Acts 21:7

διανύσαντες : “and when we had finished the voyage from Tyre we arrived at Ptolemais,” R.V. (so in effect A.V.), but Page (so Wendt) renders “but we having (thereby) completed our voyage (i.e., from Macedonia, Acts 20:6), came from Tyre to Ptolemais,” on the ground that διανύω would not be used of the short journey to Ptolemais from Tyre. Πτολεμαΐδα : the ancient Accho and the modern Acre, Arab. Akka; St. Jean d'Acre, mentioned here for the last time in Scripture. About thirty miles south of Tyre. In Judges 1:31 it was assigned to Asher, but it was never taken by Israel, and was always reckoned as belonging to the Philistine towns, and later by the Greeks as belonging to Phœnicia. In its stormy history it was held in succession by Babylonians and Persians (Strabo, xvi., 2, 25), and on the first division of Alexander's kingdom it was assigned to Ptolemy Soter (Ptolemy I.), from whom it may have derived its name (so Hamburger). Schürer however refers the name to Ptolemy II. (Philadelphus), and others to Ptolemy Lathurus. In the Syro-Egyptian wars its importance as a military station was manifested, since the power which held it could close the road down the Syrian coast to Egypt. To the Jews it was always hostile, 1Ma 5:15, Jos., Ant., xii., 8, 2, 1Ma 12:45, Jos., Ant., xiii., 6, 2, and later in history when the Jewish War broke out against Rome, the Jews, two thousand in number, were slaughtered in Ptolemais, Jos., B.J., ii., 18, 5. After falling to the Parthians, it finally passed under the dominion of Rome, but although it was called colonia Ptolemais under the Emperor Claudius, Pliny, v., 19, it does not seem to have possessed the actual privileges of a colony (Schürer). See on its earlier and modern history, Hamburger, Real-Encyclopädie des Judentums, i., 1, p. 41; “Acco,” Hastings' B.D., “Accho,” B.D. 2; Schürer, Jewish People, div. ii., vol. i., p. 90, E.T. It was only separated from Tyre by a short day's voyage, if the wind was favourable. Here Herod landed on his return from Italy to Syria, Jos., Ant., xiv., 15, 1. τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς : a Christian Church at Ptolemais; founded perhaps by Philip the Evangelist. It is also very possible that a Church may have existed there ever since the dispersion after the death of St. Stephen, Acts 11:19. On the times which St. Paul probably visited it see “Ptolemais” B.D. 1.