Acts 27:12-13

27:12 Because the harbor was not suitable to spend the winter in, the majority decided¹ to put out to sea² from there. They hoped that³ somehow they could reach⁴ Phoenix,⁵ a harbor of Crete facing⁶ southwest and northwest, and spend the winter there. 27:13 When a gentle south wind sprang up, they thought⁷ they could carry out⁸ their purpose, so they weighed anchor⁹ and sailed close along the coast¹⁰ of Crete.

¹tn BDAG 181-82 s.v. βουλή 2.a, “β. τίθεσθαι (Judg 19:30; Ps 12:3) decide 27:12 (w. inf. foll.).”

²tn BDAG 62 s.v. ἀνάγω 4, “as a nautical t.t. (ἀ. τὴν ναῦν put a ship to sea), mid. or pass. ἀνάγεσθαι to begin to go by boat, put out to sea.”

³tn Grk “from there, if somehow” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was begun here in the translation and the introductory phrase “They hoped that” supplied (with the subject, “they,” repeated from the previous clause) to make a complete English sentence.

⁴tn Grk “if somehow, reaching Phoenix, they could…” The participle καταντήσαντες (katanthsante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

⁵sn Phoenix was a seaport on the southern coast of the island of Crete. This was about 30 mi (48 km) further west.

⁶tn Or “a harbor of Crete open to the southwest and northwest.”

⁷tn Grk “thinking.” The participle δόξαντες (doxante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

⁸tn Or “accomplish.” L&N 68.29, for κρατέω, has “to be able to complete or finish, presumably despite difficulties – ‘to accomplish, to do successfully, to carry out.’ …‘thinking that they could carry out their purpose’ Ac 27:13.”

⁹tn Or “departed.”

¹⁰tn L&N 54.8, “παραλέγομαι: (a technical, nautical term) to sail along beside some object – ‘to sail along the coast, to sail along the shore.’…‘they sailed along the coast of Crete’ Ac 27:13.” With the addition of the adverb ἆσσον (asson) this becomes “sailed close along the coast of Crete.”