What Does Acts 27:38 Mean in the King James?

And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, and cast out the wheat into the sea.

Acts 27:38 · KJV

The analysis reads the King James wording.

King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.

THE KEY

The ship becomes lighter by casting away what still looks like provision.

THE MEANING

The sailors have eaten enough, yet their vessel still carries something it must release to grow lighter. Its passage continues through subtraction as the wheat goes into the sea.

WHAT THIS UNDOES

The belief that every remaining provision must be preserved gives way here: the ship becomes lighter only after its wheat is cast away.

THE ROOT

ἐκβαλλόμενοι

ekballomenoi

GROWS FROM

⁨βαλλ-⁩ (ball-), the stem of ⁨βάλλω⁩ (ballō)

to throw, cast

“cast out” in this verse is ekballomenoi. The verb describes an outward throw: the ship grows lighter through what leaves it. The same root can describe the storm’s inward movement when waves are cast into a ship, revealing opposite directions through the same action.

ALSO GROWS

ekbolē: a throwing out; a jettisoning

ἐκβολή

Acts 27:18 uses this related word for lightening the ship, showing that the grain’s removal is the same kind of jettison.

epiballō: to throw onto or against

ἐπιβάλλω

Mark 4:37 uses this related word for the waves beating into the ship; here in Acts, the grain moves in the opposite direction, out of the vessel.

THE PATTERN

A threatened passage continues when burdens are cast away.

Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep.

Jonah 1:5 · KJVThe sailors throw cargo into the sea to lighten a ship in danger, echoing the release of wheat here.

And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest, the next day they lightened the ship;

Acts 27:18 · KJVThe endangered vessel begins its release of cargo before the wheat is cast out.

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us 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,

Hebrews 12:1 · KJVThe race continues by laying aside weight, expressing the same pattern of passage through release.

THE THREAD

And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.

Mark 4:37 · KJV

The Greek root behind “cast out” also appears in Mark’s description of waves cast into a ship. One verse shows storm entering the vessel; the other shows cargo leaving it, the same root marks opposite directions through a ship under pressure.

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