AND IT CAME TO PASS, THAT AFTER WE HAD GOTTEN FROM THEM,.... Which was with great difficulty, with many tears, and much wringing of hands: the word signifies that they were "plucked from" them; they clung about them, as husband and wife, and parents and children do; so strong were their affections;... [ Continue Reading ]
AND FINDING A SHIP SAILING OVER UNTO PHOENICIA,.... For it seems that the ship they went aboard at Assos, Acts 20:13 went no further, at least in the way the apostle was going, than Patara; but lighting on another ship, which was bound for Phoenicia, for the city of Tyre, which bordered on the land... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW WHEN WE HAD DISCOVERED CYPRUS,.... An island, as the Syriac version here calls it, which lay between Syria and Cilicia; Acts 4:36; and was, according to R. Benjamin l, four days sail from Rhodes, before mentioned: WE LEFT IT ON THE LEFT HAND, and sailed into Syria; that part of it called Phoen... [ Continue Reading ]
AND FINDING DISCIPLES,.... At Tyre, for the Gospel had been preached in Phoenicia by the ministers of the word, who were scattered by the persecution raised at the death of Stephen; and here were brethren, such as had believed in Christ, embraced and professed his Gospel, and were baptized in his na... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN WE HAD ACCOMPLISHED THOSE DAYS,.... The seven days before mentioned: WE DEPARTED AND WENT OUR WAY; from their quarters where they lodged, or from some one house of the disciples, where they met, and had conversed together: AND THEY ALL BROUGHT US ON OUR WAY, WITH WIVES AND CHILDREN, TILL... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN WE HAD TAKEN OUR LEAVE ONE OF ANOTHER,.... The Alexandrian copy reads, "having prayed, we saluted one another"; with a kiss, as in Acts 20:37 and so parted: WE TOOK SHIP; or went aboard the ship, AND THEY RETURNED HOME AGAIN; to their own houses, as the Syriac version renders it; for by ... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN WE HAD FINISHED OUR COURSE FROM TYRE,.... Or sailed from thence, WE CAME TO PTOLEMAIS: the Syriac version calls it "Aco" or "Acu": and the Arabic version, "Aco"; and Ptolemais, according to Pliny x and Harpocratian y, was called Ace. Frequent mention is made of Aco in the Jewish writings,... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE NEXT DAY WE THAT WERE OF PAUL'S COMPANY DEPARTED,.... From Ptolemais, as Sopater, Aristarchus, Secundus, Timotheus, Tychicus, Trophimus, and Luke, the writer of this history; see Acts 20:4 AND CAME UNTO CAESAREA; not Caesarea Philippi, mentioned in Matthew 16:13 but that Caesarea which wa... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE SAME MAN HAD FOUR DAUGHTERS,.... So that he was a married man, which may be observed against the Papists, who forbid marriage to ecclesiastics: and they were, VIRGINS: not under any vow of virginity, but they had not as yet changed their state of life, and were pure and incorrupt: WHICH DI... [ Continue Reading ]
AND AS WE TARRIED THERE MANY DAYS,.... How many days is not said, it could not be very many, if the apostle got to Jerusalem by Pentecost, as he desired, Acts 20:6 THERE CAME DOWN FROM JUDEA A CERTAIN PROPHET NAMED AGABUS; of whom mention is made in Acts 11:28 who is there said to come from Jerusal... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN HE WAS COME UNTO US,.... In Philip's house: HE TOOK PAUL'S GIRDLE AND BOUND HIS OWN HANDS AND FEET; and so prophesied by types and symbols, and gestures, as the prophets of old did; as Isaiah in Isaiah 20:2 and Jeremiah in Jeremiah 13:1, and Ezekiel in Ezekiel 4:1 and Hosea in Hosea 1:2,... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN WE HEARD THESE THINGS,.... These prophecies, concerning the binding of the apostle by the Jews, and the delivery of him to the Romans, and saw the symbolical representations of these things: BOTH WE; the companions of the apostle, Luke and the rest: AND THEY OF THAT PLACE; of Caesarea, Ph... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN PAUL ANSWERED, WHAT MEAN YE TO WEEP,.... For they were crying about him, both his companions and the disciples of Caesarea; which affected him, and gave him great uneasiness, even more than the prophecies of Agabus did: AND TO BREAK MY HEART? for though he was resolved to go to Jerusalem, and... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN HE WOULD NOT BE PERSUADED,.... But was determined to go to Jerusalem at all events: WE CEASED; both from tears and arguments: SAYING, THE WILL OF THE LORD BE DONE; which was right, and to which they ought to have submitted, and acquiesced in at first, without using any arguments to have d... [ Continue Reading ]
AND AFTER THOSE DAYS WE TOOK UP OUR CARRIAGES,.... Or prepared themselves, both for their journey, and for whatever trials and exercises they were to meet with; they took up their bundles, which hitherto were brought by sea, and now put them upon beasts, going by land from Caesarea: AND WENT UP TO... [ Continue Reading ]
THERE WENT WITH US ALSO CERTAIN OF THE DISCIPLES OF CAESAREA,.... Members of the church at Caesarea; of the church here, Acts 10:48. To which may be added the account of the pastors or bishops of this church, as given by Reland o; Theophilus, who was in the council held at Caesarea, in the year 198;... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN WE WERE COME TO JERUSALEM,.... That is, Paul and his companions, attended with the disciples of Caesarea, and Mnason the old disciple with them: THE BRETHREN RECEIVED US GLADLY; readily, willingly, and cheerfully; they did not treat them with an air of coldness and indifference, or look sh... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE DAY FOLLOWING,.... After they were come into Jerusalem: PAUL WENT IN WITH US TO JAMES; not the son of Zebedee and brother of John, for he was killed by Herod some years ago; but James the son of Alphaeus, and brother of our Lord, who presided over this church; it seems there were no other a... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN HE HAD SALUTED THEM,.... James and the elders with him; which was either done by a kiss, as the Arabic version adds; or by asking of their health, and wishing a continuance of it, and all prosperity to attend them: the Ethiopic version reads, THEY SALUTED HIM; and no doubt the salutations... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN THEY HEARD IT,.... The narrative of the wonderful spread of the Gospel among the Gentiles, and the numerous conversions of them: THEY GLORIFIED THE LORD; or "God", as the Alexandrian copy, the Vulgate Latin, and Ethiopic versions read; as Paul ascribed all to God, so they give the glory of... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY ARE INFORMED OF THEE,.... By persons that came from the several parts of the Gentile world, where the apostle had been preaching; and by letters which came from the Jews in those parts, who were no friends to the apostle's ministry: THAT THOU TEACHEST ALL THE JEWS WHICH ARE AMONG THE GENTI... [ Continue Reading ]
WHAT IS IT THEREFORE?.... Is it true or not? or what must be done in this case? what method must be taken to remove these objections, and reconcile the minds of the people? the multitude must needs come together; either the whole church at Jerusalem, or the great confluence of people, even of believ... [ Continue Reading ]
DO THEREFORE THIS THAT WE SAY TO THEE,.... This is said not as commanding, but as advising; and not to what was a duty, and necessary to be done as such, but as a point of prudence: WE HAVE FOUR MEN WHICH HAVE A VOW ON THEM; that is, there were four men who were of the church at Jerusalem, believer... [ Continue Reading ]
THEM TAKE, AND PURIFY, THYSELF WITH THEM,.... That is, join thyself to them, make one of their number, and attend to the rules prescribed to a Nazarite, who is to be holy to the Lord; and in case of any ceremonial uncleanness, is to be cleansed, or purified in the manner directed, Numbers 6:5. AND... [ Continue Reading ]
AS TOUCHING THE GENTILES WHICH BELIEVE,.... This is said, to show that the Jews were not offended with Paul, for not insisting upon the circumcision of the believing Gentiles, and their conformity to the ceremonial law; and to remove an objection that Paul might make, that should he comply with this... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN PAUL TOOK THE MEN,.... The four men that had the vow on them; he joined himself to them, and put himself in the same condition, and under a like vow: this he did, not as what he thought himself bound to do in obedience to the law, and much less as necessary to salvation; but to satisfy weak min... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN THE SEVEN DAYS WERE ALMOST ENDED,.... The Syriac version renders it, "when the seventh day was come"; from the time that Paul came to Jerusalem: some understand this of the seven weeks from the passover to Pentecost, and that it was when they were almost ended, and the day of Pentecost was... [ Continue Reading ]
CRYING OUT, MEN OF ISRAEL, HELP,.... The Arabic and Ethiopic versions read, "help us"; to hold Paul, on whom they had laid their hands, and to assist in beating him: but why such an outcry for help against a single man, and he but little of stature, and weak in body, and so easily held and overpower... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THEY HAD SEEN BEFORE WITH HIM IN THE CITY,.... Not of Ephesus, but of Jerusalem: TROPHIMUS AN EPHESIAN; the same that is mentioned in Acts 20:4 whom these Jews of Asia, and who very probably were inhabitants of Ephesus, knew very well to be a Gentile: WHOM THEY SUPPOSED PAUL HAD BROUGHT INTO T... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ALL THE CITY WAS MOVED, AND THE PEOPLE RAN TOGETHER,.... The outcry in the temple reached the ears of some that were without, and these alarmed others; so that the report of a disturbance in the temple soon went through the whole city; and brought people out of their houses, who ran together in... [ Continue Reading ]
AND AS THEY WENT ABOUT TO KILL HIM,.... In the manner as zealots did, without bringing him before any court of judicature, without any charge, trial, and condemnation: TIDINGS CAME UNTO THE CHIEF CAPTAIN OF THE BAND; the Roman band of soldiers, who were placed near the temple, to keep the peace of... [ Continue Reading ]
WHO IMMEDIATELY TOOK SOLDIERS AND CENTURIONS,.... A very large number of soldiers, for they are called an army, in Acts 23:27 with a sufficient number of officers called centurions, who were each of them over an hundred men, to command them, and put them in order: AND RAN DOWN UNTO THEM: from the t... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN THE CHIEF CAPTAIN CAME NEAR,.... To the place where the Jews were beating Paul: AND TOOK HIM the Arabic version adds, "from them"; he rescued him out of their hands, as he himself says, Acts 23:27. AND COMMANDED HIM TO BE BOUND WITH TWO CHAINS: partly to appease the people, and partly to secu... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SOME CRIED ONE THING, AND SOME ANOTHER, AMONG THE MULTITUDE,.... For though they agreed to beat him, and even to kill him, yet some of them knew not for what; being led by a blind zeal for Moses, the law and temple, or rather by fury and madness: AND WHEN HE COULD NOT KNOW THE CERTAINTY FOR THE... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN HE CAME UPON THE STAIRS,.... Or steps, which led up to the castle; for it was built upon a very high place, as appears from the account of it in the preceding verse; to which agrees what Aristaeas g says of it in the following words; "in order to have knowledge of all things, we went up to... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THE MULTITUDE OF THE PEOPLE FOLLOWED AFTER,.... The captain and the soldiers, who had taken away Paul from them, and were carrying him to the castle: CRYING, AWAY WITH HIM; or "take him away", that is, by death; or "lift him up", upon the cross, crucify him, crucify him, as they said concerning... [ Continue Reading ]
AND AS PAUL WAS TO BE LED INTO THE CASTLE,.... Just as he was got up to the top of the steps, or stairs, that led up to the castle, and was about to go into the door of it: HE SAID UNTO THE CHIEF CAPTAIN, MAY I SPEAK UNTO THEE? the apostle was one that had had a good education, and was a man of add... [ Continue Reading ]
ART THOU NOT THAT EGYPTIAN, WHICH BEFORE THESE DAYS MADEST AN UPROAR,.... Josephus speaks i of one that came out of Egypt to Jerusalem, and gave out that he was a prophet, and deceived the people, whom he persuaded to follow him to the Mount of Olives, where they should see the walls of the city fal... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT PAUL SAID, I AM A MAN WHICH AM A JEW OF TARSUS,.... And not that Egyptian; he was not of that country, much less that man; but a Jew, both by birth and religion; he was born of Jewish parents, and brought up in the Jewish religion; though his native place was Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, where it... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN HE HAD GIVEN HIM LICENCE,.... To speak to the people, which he could not well deny him, after he had so freely declared who he was, and in so courteous a manner addressed him, and asked leave of him: PAUL STOOD ON THE STAIRS; on the steps of the ascent to the castle, on the top of them: A... [ Continue Reading ]