Acts 21:7

And when we had finished our course from Tyre, we came to Ptolemais, and saluted the brethren, and abode with them one day. AND WHEN WE HAD FINISHED OUR COURSE ('AND HAVING COMPLETED THE PASSAGE') _ From Tyre, we came to Ptolemais_ - so called from one of the Ptolemies, when it belonged to Egypt; anciently called Accho ( ), now Acca, and by Europeans, Jean d'Acre, or Acre, the principal seaport town of Syria, lying about thirty miles south of Tyre. Its military importance has made it a coveted prize from age to age. AND SALUTED THE BRETHREN - DISCIPLES PROBABLY GATHERED, AS AT TYRE, ON THE OCCASION MENTIONED IN ; "and abode with them one day." Land Journey to Caesarea-the Stay with Philip the Evangelist-

− 7.Luke doth briefly declare that Paul was also received at Ptolemais by the brethren. This is a city of Phenicia, standing upon the sea-coast, not far from the borders of Judea, from which Paul and his companions had no long journey to Cesarea. But if the readers be disposed to know farther touching the situation of regions, let them resort unto the describers of places and countries [geographers]. Furthermore, he saith, that when he came to Cesarea, they lodged with Philip, whom he calleth an Evangelist, though he were one of the seven deacons, as we may see in the sixth chapter ( Acts 6:5). By this we may easily gather, that that deaconship was an office which continued but for a time; − (458) because it had not otherwise been lawful for Philip to forsake Jerusalem, and to go to Cesarea. And in this place he is set before us, not as a voluntary f

1-7 Providence must be acknowledged when our affairs go on well. Wherever Paul came, he inquired what disciples were there, and found them out. Foreseeing his troubles, from love to him, and concern for the church, they wrongly thought it would be most for the glory of God that he should continue at liberty; but their earnestness to dissuade him from it, renders his pious resolution the more illustrious. He has taught us by example, as well as by rule, to pray always, to pray without ceasing. Their last farewell was sweetened with prayer....

Verse Acts 21:7. _WE CAME TO PTOLEMAIS_] This was a seaport town of Galilee, not far from Mount Carmel, between Tyre and Caesarea, where the river Belus empties itself into the sea. It was at first called Accho, (and this is the reading of the Syriac and Arabic,) and belonged to the tribe of Asher, Judges 1:31; it was enlarged and beautified by the first of the Egyptian Ptolemies, from whom it was called _Ptolemais_. This place terminated St. Paul's voyage; and this is what is expressed in the text: _And we came from Tyre to_ _Ptolemais, where our voyage ended_. See the Greek text....

WE CAME TO PTOLEMAIS - This was a city situated on the coast of the Mediterranean, on the north angle of a bay which extends, in a semicircle of three leagues, as far as the point of Mount Carmel. At the south and west sides the city was washed by the sea, and was surrounded by triple walls. It was in the tribe of Asher Judges 1:31, and was originally called Accho; but was called Ptolemais in honor of one of the Ptolemies, who beautified and adorned it. The Christian crusaders gave it the name of Acre, or John of Acre, from a magnificent church which was built in it, and which was dedicated to the apostle John. It is still called Akha by the Turks. The Syriac and Arabic render it Accho in this place. It sustained several sieges during the Crusades, and was the last fortified place wrested from the Christians by the Turks. It sustained a memorable siege under Bonapar

EXPOSITION ACTS 21:1 _When it came to pass float we were parted from them, and had set sail _for _it came to pass, that after we were gotten from them, and had launched, _A.V.; _Cos _for _Coos_, A.V. and T.R.; _next day _for _day following, _A.V. PARTED FROM THEM (ἀποσπασθέντας)_. _"Non sine desiderio magno" (Bengel). "He shows the violence of the parting by saying, ' Having torn ourselves away '" (Chrysostom). The word is properly applied to those who have been unwillingly torn away from their friends (Schleusner and Kuinoel); "denotes the painful separation wrung from them by necessity" (Meyer) In Acts 20:30 it was used in the active voice of false teachers "drawing away" the disciples, _i.e. _Christians

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, and which according to them was a sea port, for they speak of נמלה דעכו, "the port of Aco" z, and of כיפי דעכו, "the banks of Aco" a, or its rocks: it was upon the borders of the land of Israel, and in the tribe of Asher to the north of it; part of it they say was without the land, and part of it within b: according to R. Benjamin, it was one day's sail from Tyre, and who also says, it was upon the borders of Asher, and had a very spacious port c; it is said to be about two and thirty miles from Tyre; between that and Tyre, the shore was full of heaps of sand, from whence the sand that glass i...

CHAPTER 21 _ 1. The journey from Miletus to Tyre and Ptolemais (Acts 21:1)._ 2. In Caesarea (Acts 21:8). 3. The Apostle's Arrival in Jerusalem and his visit to the Temple (Acts 21:15). 4. The Uproar in the Temple. Paul taken prisoner (Acts 21:27). Coos, Rhodes and Patara are mentioned. Then they sailed over to Phenicia and landed in Tyre. Here they found disciples. And the Holy Spirit through these disciples warned the Apostle at once that he should not go to Jerusalem. This, indeed, was very solemn. If these disciples had spoken of themselves, if it said that they were in anxiety over Paul's journey to that

TO CÆ SAREA. From Tyre to Ptolemais (p. 28) is 20 miles. The stay there is brief; the journey from Ptolemais to Cæ sarea, about 30 miles, _was_ probably by land. Philip arrived at Cæ sarea after his meeting with the eunuch (Acts 8:40); he still lived there and he received the party. None of the prophecies of his daughters on this occasion are given; the visit lasted some days, and if Philip was one of the Twelve as well as one of the Seven of Acts 6, much would be said that we should like to know. The third Gospel, according to some scholars, was largely indebted to this meeting. Agabus (Acts 11:28) is here introduced to us afresh, and symbolises with Paul's girdle the bonds and imprisonment which in Acts 20:23 Paul said were everyw

When we had torn ourselves away from them and had set sail, we sailed a straight course and came to Cos; on the next day we reached Rhodes; and from there we came to Patara. There we found a ship which was sailing across to Phoenicia and we embarked on her and set sail. After we had sighted Cyprus and had left it behind on the left hand side we sailed on to Syria and came down to Tyre, for there the ship was to discharge her cargo. We sought out the disciples and we stayed there for seven days. They told Paul through the Holy Spirit to give up his journey to Jerusalem. When we had completed the days we left and proceeded on our journey, while they all, with their wives and children, escorted us outside the city. We knelt down on the shore and prayed and bade each other farewell. Then we embarked on the ship and they returned home. We continued our voyage and arrived at Ptolemais from Tyr...