What Does Acts 27:7 Mean in the King James?
And when we had sailed slowly many days, and scarce were come over against Cnidus, the wind not suffering us, we sailed under Crete, over against Salmone;
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 Greek uses the same sailing root for both “sailed slowly” and “sailed under,” so the wind changes the form of progress, not the fact of movement.
THE MEANING
A blocked passage does not mean your movement has ended. The route bends toward shelter, and the journey continues.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
The lie this loosens is that a blocked direct route means the journey has failed.
THE ROOT
βραδυπλοοῦντες
bradyploountes
GROWS FROM
πλέω
pleō
to sail, to move by sea
The verse first says βραδυπλοοῦντες (bradyploountes, “sailing slowly”) and later ὑπεπλεύσαμεν (hypepleusamen, “we sailed under”); both carry πλέω (pleō, “to sail”). English gives these actions different shapes, while Greek keeps sailing as the through-line and changes how the course moves.
ALSO GROWS
ploion: ship
πλοῖον
A ship is named through the same sailing family, tying the vessel to the movement it carries.
plous: voyage, sailing
πλοῦς
The voyage itself grows from this sailing root, linking the slow passage and the changed course.
προσεῶντος
proseōntos
GROWS FROM
ἐα
ea
to allow, permit
Here the KJV’s “suffering” carries the sense “allowing”: προσεῶντος (proseōntos, “allowing”) is a form of προσεάω (proseao, “to allow”). The wind limits passage by not permitting the ship to take its intended course.
ALSO GROWS
proseao: allow, permit to approach
προσεάω
This compound form names the wind’s refusal to let the ship proceed on its intended line.
eiasen: allowed, permitted
εἴασεν
The same root appears in Acts 16:7, where a route is not permitted and the journey must turn elsewhere.
THE PATTERN
When a direct passage is blocked, the route can bend while the journey continues.
After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not.Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.THE THREAD
After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not.Acts 27:7 uses προσεάω (proseao, “to allow”), while Acts 16:7 uses ἐάω (eaō, “to allow”). In one verse the wind blocks a route; in the other the Spirit of Jesus does, linking the two through the language of permission while leaving their causes distinct.
This reading is from Selah Verse.
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