Psalms 107:27

They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man ,.... Through the agitation of the water, and motion of the ship, not being able to stand upon deck.

And are at their wit's end ; or, "all their wisdom is swallowed up" F14 כל חכמ־תאם תתבלע "omnis sapientia eorum absorpta est", Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus; so Junius & Tremellius, Piscator. ; their wisdom in naval affairs, their art of navigation, their skill in managing ships, all nonplussed and baffled; they know not what method to take to save the vessel and themselves; their knowledge fails them, they are quite confounded and almost distracted. So Apollinarius paraphrases it,

"they forget navigation, and their wise art does not appear;'

so Ovid, describing a storm, uses the same phrase, "deficit ars",

"art fails.'