27:28a

They took soundings: This clause refers to using a weight with a rope tied to it. The weight is lowered until it hits the sea bottom, while counting the length of rope as it is going down. Or they may have counted the length of rope as they brought it back up. Other ways to translate this clause are:

they dropped a line with a weight tied to it (Good News Translation)
-or-
They measured (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
they lowered a rope with a weight on the end of it into the water (New Century Version)
-or-
they lowered a weight tied to a rope and measured the depth ⌊of the sea⌋

27:28b

twenty fathoms: At that time, sailors counted how many times they stretched the rope between their hands with their hands spread wide. Or they could have a rope with knots tied in it at arms-spread distance and counted the knots. The arms-spread distance is 1.7–1.8 meters (5.5–6 feet). Here they counted twenty of these distances. Ways to translate this phrase are:

twenty fathoms
-or-
twenty arm spans
-or-
a hundred and twenty feet (New International Version)
-or-
thirty-five meters

27:28c

Going a little farther: The Greek words are literally “departing a little.” This could refer to distance or time. It implies both here. Here it probably indicates half to one kilometer (0.3–0.6 miles) or ten to twenty minutes. Use a general saying that allows that distance or time. For example:

a little farther (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
a little later (Good News Translation)

27:28d

fifteen fathoms: This phrase in Greek refers to fifteen arm spans here. It is equal to about twenty-six meters. Ways to translate this phrase are:

fifteen fathoms
-or-
ninety feet (New International Version)
-or-
about twenty-six meters

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