"And the soldiers' counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape." — Acts 27:42

Acts 27:42 · KJV

“And the soldiers' counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape.”

— Acts 27:42

And falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the forepart stuck fast, and remained unmoveable, but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves.

Verse 43

But the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from {their} purpose; and commanded that they which could swim should cast {themselves} first {into the sea}, and get to land:

Acts 27 — Context

And when they had taken up the anchors, they committed {themselves} unto the sea, and loosed the rudder bands, and hoised up the mainsail to the wind, and made toward shore. {taken...: or, cut the anchors, they left them in the sea}

And falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the forepart stuck fast, and remained unmoveable, but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves.

And the soldiers' counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape.

But the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from {their} purpose; and commanded that they which could swim should cast {themselves} first {into the sea}, and get to land:

And the rest, some on boards, and some on {broken pieces} of the ship. And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land.

Cross References

Proverbs 12:10

A righteous {man} regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked {are} cruel. {tender...: or, bowels}

Mark 15:15-20

And {so} Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged {him}, to be crucified.

Ecclesiastes 9:3

This {is} an evil among all {things} that are done under the sun, that {there is} one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness {is} in their heart while they live, and after that {they go} to the dead.

Luke 23:40-41

But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?

Psalms 74:20

Have respect unto the covenant: for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty.

Acts 12:19

And when Herod had sought for him, and found him not, he examined the keepers, and commanded that {they} should be put to death. And he went down from Judaea to Caesarea, and {there} abode.