Acts 27:2

μέλλοντι for μέλλοντες with אAB. Vulg. ‘incipientes.’

2. ἐπιβάντες δέ, and embarking in. This verb is the technical term for ‘going on board ship.’

Ἀδραμυττηνῷ, of Adramyttium. This was a seaport on the coast of that district of Asia Minor called Mysia, and in early times Aeolis. It appears to have been in St Paul’s time a place of considerable trade, and Pliny (Acts 27:30) mentions it as an assize town. The reason why the Apostle and his companions embarked on board a vessel from this port was that it was probably the easiest way of getting into the line of vessels going from Asia to the West. The isle of Lesbos lay off the gulf on which Adramyttium was situated, and to which it gave name, and the town was in close connexion with Ephesus, Miletus, Pergamos and Troas, and so was a considerable centre of commerce.

μέλλοντι πλεῖν κ.τ.λ., which was about to sail unto the places on the coast of Asia. The centurion and his party when they had reached the Asiatic coast would be very likely to find in some of the ports there a vessel which would carry them across to Italy.

Ἀριστάρχου, Aristarchus. Mentioned before (Acts 19:29) as one of those whom the mob in Ephesus seized in their fury against St Paul. He went, as it seems, with the Apostle into Europe, for he is enumerated amongst those who accompanied St Paul (Acts 20:4) on his return. After the present notice of him, we learn nothing more of his history except that from Colossians 4:10 and Philemon 1:24 we can gather that he remained with the Apostle during his first Roman imprisonment.