Acts 28:1

Modern

Once we were safely ashore, we learned that the island was called Malta.

Traditional

And when they were escaped, then they knew that the island was called Melita.

Literal

And having been saved, then we found out that the island is called Malta.

Latin

Et cum evasissemus, tunc cognovimus quia Melita insula vocabatur. Barbari vero præstabant non modicam humanitatem nobis.

Greek

English

Once we were safely ashore, we learned that the island was called Malta.

Malta was a large island controlled by the Romans, located about 100 kilometers (60 miles) south of Sicily.

The graphic language describing sailing in the story of Paul's journey to Rome provides one of the best accounts of an ancient sea journey.
This is the last "we" section in Acts (see also 16:10–17; 20:5–15; 21:1–18). During Paul's two years of imprisonment, Luke probably researched his gospel throughout Judea and Galilee. Here, as part of Paul's sailing group, he had a personal witness of the dangers at sea.

Theme notes and profiles

Acts 27:26
However, we must run aground on some island.”
Acts 27:44
The rest were to follow on planks and various parts of the ship. In this way everyone was brought safely to land.
Acts 27:39
When daylight came, they did not recognize the land, but they sighted a bay with a sandy beach, where they decided to run the ship aground if they could.
Acts 16:10
As soon as Paul had seen the vision, we got ready to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

Malta: An island where Paul was shipwrecked