The term rendered “fourteenth” (Strong’s Greek 5065) appears twice in the New Testament and draws the reader’s attention to decisive moments of divine preservation and fulfillment. While superficially a mere ordinal, Scripture consistently employs the fourteenth day as a marker of deliverance, covenant faithfulness, and the orderly timing of God’s purposes.

Occurrences in Acts

Acts 27:27 places the word amid the harrowing account of Paul’s voyage to Rome: “On the fourteenth night we were still being driven across the Adriatic Sea…”. Two verses later, Acts 27:33 notes that, just before daybreak, “Paul kept urging them all to eat. ‘Today is the fourteenth day you have been in suspense and without food—waiting all this time.’ ” The repetition frames the entire ordeal—two full weeks of darkness, hunger, and tempest—as a divinely limited trial culminating in rescue.

Historical Setting of Acts 27

First-century navigation shut down for winter because crews feared sudden Mediterranean storms. Julius the centurion pressed on despite Paul’s warning (Acts 27:10–11). Fourteen incessant nights of gale force winds would have exhausted any seasoned sailor. Luke’s precise timekeeping underscores both the severity of the crisis and the reliability of the narrative; such detail could only come from an eyewitness diary. God thus vindicates Paul’s prophetic word that no life would be lost (Acts 27:24) and displays His rule over circumstances that appear purely natural.

Old Testament Echoes

1. Passover: Deliverance for Israel came on “the fourteenth day of this month at twilight” (Exodus 12:6; Leviticus 23:5). Subsequent commemorations of Passover and Unleavened Bread perpetually fell on that same date (Numbers 28:16; Joshua 5:10; 2 Chronicles 35:1).
2. Purification and Renewal: Hezekiah’s and Josiah’s reforms, each featuring a restored Passover on the fourteenth (2 Chronicles 30:15; 2 Chronicles 35:1), illustrate the link between the date and covenant renewal.
3. Esther’s Preservation: After the Jews’ victory in Persia, they rested “on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar” (Esther 9:17), another reminder that deliverance and the fourteenth day often coincide.

Luke’s account therefore resonates with an established biblical pattern: God ordains the fourteenth day to mark salvation from judgment or destruction.

Theological Significance

1. Sovereign Timing

The ship’s crew could neither steer nor measure progress, yet the same God who appointed the Passover timetable bounded their storm to a precise span. Events unfold according to divine schedule, not random chance.

2. Typology of Deliverance

Paul, the apostle of grace, finds himself amid Gentile sailors and soldiers. As the Passover lamb safeguarded Israel, God’s promise through Paul secures every soul on board (Acts 27:34). The shared meal that follows anticipates the Lord’s Table, transforming fearful survivors into a community of hope.

3. Assurance in Prolonged Trials

Fourteen nights recall two complete sevens, a doubled period of testing that ends in daylight. Believers enduring extended hardships are encouraged to trust that God already knows the endpoint and has pledged their ultimate safety (2 Timothy 4:18).

Practical Ministry Applications

• Pastoral Care in Crisis

When counseling those facing extended uncertainty—illness, unemployment, persecution—Acts 27 supplies a template: speak God’s promises clearly, encourage physical sustenance, model thankfulness (Acts 27:35), and expect God to honor His word.

• Teaching Biblical Numeracy

Highlighting the scriptural pattern surrounding the fourteenth day equips congregations to read narratives with theological attentiveness, seeing how details reinforce major doctrines such as providence and redemption.

• Missionary Encouragement

Paul’s calm leadership under duress exemplifies the missionary mindset: personal danger is secondary to testimony. Modern servants of the gospel can draw strength from his example when travel, politics, or weather threaten to derail ministry plans.

Conclusion

The two New Testament uses of Strong’s Greek 5065 function as more than chronological markers; they tie the unfolding account of Acts to the larger tapestry of Scripture, where the fourteenth day repeatedly signals God’s saving action. By observing how Luke employs this small ordinal, readers gain fresh appreciation for the meticulous sovereignty that governs both biblical history and their own lives.