Commentaries:
Robertson's Word Pictures (NT)
When the ship was caught (sunarpasqentov tou ploiou). Genitive absolute again with first aorist passive of sunarpazw, old word, in N.T. only Luke 8:29; Acts 6:12; Acts 19:29, and here. Graphic picture as if the ship was seized by a great monster.
Face the wind (antofqalmein tw anemw). Dative case with the vivid infinitive of antofqalmew from antofqalmov, looking in the eye, or eye to eye (anti, facing and opqalmov, eye). Eyes were painted on the prows of vessels. The ship could not face the wind enough to get to Phoenix. Modern sailors talk of sailing into the eye of the wind. We were not able to look the wind in the eye. Koin‚ verb used by Polybius. Some MSS. have it in Acts 6:11, but only here in N.T. In Wisdom of Sol. 12:14 it is used of a prince who cannot look God in the face. Clement of Rome 34 uses it of an idle workman not able to look his employer in the face (Milligan and Moulton's Vocabulary).
We gave way (epidontev). Second aorist active participle of epididwmi, giving way to the wind.
Were driven (eferomeqa). Imperfect passive of ferw, "we were being borne along." We "scudded before the gale" (Page). "The suddenness of the hurricane gave no time to furl the great mainsail" (Furneaux).
Other Robertson's Word Pictures (NT) entries containing Acts 27:15:
Luke 8:29
Acts 27:16
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