Acts 27:28 Meaning and Explanation
“And sounded, and found it twenty fathoms: and when they had gone a little further, they sounded again, and found it fifteen fathoms.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →They measure the depth at twenty fathoms, then fifteen, confirming the water is shoaling toward land.
What Does Acts 27:28 Mean?
Acting on their sense of nearing land, the sailors take soundings — lowering a weighted line — and find twenty fathoms, then shortly after only fifteen. The rapidly shoaling depth confirms that the shore, with its perilous shallows, is close at hand.
The careful soundings show prudence at work even in crisis: they test, they measure, they prepare. Faith in God's promise (v. 24-26) did not make them careless; it made them watchful. To trust the Lord's word is not to abandon vigilance but to exercise it with hope. The deliverance was certain, yet they still 'looked' for it actively, as servants who 'wait for the LORD' (Psalm 130:5) with their lamps trimmed.
Frequently Asked Questions About Acts 27:28
What does Acts 27:28 mean?
They measure the depth at twenty fathoms, then fifteen, confirming the water is shoaling toward land.