Acts 27:18
What does Acts 27:18 mean?
A plain-English look at Acts 27:18 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Acts 27:18 means
The storm’s relentless battering forces them to jettison cargo the next day. This is costly; the ship likely carries valuable grain. Yet profit becomes secondary to life. The verse shows a sobering reversal: what motivated their risky decision—reaching a better harbor and preserving cargo—now must be abandoned to survive. They work “exceedingly,” highlighting exhaustion and communal effort. Still, the storm does not relent. Sacrifice follows sacrifice, and the ship remains in peril, teaching that in great trials even precious loads must be let go. Survival, not gain, becomes the only rational aim.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000And as we labored exceedingly with the storm, the next day they began to throw the freight overboard;
KJV
King James Version · 1611And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest, the next day they lightened the ship;
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901And as we labored exceedingly with the storm, the next day they began to throw the freight overboard;
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949And, still fighting the storm with all our strength, the day after they made a start at getting the goods out of the ship;
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862And we, being exceedingly tempest-tossed, the succeeding <FI>day<Fi> they were making a clearing,
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752And we, being mightily tossed with the tempest, the next day they lightened the ship.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890But the storm being extremely violent on us, on the next day they threw cargo overboard,
Context
After bracing the ship and reducing sail to avoid the Syrtis, the crisis continues with no break in the tempest. To lighten the vessel, the crew discards cargo. The next verse will escalate the desperation as they throw out the ship’s own tackle. The narrative is moving from commercial loss to operational loss, stripping away both profit and capability. This keeps tightening the dramatic tension and bringing the crew to the edge of hopelessness.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Hebrews 12:1
Therefore let us also, seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
- Acts 27:38
And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea.
- Acts 27:19
and the third day they cast out with their own hands the tackling of the ship.
- Luke 16:8
And his lord commended the unrighteous steward because he had done wisely: for the sons of this world are for their own generation wiser than the sons of the light.
- Matthew 16:26
For what shall a man be profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and forfeit his life? or what shall a man give in exchange for his life?
- Jonah 1:5
Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god; and they cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it unto them. But Jonah was gone down into the innermost parts of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep.
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