And we were in all in the ship two hundred threescore and sixteen souls.
Paul's long and tedious voyage to Italy was made as a prisoner in chains, lightened because companionship with Luke and Aristarchus was permitted, Aristarchus sharing the bondage by choice in order to minister in affliction. It belonged to the first century of the Christian era, when travel by sea brought peculiar hardship and peril, since mariners steered largely by the sun and stars and feared to venture into the open sea when these did not appear and there were signs of storm, with part of the year when safe navigation was almost impossible. The company drifted for fourteen days through the storm without food or hope of rescue.
The number in the ship was 276 souls, that is 276 people. Souls here means people, comprising both the sailors and the passengers. The company that ate together is also reckoned as 275 souls, differing by one from the verse's number, while elsewhere the number is rounded to three hundred souls.
Those aboard were worn and discouraged with the most critical hour still before them, and but for Paul would have become desperate, but their courage was restored when they ate. Paul entreated them to take food for their health with assurance that not a hair would fall from the head of any of them, then took bread and gave thanks to God in the presence of them all and broke it and began to eat, and the whole company joined in eating. When they had eaten enough they lightened the ship and cast the wheat into the sea. In this shipwreck Paul remained courageous in the storm, directed the ship's commander, and helped preserve the lives of everyone aboard. The sea journey served God's purpose, for the crew witnessed His power through Paul, others heard the name of Jesus, and some were converted through teaching and miracles.
Paul's long and tedious voyage to Italy was made as a prisoner in chains, lightened because companionship with Luke and Aristarchus was permitted, Aristarchus sharing the bondage by choice in order to minister in affliction. It belonged to the first century of the Christian era, when travel by sea brought peculiar hardship and peril, since mariners steered largely by the sun and stars and feared to venture into the open sea when these did not appear and there were signs of storm, with part of the year when safe navigation was almost impossible. The company drifted for fourteen days through the storm without food or hope of rescue.
The number in the ship was 276 souls, that is 276 people. Souls here means people, comprising both the sailors and the passengers. The company that ate together is also reckoned as 275 souls, differing by one from the verse's number, while elsewhere the number is rounded to three hundred souls.
Those aboard were worn and discouraged with the most critical hour still before them, and but for Paul would have become desperate, but their courage was restored when they ate. Paul entreated them to take food for their health with assurance that not a hair would fall from the head of any of them, then took bread and gave thanks to God in the presence of them all and broke it and began to eat, and the whole company joined in eating. When they had eaten enough they lightened the ship and cast the wheat into the sea. In this shipwreck Paul remained courageous in the storm, directed the ship's commander, and helped preserve the lives of everyone aboard. The sea journey served God's purpose, for the crew witnessed His power through Paul, others heard the name of Jesus, and some were converted through teaching and miracles.