Acts 27:37 · Bible study
Acts 27:37 Commentary: The Numbered Survivors and God's Providence
Greek · 7 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why Luke records exactly 276 souls on board and how this detail underlines God's faithful preservation through shipwreck.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Luke records the exact number of souls on board to highlight God's precise care and the fulfilment of his promise that none would be lost.
- Key words: ψυχαί (“souls”) emphasizes the whole person, alive and accountable, not merely a body count.
- Main debate: textual variation: some manuscripts read 275 or 206, but the majority and best witnesses support 276.
- Theological theme: Providence, God’s sovereignty over danger and his commitment to preserve every person entrusted to Paul’s care.
- Best use: As a sermon illustration on God's detailed knowledge of his people, or as evidence for the historical reliability of Acts.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
In all, there were 276 of us on board.
WEB World English Bible 2000
In all, we were two hundred seventy-six souls on the ship.
KJV King James Version 1769
And we were in all in the ship two hundred threescore and sixteen souls.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And we were in all in the ship two hundred threescore and sixteen souls.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
(and we were--all the souls in the ship--two hundred, seventy and six),
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And we were in the ship, all the souls, two hundred and seventy-six.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And we were in all in the ship two hundred threescore and sixteen souls.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y éramos todas las personas en la nave doscientas setenta y seis.
E éramos todos no navio duzentas e setenta e seis almas.
Nous étions, dans le navire, deux cent soixante-seize personnes en tout.
Unser waren aber alle zusammen im Schiff zweihundert und sechundsiebzig Seelen.
Wij waren nu in het schip in alles tweehonderd zes en zeventig zielen.
Or eravamo sulla nave, fra tutti, dugentosettantasei persone.
A było nas wszystkich dusz w okręcie dwieście siedmdziesiąt i sześć.
Было же всех нас на корабле двести семьдесят шесть душ.
我們在 船 上 的共有 二百 七 十六 個人。
And we were, in the ship, two hundred and seventy-six persons.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Acts 27:37
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that Luke's precise number, 276 souls, serves to highlight God's providential preservation. Calvin notes the figure makes the miracle “more evident and also famous”; a shipwreck with zero fatalities among so many passengers was, in human judgment, impossible. Gill adds that the exact count shows the historian had “exact knowledge of all in the ship,” and that recording it before the wreck builds credibility for the claim that none perished. The Cambridge Bible points out that the numbering likely occurred as the crew and prisoners prepared to come ashore, giving the centurion and captain accountability for every person. All sources converge on this: the number is no trivial detail but a deliberate witness to divine care.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: Luke records the number to show that every single person on the ship was preserved alive, confirming God's promise through Paul.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| The significance of the number | All commentators see the number as emphasizing God's protection and the fulfilment of Paul's prophecy that no one would die. | Some (Calvin, Gill) stress the miraculous element; others (Cambridge Bible) focus on the practical reason for the count before landing. |
| Textual variant (275 vs 276) | The majority of Greek manuscripts and the most reliable translations (e.g., NA27) read 276. | The Alexandrian manuscript and some versions read 275. Cambridge Bible explains how the variant could arise from Greek numeral letters, but most scholars accept 276. |
| Word choice: 'souls' | The term (ψυχαί) denotes living persons, not immaterial spirits, and stresses their value as individuals. | None significant; all sources interpret it as counting people. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Acts 27:37 sits within Luke's detailed account of Paul's voyage to Rome as a prisoner. The ship was an Alexandrian grain vessel of considerable size, large enough to carry 276 people plus cargo, and to deploy four anchors from the stern (v. 29) and later more from the foreship. The Cambridge Bible notes that any merchantman carrying grain from Egypt to Rome would need a substantial crew and could accommodate many passengers. The number 276 is strikingly high; by comparison, Josephus records a ship carrying about 600 people, so 276 is plausible. The occasion for the toll was pragmatic: after fourteen storm-tossed days without regular meals (v. 33), the near approach to land required an exact head count so that no sailor, soldier, or prisoner slipped away or was left behind. Luke’s possessive “we” (v. 27) confirms he was on board, and his record of the number matches the eyewitness texture that runs through this chapter.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note a textual variant: the Alexandrian codex reads 275, and the Ethiopic version has 206. The Cambridge Bible observes that the variant can arise from the use of Greek letters for numerals. The majority of Greek manuscripts, including the best representatives of the Alexandrian and Byzantine text-types, support 276. No other significant textual issues are noted in the consulted sources.
Reception History
Early church writers cited this verse primarily as evidence of Luke's historical accuracy. In the Reformation, Calvin used it to magnify God's miraculous protection, arguing that 276 untrained swimmers surviving a shipwreck required divine intervention. Later commentators like Gill and Matthew Henry saw it as a mark of God's faithfulness to Paul. In modern preaching, the verse often appears in sermons on providence or as a concrete example that God cares for individuals, not just crowds.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God counts every life. The precise number (276) shows that no one is anonymous to the Lord. In the chaos of a storm, he knows each soul by name.
- God's promises hold up under pressure. Paul had already been told that everyone on the ship would be spared (v. 24). The roll call confirms that promise.
- What we count reveals what we value. Luke’s recording of the number tells us that the early church treasured not just the message but the people who received it.
Five-point outline
- Context: Paul’s journey as a prisoner, the storm, the angelic promise (vv. 22, 24).
- The counting: Luke pauses to take an inventory of human life right before the shipwreck.
- The number: 276, large enough to stretch credibility, precise enough to verify.
- The outcome: every one of those 276 reaches shore alive (v. 44).
- The takeaway: God’s providence does not overlook a single person.
Illustration hooks
- A parent counting children after a busy day at a crowded park, each name checked off brings relief.
- A rescue worker tallying survivors after a natural disaster, the number represents real people, not statistics.
- A team leader taking attendance before a long journey, the list is a promise not to leave anyone behind.
Questions your congregation is asking
- “If God saves every life in this story, why doesn’t he always save every life today?”
- “Does my life matter to God when I’m in the middle of my own storm?”
- “How can I trust that God’s promises will hold when everything around me is breaking apart?”
Leading a Discussion
This verse sits at the hinge of the shipwreck narrative. The exact number, 276, forces us to stop and notice that God’s care is not abstract. It lands on real people, each with a name and a story. As you discuss this passage, keep in view that Luke wrote as an eyewitness, and that the number is part of his testimony.
Discussion questions
- Why do you think Luke chooses this moment to give the exact number of people on the ship?
- What does the word “souls” (ψυχαί) add to our understanding of the count? How is it different from saying “people” or “passengers”?
- How does the number 276 connect to Paul’s earlier promise that “not a hair will perish from any of your heads” (v. 34)?
- What does this detail suggest about the kind of God Luke believes in?
- In what ways does the precise count strengthen or challenge your view of the story’s reliability?
- How might the 276 people have felt when they heard themselves being counted? What does that tell us about human dignity before God?
- Where in your own life do you need to trust that God sees you as an individual, not just part of a crowd?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Acts 2:41 | Then those who gladly received his word were baptized. There were added that day about three thousand souls. |
| Acts 7:14 | Joseph sent and summoned Jacob his father and all his relatives, seventy-five souls. |
| Romans 13:1 | Let every soul be in subjection to the higher authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those who exist are ordained by God. |
| I Peter 3:20 | who before were disobedient when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ship was being built. In it, few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
6 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin emphasizes the sheer improbability of all 276 passengers escaping the shipwreck alive. Few could swim, all were exhausted and panicked, and such a crowd usually hinders itself in the water. He sees this outcome as undeniable evidence that God directly intervened from heaven.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator defends the large number of 276, arguing it fits a sizable vessel that could deploy four anchors from the stern. The tally at this moment is a natural narrative detail: with the crew readying to come ashore, the centurion and captain needed an exact count to prevent any escape or loss.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
Nowe we were in the ship in all two hundreth three score and sixteene soules.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill emphasizes that Luke records the exact number of 276 people on board to demonstrate his precise knowledge as an eyewitness. This careful detail makes the coming account of the shipwreck more believable, especially the remarkable fact that not a single person was lost, which points to a direct act of divine power.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB clarifies that the crew had not gone without any food for fourteen days but had taken no regular meals during that frantic period. Paul, now the recognized leader, urged them to eat properly. The phrase "waiting for a breathing time" captures their anxious pause before daybreak.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry highlights the link between Paul's personal relationship with God and the safety of everyone on the ship. Because Paul could say "whose I am and whom I serve," God gave him the lives of all aboard. Paul's calm confidence flows directly from that belonging.