Acts 21:1-40

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 21:3

Now when we had discovered Cyprus ,.... An island, as the Syriac version here calls it, which lay between Syria and Cilicia; See Gill on Acts 4:36 ; and was, according to R. Benjamin F12 Itinerar. p. 30. , four days sail from Rhodes, before mentioned: we left it on the left hand , and sailed into Syria; that part of it called Phoenicia: and landed at Tyre ; the chief city of Phoenicia, famous for navigation and commerce: it stood about four furlongs distant from the shore,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 21:4

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 name; see Acts 11:19 and who also had extraordinary gifts, as appears by what follows; and there was no doubt a Gospel church founded in this place, though who presided over it in the first... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 21:5

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 we were out of the city ; that is, the disciples, even all of them that dwelt in that city, with their whole families, their wives and children, accompanied the apostle and those that were... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 21:6

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 "their own", as it is in the Greek text, cannot be meant their families, their wives, and children, for these were along with them, but their habitations; see John 16:32 . read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 21:7

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 F24 Ad nationes, l. 5. c. 19. and Harpocratian F25 Lexic. Decem Orator. p. 12. , was called Ace. Frequent mention is made of Aco in the Jewish writings, and which according to them was a sea port, for they speak of נמלה דעכו , "the port of Aco" F26 T. Bab. Yoma,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 21:8

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 was formerly called Strato's tower, and was a very good sea port; see Acts 8:40 . and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist ; not a writer of a Gospel, but a preacher of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 21:9

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 did prophesy ; not explain and interpret Scripture, or preach in public assemblies; for these were not allowed women, neither in the Jewish synagogues, nor in Christian assemblies; but they... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 21:10

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 Jerusalem, to Antioch, and here from Judea to Caesarea; he had been many years going about from place to place prophesying, for between that and this account must be a space of about sixteen or... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 21:11

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 , some understand this of his binding Paul's hands and feet, but it seems rather to design his own: and said, thus saith the Holy Ghost ; who was in Agabus, and spoke by him, and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 21:12

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, Philip and his daughters, and the disciples that lived there: besought him not to go up to Jerusalem ; which was an instance of weakness in them, though an expression of their affection... read more

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