Acts 27:28
Translations
King James Version (KJV)
And sounded, and found it twenty fathoms: and when they had gone a little further, they sounded again, and found it fifteen fathoms.
American King James Version (AKJV)
And sounded, and found it twenty fathoms: and when they had gone a little further, they sounded again, and found it fifteen fathoms.
American Standard Version (ASV)
and they sounded, and found twenty fathoms; and after a little space, they sounded again, and found fifteen fathoms.
Basic English Translation (BBE)
And they let down the lead, and saw that the sea was a hundred and twenty feet deep; and after a little time they did it again and it was ninety feet.
Webster's Revision
And sounded, and found it twenty fathoms: and when they had gone a little further, they sounded again, and found it fifteen fathoms.
World English Bible
They took soundings, and found twenty fathoms. After a little while, they took soundings again, and found fifteen fathoms.
English Revised Version (ERV)
and they sounded, and found twenty fathoms: and after a little space, they sounded again, and found fifteen fathoms.
Clarke's Acts 27:28 Bible Commentary
And sounded - Βολισαντες, Heaving the lead.
Twenty fathoms - Οργυιας εικοσι, About forty yards in depth. The οργυια is thus defined by the Etymologicon: Σημαινει την εκτασιν των χειρων, συν τῳ πλατει του Ϛηθους· It signifies the extent of the arms, together with the breadth of the breast. This is exactly the quantum of our fathom.
Barnes's Acts 27:28 Bible Commentary
And sounded - To sound is to make use of a line and lead to ascertain the depth of water.
Twenty fathoms - A fathom is six feet, or the distance from the extremity of the middle finger on one hand to the extremity of the other, when the arms are extended. The depth, therefore, was about 120 feet.
Fifteen fathoms - They knew, therefore, that they were drawing near to shore.
