Acts 27:11
What does Acts 27:11 mean?
A plain-English look at Acts 27:11 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Acts 27:11 means
The centurion chooses to trust the ship’s master and owner rather than Paul. It is understandable: professionals with economic stake and nautical expertise seem more credible than a prisoner-apostle. Yet this choice reveals the limits of human judgment when shaped by profit and convenience. Authority can listen to the wrong voices. The verse doesn’t vilify the centurion; it shows a normal calculation that will soon prove costly. God will still work mercy, but not to vindicate human pride—rather to fulfill His purpose for Paul and to teach all aboard where true wisdom and safety ultimately come from.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000But the centurion gave more heed to the master and to the owner of the ship, than to those things which were spoken by Paul.
KJV
King James Version · 1611Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901But the centurion gave more heed to the master and to the owner of the ship, than to those things which were spoken by Paul.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949But the captain gave more attention to the master and the owner of the ship than to what Paul said.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862but the centurion to the pilot and to the shipowner gave credence more than to the things spoken by Paul;
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752But the centurion believed the pilot and the master of the ship, more than those things which were said by Paul.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890But the centurion believed rather the helmsman and the shipowner than what was said by Paul.
Context
After Paul’s warning against proceeding, the decisive counterweight is the persuasive confidence of the master and owner. The centurion’s deference sets the course. The next verse explains why the majority favored departure: Fair Havens was not a good place to spend the winter, and Phoenix seemed reachable. This flow of reasoning explains their choice, making the coming disaster a product not of recklessness alone but of common judgments that overlooked the season’s danger and God’s warning.
v.10and said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only of the lading and the ship, but also of our lives.
v.11This passage
v.12And because the haven was not commodious to winter in, the more part advised to put to sea from thence, if by any means they could reach Phoenix, and winter there; which is a haven of Crete, looking north-east and south-east.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Acts 27:21
And when they had been long without food, then Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have set sail from Crete, and have gotten this injury and loss.
- Proverbs 27:12
A prudent man seeth the evil, and hideth himself; Butthe simple pass on, and suffer for it.
- Revelation 18:17
for in one hour so great riches is made desolate. And every shipmaster, and every one that saileth any whither, and mariners, and as many as gain their living by sea, stood afar off,
- Exodus 9:20
He that feared the word of Jehovah among the servants of Pharaoh made his servants and his cattle flee into the houses:
- Ezekiel 33:4
then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning, if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head.
- 2 Kings 6:10
And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of; and he saved himself there, not once nor twice.
Related questions readers ask
Keep reading
Want to dig deeper? Explore Acts 27
Hand-picked devotionals, topical studies, and pastoral answers that draw on Acts 27.
Topics that quote it
Topic
Bible Verses About Baptism
Baptism is a significant act symbolizing new life in Christ, repentance, and identification with his death, burial, and resurrection.
Topic
Bible Verses About Bible Reading
The Bible encourages us to read, study, and meditate on God’s Word to grow in faith and wisdom.
Topic
Bible Verses About Bitterness
Bitterness is a deep-seated resentment that can poison the heart, but God offers healing and freedom through forgiveness.
What the Bible says about…