40. taken up the anchors, they committed themselves to the sea--The
Margin is here evidently right, "cut the anchors (away), they left
them in the sea."
loosed the rudder bands--Ancient ships were steered by two large
paddles, one on each quarter. When anchored by the stern in a gale, it
would be necessary to lift them out of the water and secure them by
lashings or rudder bands, and to loose these when the ship was again got
under way [SMITH].
hoised up the mainsail--her, "the foresail," the best possible
sail that be set in the circumstances. How necessary must the crew have
been to execute all these movements, and how obvious the foresight
which made their stay indispensable to the safety of all on board (see
on
Ac 27:31)!
JFB.
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