Lectionary Calendar
Friday, August 22nd, 2025
the Week of Proper 15 / Ordinary 20
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Read the Bible

Contemporary English Version

Acts 27:38

and after everyone had eaten, they threw the cargo of wheat into the sea to make the ship lighter.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Mariners (Sailors);   Paul;   Prophecy;   Thompson Chain Reference - Wheat;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Crete;   Euroclydon;   Julius;   Melita;   Ship;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Paul;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Ordination;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Alexandria;   Centurion;   Joseph;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Italy;   Nero;   Ships and Boats;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Arts;   Sea ;   Ship ;   Wheat ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Melita;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Ship;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Lycia;   Ships and Boats;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
When they had eaten enough, they began to lighten the ship by throwing the grain overboard into the sea.
King James Version (1611)
And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, and cast out the wheat into the sea.
King James Version
And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, and cast out the wheat into the sea.
English Standard Version
And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea.
New American Standard Bible
When they had eaten enough, they began lightening the ship by throwing the wheat out into the sea.
New Century Version
When they had eaten all they wanted, they began making the ship lighter by throwing the grain into the sea.
Amplified Bible
After they had eaten enough, they began to lighten the ship by throwing the wheat [from Egypt] overboard into the sea.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
When they had eaten enough, they began to lighten the ship by throwing out the wheat into the sea.
Legacy Standard Bible
And when they had eaten enough, they began to lighten the ship by throwing out the wheat into the sea.
Berean Standard Bible
After the men had eaten their fill, they lightened the ship by throwing the grain into the sea.
Complete Jewish Bible
After they had eaten all they wanted, they lightened the ship by dumping the grain into the sea.
Darby Translation
And having satisfied themselves with food, they lightened the ship, casting out the wheat into the sea.
Easy-to-Read Version
We ate all we wanted. Then we began making the ship lighter by throwing the grain into the sea.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And whe they had eaten ynough, they lightened the ship, & cast out the wheat into the sea.
George Lamsa Translation
And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship by taking the wheat and throwing it into the sea.
Good News Translation
After everyone had eaten enough, they lightened the ship by throwing all the wheat into the sea.
Lexham English Bible
And when they had eaten their fill of food, they lightened the ship by throwing the wheat into the sea.
Literal Translation
And being filled with food, they lightened the ship, throwing the wheat out into the sea.
American Standard Version
And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea.
Bible in Basic English
And when they had had enough food, they made the weight of the ship less, turning the grain out into the sea.
Hebrew Names Version
When they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea.
International Standard Version
After they had eaten all they wanted, they began to lighten the ship by dumping the wheat into the sea.
Etheridge Translation
And when they were satisfied with food, they lightened the ship, and took up the wheat and sent it into the sea.
Murdock Translation
And when they were satisfied with food, they lightened the ship, and took the wheat and cast it into the sea.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And when they had eaten enough, they lyghted the shippe, and cast out the wheate into the sea.
English Revised Version
And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea.
World English Bible
When they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And when they were satisfied with food, they lightened the ship, casting out the wheat into the sea.
Weymouth's New Testament
After eating a hearty meal they lightened the ship by throwing the wheat overboard.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And thei weren fillid with mete, and dischargiden the schip, and castiden whete in to the see.
Update Bible Version
And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea.
Webster's Bible Translation
And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, and cast the wheat into the sea.
New English Translation
When they had eaten enough to be satisfied, they lightened the ship by throwing the wheat into the sea.
New King James Version
So when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship and threw out the wheat into the sea.
New Living Translation
After eating, the crew lightened the ship further by throwing the cargo of wheat overboard.
New Life Bible
After they had eaten, they threw the wheat into the sea so the ship would not be as heavy.
New Revised Standard
After they had satisfied their hunger, they lightened the ship by throwing the wheat into the sea.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, when they were satisfied with food, they began lightening the ship, casting out the wheat into the sea.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, casting the wheat into the sea.
Revised Standard Version
And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And whe they had eate ynough they lightened ye ship and cast out the wheate into the see.
Young's Literal Translation
and having eaten sufficient nourishment, they were lightening the ship, casting forth the wheat into the sea.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And whan they had eaten ynough, they lightened the shippe, and cast out the wheate in to the see.
Mace New Testament (1729)
when they had eat enough, they threw the wheat over board to ease the ship:
Simplified Cowboy Version
When everyone had finished, they threw the rest of the grain into the sea to lighten the load on the ship.

Contextual Overview

21 Since none of us had eaten anything for a long time, Paul stood up and told the men: You should have listened to me! If you had stayed on in Crete, you would not have had this damage and loss. 22 But now I beg you to cheer up, because you will be safe. Only the ship will be lost. 23 I belong to God, and I worship him. Last night he sent an angel 24 to tell me, "Paul, don't be afraid! You will stand trial before the Emperor. And because of you, God will save the lives of everyone on the ship." 25 Cheer up! I am sure that God will do exactly what he promised. 26 But we will first be shipwrecked on some island. 27 For fourteen days and nights we had been blown around over the Mediterranean Sea. But about midnight the sailors realized that we were getting near land. 28 They measured and found that the water was about one hundred twenty feet deep. A little later they measured again and found it was only about ninety feet. 29 The sailors were afraid that we might hit some rocks, and they let down four anchors from the back of the ship. Then they prayed for daylight. 30 The sailors wanted to escape from the ship. So they lowered the lifeboat into the water, pretending that they were letting down an anchor from the front of the ship.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

they lightened: Acts 27:18, Acts 27:19, Job 2:4, Jonah 1:5, Matthew 6:25, Matthew 16:26, Hebrews 12:1

The wheat: The Romans imported corn from Egypt, by way of Alexandria, to which this ship belonged; for a curious account of which see Bryant's treatise on the Euroclydon.

Reciprocal: Ecclesiastes 3:6 - and a time to cast Mark 13:15 - General Luke 12:23 - General Philippians 3:7 - General

Cross-References

Genesis 27:10
Then you can take it to him, so he can eat it and give you his blessing before he dies."
Genesis 27:12
If my father touches me and realizes I am trying to trick him, he will put a curse on me instead of giving me a blessing."
Genesis 27:24
Isaac asked, "Are you really my son Esau?" "Yes, I am," Jacob answered.
Genesis 27:26
Then Isaac said, "Son, come over here and kiss me."
Genesis 27:34
Esau cried loudly and begged, "Father, give me a blessing too!"
Genesis 27:36
Esau replied, "My brother deserves the name Jacob, because he has already cheated me twice. The first time he cheated me out of my rights as the first-born son, and now he has cheated me out of my blessing." Then Esau asked his father, "Don't you still have any blessing left for me?"
Genesis 49:28
These are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is how Jacob gave each of them their proper blessings.
Isaiah 65:14
My servants will laugh and sing, but you will be sad and cry out in pain.
Hebrews 12:17
You know how he later wanted it back. But there was nothing he could do to change things, even though he begged his father and cried.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And when they had eaten enough,....] Were satisfied, having eaten a full meal:

they lightened the ship; of its burden, that it might the better carry them to the shore, and that by the following method:

and cast out the wheat into the sea; which seems to have been part of the ship's provision; or one part of their lading, which they brought from Egypt, and were carrying to Italy: they had cast out some of the goods of the ship before, and also the tackling of the ship, and now, last of all, the wheat; for what was eatable they reserved till last, not knowing to what extremity they might be reduced.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

They lightened the ship - By casting the wheat into the sea. As they had no hope of saving the cargo, and had no further use for it, they hoped that by throwing the wheat overboard the ship would draw less water, and that thus they would be able to run the vessel on the shore.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 38. They lightened the ship — They hoped that, by casting out the lading, the ship would draw less water; in consequence of which, they could get nearer the shore.


 
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