Bible Strands
Acts 27:2
We boarded an Adramyttian ship about to sail for ports along the coast of Asia, and we put out to sea. Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, was with us.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrator, traveling with Paul and other prisoners under the guard of Centurion Julius, records the departure from Caesarea. This account occurs immediately after the command to sail for Italy, as the group boards a vessel preparing for a coastal route.
The words — ἐπιβάντες (epibantes) translates literally as "having boarded," and μέλλοντι (mellonti) means "being about." These participles structure the action as a completed boarding followed by an imminent departure.
The thread — Aristarchus appears as a fellow prisoner in Colossians 4:10 and a fellow worker in Philemon 1:24, while Acts 19:29 notes him previously dragged into an Ephesian theater riot. These references track his consistent presence alongside Paul across different regions and phases of ministry.
Why it lands — The text records a specific maritime detail that anchors the narrative in historical travel logistics. It requires the reader to follow the physical movement of the convoy as the journey toward Italy officially begins.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
And entering into a ship of Adramyttium, we launched, meaning to sail by the coasts of Asia; one Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us.
Cross-references
- Acts 19:29 Soon the whole city was in disarray. They rushed together into the theatre, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia.
- Colossians 4:10 My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you greetings, as does Mark the cousin of Barnabas. You have already received instructions about him: If he comes to you, welcome him.
- Philemon 1:24 as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.
- Luke 8:22 One day Jesus said to His disciples, “Let us cross to the other side of the lake.” So He got into a boat with them and set out.
- Acts 2:9 Parthians, Medes, and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,
- Acts 16:9 During the night, Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and pleading with him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”
- Acts 16:17 This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation!”
- Acts 17:1 When they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue.
- Acts 19:19 And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books and burned them in front of everyone. When the value of the books was calculated, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas.
- Acts 20:4 Paul was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia.