But contrary to Paul’s advice, the centurion was persuaded by the pilot and by the owner of the ship.
Parallel translations
- WEB But the centurion gave more heed to the master and to the owner of the ship than to those things which were spoken by Paul.
- KJV Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul.
- NKJV Nevertheless the centurion was more persuaded by the helmsman and the owner of the ship than by the things spoken by Paul.
- NASB But the centurion was more persuaded by the pilot and the captain of the ship than by what was being said by Paul.
- NLT But the officer in charge of the prisoners listened more to the ship’s captain and the owner than to Paul.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The centurion trusts the ship's master and owner over Paul's warning.
Overview
Worldly expertise and economic interest outweigh the prisoner's counsel, and the decision to sail on is made. This human choice, ignoring God's servant, leads directly into the storm. Yet even this error will be overruled by God to fulfill His purpose, reminding readers that human folly cannot thwart the divine plan.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Ezek 33:4Then if anyone hears the sound of the horn but fails to heed the warning, and the sword comes and takes him away, his blood will be on his own head.
- Heb 11:7By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in godly fear built an ark to save his family. By faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.
- Ezek 3:17–18“Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from My mouth, give them a warning from Me.
- Acts 27:21After the men had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up among them and said, “Men, you should have followed my advice not to sail from Crete. Then you would have averted this disaster and loss.
- Prov 27:12The prudent see danger and take cover; but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.
- Exod 9:20–21Those among Pharaoh’s officials who feared the word of the LORD hurried to bring their servants and livestock to shelter,
- 2 Kgs 6:10So the king of Israel sent word to the place the man of God had pointed out. Time and again Elisha warned the king, so that he was on his guard in such places.
- Rev 18:17For in a single hour such fabulous wealth has been destroyed!” Every shipmaster, passenger, and sailor, and all who make their living from the sea, will stand at a distance
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Acts is the risen Christ continuing his work by the Spirit through the church, as the apostles preach that there is salvation in no other name under heaven.
How Acts 27:11 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.