SEV Biblia, Chapter 21:3
Y como avistamos a Chipre, dejndola a mano izquierda, navegamos a Siria, y vinimos a Tiro, porque el barco había de descargar allí su carga.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Acts 21:3
Verse 3. Cyprus] See the note on chap. iv. 36, and see the track of this journey on the map. Tyre] A city of Phoenicia, one of the most celebrated maritime towns in the world. See the notes on chap. xii. 20; Matt. xi. 21.
There the ship was to unlade her burden.] The freight that she had taken in at Ephesus she was to unlade at Tyre; to which place she was bound.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 3. Now when we had discovered Cyprus , etc.] 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 f1067 , 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, and was joined to the continent by Alexander the great f1068 . The account Jerom f1069 gives of it is this, Tyre, the metropolis of Phoenicia, in the tribe of Nephthalim, is near twenty miles from Caesarea Philippi; this was formerly an island, but made continent land by Alexander: its chief excellency lies in shell fish and purple.
It was a very ancient city, though it seems not so ancient as Sidon, from whence it was distant about two hundred furlongs. Herodotus says, that in his time it had been inhabited two thousand three hundred years; Hiram was king of it in Solomons time; yea, mention is made of it in Joshuas time, if the text in ( Joshua 19:29) is rightly translated: some say it was built seventy six years before the destruction of Troy. It is to be distinguished into old Tyre, which was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, and the island of Tyre, which was conquered by Alexander, and new Tyre annexed, by him to the continent. In the Hebrew language it is called rwx , Tzur, or Tzor, which signifies a rock, being built on one; though some think it has its name from rwhx , Tzehor, which signifies brightness; it is now called Sur or Suri, and is quite desolate, being only a receptacle of thieves and robbers: though R. Benjamin says, in his time, new Tyre was a very good city, and had a port within it, into which ships go between two towers; and that there were in it four hundred Jews, and some of them skilful in the Talmud; who further observes, that if anyone ascended the walls of new Tyre, he might see Tyre the crowning city, ( Isaiah 23:8) which was a stones cast from the new; but if a man would go in a boat on the sea, he might see towers, streets, and palaces in the bottom f1071 : for there the ship was to unlade her burden ; which she had taken in, in the ports where she had been, but where is not certain; for that she had been at Ephesus, and took in her lading there, as Grotius thinks, does not appear; since this was not the ship the apostle and his company sailed in from Miletus, but which they went aboard at Patara, ( Acts 21:1,2).
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-7 - Providence must be acknowledged when our affairs go on well. Whereve 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 u by example, as well as by rule, to pray always, to pray withou ceasing. Their last farewell was sweetened with prayer.
Greek Textus Receptus
αναφαναντες 398 5631 V-2AAP-NPM δε 1161 CONJ την 3588 T-ASF κυπρον 2954 N-ASF και 2532 CONJ καταλιποντες 2641 5631 V-2AAP-NPM αυτην 846 P-ASF ευωνυμον 2176 A-ASF επλεομεν 4126 5707 V-IAI-1P εις 1519 PREP συριαν 4947 N-ASF και 2532 CONJ κατηχθημεν 2609 5648 V-2API-1S εις 1519 PREP τυρον 5184 N-ASF εκεισε 1566 ADV γαρ 1063 CONJ ην 2258 5713 V-IXI-3S το 3588 T-NSN πλοιον 4143 N-NSN αποφορτιζομενον 670 5740 V-PNP-NSN τον 3588 T-ASM γομον 1117 N-ASM
Vincent's NT Word Studies
3. Discovered (anafanantev). Better, sighted. A nautical phrase. The verb literally means to bring to light: and its use here is analogous to the English marine phrase, to raise the land.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
21:3 {When we had come in sight of Cyprus} (anafanantes ten kupron). First aorist active participle of anafainw (Doric form -fanantes rather than the Attic -phnantes), old verb to make appear, bring to light, to manifest. Having made Cyprus visible or rise up out of the sea. Nautical terms. In the N.T. only here and #Lu 19:11 which see. {On the left hand} (euwnumon). Compound feminine adjective like masculine. They sailed south of Cyprus. {We sailed} (epleomen). Imperfect active of common verb plew, kept on sailing till we came to Syria. {Landed at Tyre} (katelqomen eis turon). Came down to Tyre. qen a free city of Syria in honor of its former greatness (cf. the long siege by Alexander the Great). {There} (ekeise). Thither, literally. Only one other instance in N.T., #22:5 which may be pertinent = ekei (there). {Was to unlade} (en apofortizomenon). Periphrastic imperfect middle of apofortizw, late verb from apo and fortos, load, but here only in the N.T. Literally, "For thither the boat was unloading her cargo," a sort of "customary" or "progressive" imperfect (Robertson, _Grammar_, p. 884). {Burden} (gomon). Cargo, old word, from gemw, to be full. Only here and #Re 18:11f. in N.T. Probably a grain or fruit ship. It took seven days here to unload and reload.
