Charles Ellicott Commentary Acts 27:19

"and the third day they cast out with their own hands the tackling of the ship." — Acts 27:19 (ASV)

We cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship.—The better manuscripts give the third person plural, and not the first. If we accept the Received Text, the fact that the passengers as well as the crew were pressed into service indicates the urgency of the peril. However, even with the other reading, the words describe the prompt, spontaneous action caused by a strong sense of danger.

The Greek word for “tackling” (better, perhaps, furniture) is wider in its range than the English. It includes beds, personal luggage, and movables of all kinds. Even these, the sailors were ready to sacrifice for the chance of safety.