v. 204; Hor. Od., i, 14, 6). The captain was de nominated nauklaros (Acts xxvii :11), steersman, though he was a different person from him who had the actual charge of the helm, who bore the name of koo-ber-nay'tace, which is the root of our word 'governor' (Lat. gubernator, helmsman).
The dangers of the ocean to sailors on board such ships as these were, and in the then ignorance of navigation, caused sailing to be restricted to the months of spring, summer, and autumn ; win ter was avoided. To the Romans the sea was opened in March and closed in November (Cms. Bell. Gall. iv, 36; v, 23; Philo, Opp. iv, 548; Acts xxvii :9) ; and ships which towards the end of the year were still at sea earnestly sought a harbor in which to pass the winter (Acts xxvii :12).
Figuratitte. Ships of Tarshish, are put for the merchants and mariners concerned in them (Is. xxiii:14), and for the glory and strength of God's enemies (Is. ii :16; Ps. xlviii:7). (2) The Chaldeans cried in their ships, when busied in their trade in the river Euphrates; and when hastening to flee away from Cyrus. as he took
the city : and the water of the river was diverted, (3) The church is likened to r. tossed ship, to denote her troubled and unsettled condition in this world (Is. liv :It ). (4) The Assyrian king dom is likened to a ship, of which the king was the mast, the princes and rulers the tacklings, and the common people and army the sails (Is. xxxiii:23. 24). (5) The third part of the ships destroyed under the second trumpet, may denote the ships, islands, and maritime cities destroyed by the Goths and Huns, about the end of the fourth, and beginning of the fifth Christian centu ries; and the corruptions of multitudes of useful ministers in the church (Rev. viii:g). (6) Man's life is likened to swift ships, or ships of pleasure; how quickly it hastens to an end! (Job ix :26) —Brown. (7) An industrious housewife is likened to a merchant ship bringing "her food from afar" (Prov. xxxi :14). (8) "Shipwreck" is symbolical of departing from the faith (t Tim. i :19), for, like a wreck, one who loses faith in Christ, be comes not only useless, but dangerous.