Acts 8:26

ἄγγελος δέ, and an angel. God does not let His agents languish for want of occupation. Peter and John are sent to complete the work of Philip in Samaria, but Philip meanwhile is divinely directed to another scene of labour.

ἐλάλησεν πρὸς Φίλιππον, spake unto Philip. Most probably in a vision, as to Cornelius (Acts 10:3) and to Peter (Acts 11:5).

κατὰ μεσημβρίαν, toward the south. Gaza was the southernmost of the five great cities which the Philistines had formerly occupied, and was on the route which a traveller from Jerusalem to Egypt would follow. In 96 B.C. the city of Gaza had been destroyed and its inhabitants massacred by Alexander Jannæus (Joseph. Ant. XIII. 13. 3), but it had been rebuilt by Gabinius (Ant. XIV. 5. 3), though it is said that the restored city was nearer the sea than the ancient one. It continued to be a city of importance (see Ant. XV. 7. 3 and XVII. 11. 4), and it cannot therefore be to the city that the word ‘desert’ which follows, must be referred. From Samaria Philip would come directly south, and leaving Jerusalem on the east strike the road at some distance from that city.

ἀπὸ Ἱερουσαλὴμ εἰς Γάζαν, from Jerusalem unto Gaza. There was more than one road from Jerusalem to Gaza; the more northern route went first to Ascalon and then by the coast to Gaza, another road was by Hebron and through the more desert country which lay to the west of it, and this is most likely the road intended in the narrative.

αὔτη ἐστὶν ἔρημος, this is desert. With αὕτη it is best to supply ἡ ὁδὸς. If the words had been inserted as an explanation by the writer in reference to Gaza, they would scarcely have been so curt, whereas if we regard them as a portion of the speech of the angel they contain all that was needed for Philip’s instruction. That road toward Gaza which passed through the desert explains exactly the place to which he was to go.