the shipwrecked sailors to survive by using the ship's provisions and securing their escape by any means possible. The core message is about pragmatism in the face of disaster and the divine oversight of God's plan even in dire circumstances.
Acts 27 42 Context
This verse occurs in Acts chapter 27, which details the Apostle Paul's perilous voyage to Rome. They have encountered a severe storm, and the ship is breaking apart. The sailors, including Paul and the soldiers guarding him, are facing imminent death. In this desperate situation, they take extreme measures to lighten the ship and secure their individual survival. This immediate context is one of life-or-death struggle against the elements.
Acts 27 42 Word Analysis
And (Greek: Kai): A common conjunction connecting clauses and ideas, here indicating a continuation of the actions taken due to the worsening situation.
the rest (Greek: hoi loipoi): Refers to those remaining on the ship after some initial actions, signifying the whole group now facing this shared plight.
for their part (Greek: eisautous): Emphasizes individual or group self-interest and initiative in the face of danger.
part (Greek: meros): Denotes a portion or share.
by (Greek: ek): Indicates the source or means by which something is done.
their own (Greek: heauton): Highlights personal possession or agency in the action.
means (Greek: apoblētos): A passive participle meaning "to be thrown away" or "to cast off," here referring to objects cast overboard for lighterage, but implying anything that could be jettisoned.
to cast off (Greek: ekballō): Literally "to cast out," used here in the context of throwing things overboard to lighten the vessel.
words-group by words-group analysis
"And the rest, for their part, by their own means, to cast off": This phrase depicts the collective and individual actions taken by those remaining on the ship. The initiative comes from the people themselves, reflecting a natural human instinct for self-preservation when faced with disaster. The "means" are the various items available to them on the ship that they could discard to increase their chances of survival.
Acts 27 42 Bonus Section
The phrase "by their own means" is significant. It implies that these were the resources readily available and identifiable to the survivors. This is not about discarding valuable cargo out of wanton destruction but rather a calculated, though desperate, act of jettisoning anything that would impede their escape. This action, though rooted in human necessity, ultimately served the larger purpose of God's plan for Paul to reach Rome and preach the gospel, as confirmed in Acts 27:44 which states that "the rest" also escaped to land. This shows God's sovereign hand working through human actions, even those born of panic and self-preservation.
Acts 27 42 Commentary
The sailors' actions in Acts 27:42 are a stark illustration of human reaction to extreme peril. Facing certain death, they resort to any available means to lighten the ship. This underscores the primal drive for survival. While seemingly a practical measure, it also highlights their desperation, casting away whatever they could to float. In the broader narrative, even these actions are encompassed within God's plan for Paul's journey to Rome. It reveals that God's purposes do not negate human agency or the reality of hardship, but rather work through them. The "means" they use for their own escape ultimately contribute to the salvation of all on board, demonstrating how even self-serving actions can be part of a larger, divine orchestration.