Acts 27:20

New Living Translation

The terrible storm raged for many days, blotting out the sun and the stars, until at last all hope was gone.

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
For many days we could not see the sun or the stars. The storm was very bad. We lost all hope of staying alive—we thought we would die.

Revised Standard Version
And when neither sun nor stars appeared for many a day, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
When at the last nether sunne nor starre in many dayes appered and no small tempest laye apon vs all hope that we shuld be saved was then taken awaye.

Hebrew Names Version
When neither sun nor stars shone on us for many days, and no small tempest pressed on us, all hope that we would be saved was now taken away.

International Standard Version
For a number of days neither the sun nor the stars were to be seen, and the storm continued to rage until at last all hope of our being saved vanished.

New American Standard Bible
Since neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small storm was assailing us, from then on all hope of our being saved was slowly abandoned.

New Century Version
When we could not see the sun or the stars for many days, and the storm was very bad, we lost all hope of being saved.

Update Bible Version
And when neither sun nor stars shone on [us] for many days, and no small tempest lay on [us,] all hope that we should be saved was now taken away.

Webster's Bible Translation
And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on [us], all hope that we should be saved was then taken away.

English Standard Version
When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned.

World English Bible
When neither sun nor stars shone on us for many days, and no small tempest pressed on us, all hope that we should be saved was now taken away.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And as neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope of our being saved was then taken away.

Weymouth's New Testament
Then, when for several days neither sun nor stars were seen and the terrific gale still harassed us, the last ray of hope was now vanishing.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And whanne the sunne nether the sterris weren seie bi many daies, and tempest not a litil neiyede, now al the hope of oure helthe was don awei.

English Revised Version
And when neither sun nor stars shone upon us for many days, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was now taken away.

Berean Standard Bible
When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the great storm continued to batter us, we abandoned all hope of being saved.

Contemporary English Version
For several days we could not see either the sun or the stars. A strong wind kept blowing, and we finally gave up all hope of being saved.

Amplified Bible
Since neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small storm kept raging about us, from then on all hope of our being saved was [growing worse and worse and] gradually abandoned.

American Standard Version
And when neither sun nor stars shone upon us for many days, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was now taken away.

Bible in Basic English
And as we had not seen the sun or stars for a long time, and a great storm was on us, all hope of salvation was gone.

Complete Jewish Bible
For many days neither the sun nor the stars appeared, while the storm continued to rage, until gradually all hope of survival vanished.

Darby Translation
And neither sun nor stars appearing for many days, and no small storm lying on us, in the end all hope of our being saved was taken away.

Etheridge Translation
and neither the sun was seen, nor the moon, nor stars, the hope that we should be saved at all was cut off.

Murdock Translation
And as the storm held on for many days, and as no sun was visible, nor moon, nor stars, all hope of our surviving was wholly cut off.

King James Version (1611)
And when neither Sunne nor starres in many dayes appeared, and no small tempest lay on vs; all hope that wee should be saued, was then taken away.

New Life Bible
We did not see the sun or stars for many days. A very bad storm kept beating against us. We lost all hope of being saved.

New Revised Standard
When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest raged, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And when neither sunne nor starres in many dayes appeared, and no small tempest lay vpon vs, all hope that we should be saued, was then taken away.

George Lamsa Translation
And as the winter was so severe that for many days, neither sun nor stars could be seen, all hope of surviving was given up.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, neither, sun nor stars, appearing for many days, and, no small tempest, lying upon us, in the end, all hope that we should be saved, began to be taken from us.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And when neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and no small storms lay on us, all hope of our being saved was now taken away.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And when neither ye sunne nor starres in many dayes appeared, and no small tempest lay vpon vs, all hope that we should be saued, was then taken away.

Good News Translation
For many days we could not see the sun or the stars, and the wind kept on blowing very hard. We finally gave up all hope of being saved.

Christian Standard Bible®
For many days neither sun nor stars appeared, and the severe storm kept raging. Finally all hope was fading that we would be saved.

King James Version
And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away.

Lexham English Bible
But when neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and with not a little bad weather confronting us, finally all hope was abandoned that we would be saved.

Literal Translation
And neither sun nor stars appearing over many days, and no small tempest pressing hard, now all hope of our being saved was taken away.

Young's Literal Translation
and neither sun nor stars appearing for more days, and not a little tempest lying upon us, thenceforth all hope was taken away of our being saved.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But wha nether Sonne ner starres appeared in many dayes, and no small tempest laye vpon vs, all the hope of oure life was taken awaye.

Mace New Testament (1729)
For several days, we had not seen either sun or stars: the tempest still bore hard: all our hopes of escape quite sunk,

New English Translation
When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and a violent storm continued to batter us, we finally abandoned all hope of being saved.

New King James Version
Now when neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest beat on us, all hope that we would be saved was finally given up.

Simplified Cowboy Version
The storm continued until all were afraid this would be the end of everyone.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Since neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small storm was assailing us, from then on all hope of our being saved was gradually abandoned.

Legacy Standard Bible
And since neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small storm was assailing us, from then on all hope of our being saved was gradually abandoned.

Contextual Overview

¹² And since Fair Havens was an exposed harbor—a poor place to spend the winter—most of the crew wanted to go on to Phoenix, farther up the coast of Crete, and spend the winter there. Phoenix was a good harbor with only a southwest and northwest exposure. ¹³ When a light wind began blowing from the south, the sailors thought they could make it. So they pulled up anchor and sailed close to the shore of Crete. ¹⁴ But the weather changed abruptly, and a wind of typhoon strength (called a "northeaster") burst across the island and blew us out to sea. ¹⁵ The sailors couldn't turn the ship into the wind, so they gave up and let it run before the gale. ¹⁶ We sailed along the sheltered side of a small island named Cauda, where with great difficulty we hoisted aboard the lifeboat being towed behind us. ¹⁷ Then the sailors bound ropes around the hull of the ship to strengthen it. They were afraid of being driven across to the sandbars of Syrtis off the African coast, so they lowered the sea anchor to slow the ship and were driven before the wind. ¹⁸ The next day, as gale-force winds continued to batter the ship, the crew began throwing the cargo overboard. ¹⁹ The following day they even took some of the ship's gear and threw it overboard. ²⁰ The terrible storm raged for many days, blotting out the sun and the stars, until at last all hope was gone.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

neither: Exodus 10:21-23, Psalms 105:28, Matthew 24:29

and no: Psalms 107:25-27, Jonah 1:4, Jonah 1:11-14, Matthew 8:24, Matthew 8:25, 2 Corinthians 11:25

all: Isaiah 57:10, Jeremiah 2:25, Ezekiel 37:11, Ephesians 2:12, 1 Thessalonians 4:13

Reciprocal: Job 3:4 - darkness Job 36:32 - General Isaiah 43:1 - I have called Jeremiah 49:23 - on the sea Daniel 3:17 - our God Acts 27:10 - damage

Cross-References

Genesis 24:12
"O Lord , God of my master, Abraham," he prayed. "Please give me success today, and show unfailing love to my master, Abraham.

Exodus 20:7
"You must not misuse the name of the Lord your God. The Lord will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name.

Job 13:7
"Are you defending God with lies? Do you make your dishonest arguments for his sake?

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared,.... The Syriac version adds, "nor moon"; which is an usual description of dark, cloudy, and tempestuous seasons; and which was not only uncomfortable to them, because they could not see these luminaries, and enjoy their beneficial light and influence; but because they had them not to guide and direct them; for the sun, moon, and stars, are useful to sailors, to steer their course by; especially they were to the ancients, before the invention and use of the loadstone; besides, by these they conjectured what weather it would be, as mariners still do; they observed the rising and setting of the sun, whether it shone with equal rays or not, and whether it was red and fiery, or pale; and the like observations they made upon the moon, both as to its colour and size; and especially the constellations and stars were of singular use unto them; and above all, the two Bears, the greater and the lesser; the Greeks observed the former, and the Phoenicians the latter; and who are said by Pliny to have first found out the use of the constellations in navigation; particularly this is ascribed to the famous philosopher Thales, who is said to be a Phoenician; and from other constellations, as Arcturus, Orion, Hyades, c. they foresaw rains, storms, and tempests: and now what made the case of the apostle and the ship's company the more distressing was, that it was not only dark and cloudy, but very tempestuous, as follows

and no small tempest lay on us; and all this continued many days: so Virgil f represents Aeneas and his company in a like condition at sea, as not able by the heavens to distinguish day from night, nor to direct their course, neither sun nor stars appearing, and so wandered about in the sea three days without the sun, and as many nights without a star; and Homer g describes Ulysses in a violent storm at sea, and for the space of nine days tossed about, when on the tenth day he got to land; and Sosia, in Terence h, is brought in saying, that he had been thirty days in a ship, expecting death every moment, so boisterous was the storm he was in; and so it was in this case, the winds blew hard upon them, and the rains fell with great violence, and everything was discouraging and distressing; insomuch that

all hope that we should be saved was then taken away; neither the master and owner of the ship, nor the mariners, nor the soldiers, nor prisoners, nor the apostle's companions, had any hope of being saved, but all expected to be lost. The apostle himself knew indeed, that though the ship would be lost, every man's life would be saved; and yet he could have no hope of this, as to the outward appearance of things, but on account of the revelation which the Lord had made to him, and he believed; otherwise, as to all human helps and means, there was no probability of an escape.

f Aeneid. l. 3. g Odyss. 9. h Hecyra, Act. 3. Scen. 4.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Neither sun nor stars ... - As they could see neither san nor stars, they could make no observations; and as they had no compass, they would be totally ignorant of their situation, and they gave up all as lost.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Acts 27:20. Neither sun nor stars in many days appeared — And consequently they could make no observation; and, having no magnetical needle, could not tell in what direction they were going.