Charles Ellicott Commentary Acts 27:40

"And casting off the anchors, they left them in the sea, at the same time loosing the bands of the rudders; and hoisting up the foresail to the wind, they made for the beach." — Acts 27:40 (ASV)

And when they had taken up the anchors.—A better translation is, And when they had cleared away (or, cut off) the anchors, they let them go into the sea. It is obvious that nothing would have been gained at such a time by encumbering the ship with the weight of the four anchors, as they were eager to lighten it as much as possible. The meaning given above is accordingly more in harmony with the facts of the case, as well as with the Greek, which does not warrant the insertion of the pronoun in “they committed themselves.”

Loosed the rudder bands.—This was the necessary follow-up to the previous action. While the ship was anchored, the two large paddle-like rudders with which ancient ships were equipped were lifted out of the water and lashed with ropes to the ship’s side. When the ship was underway again and the rudders were needed, the bands had to be loosened, and the rudders fell into the water.

And hoised up the mainsail to the wind.—The Greek term rendered this way (artemôn) is still found in Italian (artimone) and French for the largest sail of a ship. In the structure of ancient ships, however, this was the foresail, not, as it is for us, the mainsail. The word for wind is strictly the participle, the (breeze) that was blowing. The change of word seems to imply that there was a lull in the fury of the gale.

Made toward shore.—More accurately, were making for the beach, the one that had been described in Acts 27:39.