Acts Chapter 27 verse 38 Holy Bible
And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea.
read chapter 27 in ASV
And when they had had enough food, they made the weight of the ship less, turning the grain out into the sea.
read chapter 27 in BBE
And having satisfied themselves with food, they lightened the ship, casting out the wheat into the sea.
read chapter 27 in DARBY
And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, and cast out the wheat into the sea.
read chapter 27 in KJV
read chapter 27 in WBT
When they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea.
read chapter 27 in WEB
and having eaten sufficient nourishment, they were lightening the ship, casting forth the wheat into the sea.
read chapter 27 in YLT
Pulpit Commentary
Pulpit CommentaryVerse 38. - Throwing out for and cast out, A.V. They lightened the ship; ἐκούφισαν, only here in the New Testament; but it is the technical word for lightening a ship so as to keep her afloat. So in Polybius, 1:39, Ἐκρίψαντες ἐκ τῶν πλοίων πάντα τὰ βάρη μόλις ἐκούφισαν τὰς ναῦς: and Jonah 1:5, "They cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them (τοῦ κουφισθῆναι ἀπ αὐτῶν (see ver. 18, note). Κουφίσαι τὴν ναῦν is one of the technical expressions for taking cargo out of a ship, given by Julius Pollux (Smith), The wheat (τὸν σῖτον). There is a difference of opinion as to what St. Luke here means by τὸν σῖτον. Meyer and others think it was merely "the ship's provision," and that, considering the number of persons in the ship, and the little consumption during the last fortnight, the weight of what was left would be considerable. They add that the cargo had been already thrown overboard in ver. 18. Others, as Howson, following Smith and Penroso, Farrar, Lewin, and many older commentators, with more reason, understand "the wheat" to mean the ship's cargo from Alexandria to Rome; they think it had been impossible to get at it while the ship was drifting; and that, even had it been possible, it was the last thing they would have recourse to. But now, when it was impossible to save the ship, and the only chance of saving their lives was to run her on the beach, it was an absolute necessity to lighten the ship as much as possible. They therefore cast her freight of Alexandrian corn into the sea, and waited for daylight (see note to ver. 18).
Ellicott's Commentary
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(38) And when they had eaten enough . . .--More accurately, when they were filled with food. The words describe a full and hearty meal. The first effect of this was seen in renewed activity for work. In spite of all that had been done before (Acts 27:18-19), the ship still needed to be lightened. The tense implies a process of some continuance. The "wheat" which they now cast out may have been part of the cargo which had been reserved by way of provisions. As it was clear that they could no longer continue in the ship, this was no longer required, and the one essential point was to keep her floating till they reached the shore.
