33 And while the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to take meat, saying, This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued fasting, having taken nothing. 34 Wherefore I pray you to take some meat: for this is for your health: for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you. 35 And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them all: and when he had broken it, he began to eat. 36 Then were they all of good cheer, and they also took some meat. 37 And we were in all in the ship two hundred threescore and sixteen souls. (Acts 27:33-37 KJV)
William Burkitt’s Commentary
Observe here, 1. What honour God put upon the holy apostle: although he was a poor prisoner in chains, yet God made him the only counsellor and comforter to all who were in the ship.
First, he advises them to eat because, through consternation of mind and horror of death, they had made no set meal for fourteen days; not that they subsisted miraculously without any nourishment at all, but ate so little that it was in a manner continual fasting.
Next, he becomes the chaplain of the ship, He gave thanks to God in the presence of them all; that is, he desired God’s blessing upon what they eat and praised him for it. Thanks should be returned when benefits are received from the hand of man, much more from the hand of God. What shall we think of those that sit down to a full table as a beast to his forage without taking any notice of the bountiful hand that feeds them?
St. Paul having thus refreshed himself, and by his example and words encouraged all the rest to do the like, an account is taken of the exact number of persons which were in the ship, and it was found to be two hundred threescore and sixteen souls. Probably this was done at the motion of St. Paul, that so, after their deliverance, it might appear how exactly his prediction, mentioned, That there shall be no loss of any man’s life, nor an hair fall from the head of any, was verified and fulfilled. Ac 27:22
Whatever God speaks by the mouth of his holy servants, be it by way of prediction or denunciation, shall certainly be accomplished and come to pass: God is honoured in his truth when his promises are fulfilled towards his people and threatenings inflicted on his enemies.