Acts 27:30

30 Some of the sailors tried to jump ship. They let down the lifeboat, pretending they were going to set out more anchors from the bow.

Acts 27:30 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 27:30

And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship
To save their lives, concluding that it was in the utmost danger, and that it would quickly, notwithstanding the anchors cast out, break away, and fall upon the rocks, and split to pieces:

when they had let down the boat into the sea;
which before they had taken up into the ship, ( Acts 27:16 Acts 27:17 ) and now they let it down, in order to get into it, and make their escape:

under colour as though they would have cast anchors out of the
foreship;
the foremost part of the ship, the prow of it; their pretence in attempting to get out of the ship, and into the boat, was, that whereas there were anchors cast out of the stern, or hinder part of the ship, so they would cast out others, from the fore part of it; and "stretch" them "out", as the word signifies, or carry them further out into the sea, for the security of the ship; and to do which, it was necessary to use the boat.

Acts 27:30 In-Context

28 Sounding, they measured a depth of one hundred twenty feet, and shortly after that ninety feet.

29 Afraid that we were about to run aground, they threw out four anchors and prayed for daylight.

30 Some of the sailors tried to jump ship. They let down the lifeboat, pretending they were going to set out more anchors from the bow.

31 Paul saw through their guise and told the centurion and his soldiers, "If these sailors don't stay with the ship, we're all going down."

32 So the soldiers cut the lines to the lifeboat and let it drift off.