Acts 27:43

But the centurion, willing to save The Gk. word indicates an active desire, and not a mere willingness. Read (with R. V.) "desiring to save." The centurion could not fail to feel that it was to the Apostle that the safety of the whole party was due, and he could hardly help feeling admiration for the prisoner, after all he had seen of him. From the first (see Acts 27:3) he had been well disposed toward Paul, and the after events would not have lessened his regard. So to save him, he stops the design of his men, and saves the whole number of the prisoners.

kept them Better, "hindered them" or (with R. V.) "stayed them." The verb is a forcible word, and shews that the centurion was in full command of his men, and had not in the confusion lost his thoughtfulness and presence of mind.

they which could swim This was the wisest course to adopt. Thus there would be a body ready on the shore to help those who only could float thither by the aid of something to which they were clinging. As St Paul had already been thrice shipwrecked and had been in the deep a night and a day (2 Corinthians 11:25) we may be sure that he was among those who were told off to swim ashore.

should cast themselves first into the sea, and get to land [R. V. "should east themselves overboard and get first to the land"] What is represented in the A.V., by "into the sea" is merely the preposition compounded with the verb "to cast." This the R. V.represents by "overboard," and so brings the word "first" into its proper and emphatic position. The swimmers were to get into safety first of all, that then they might be in readiness to succour those who drifted to the land on the floating spars and planks.