Bible Encyclopedias
Northeast; Southeast

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

These words occur in Acts 27:12 , "if by any means they could reach Phoenix, and winter there; which is a haven of Crete, looking north-east and south-east." the Revised Version margin has, "Greek, down the south-west wind and down the north-west wind," which is a literal translation of the Greek: eis Phoı́nika ...liména tḗs Krḗtēs bléponta (looking) katá lı́ba (the southwest wind) kaı́ katá chṓron (the northwest wind). Chōros does not appear to occur except here, but the corresponding Latin caurus or corus is found in Caesar, Vergil, and other classical authors. the King James Version has "lieth toward the south west and north west." κατά , katá , with a wind or stream, means, "down the wind or stream," i.e. in the direction that it is blowing or flowing, and this interpretation would indicate a harbor open to the East. If λίψ , lı́ps , and χῶρος , chṓros , are used here as names of directions rather than of winds, we should expect a harbor open to the West. There is good reason for identifying Phoenix (the King James Version "Phenice") with Loutro on the south shore of Crete (EB , under the word "Phenice"), whose harbor is open to the East. See PHOENIX .