SEV Biblia, Chapter 21:7
Y nosotros, cumplida la navegacin, vinimos de Tiro a Tolemaida; y habiendo saludado a los hermanos, nos quedamos con ellos un día.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Acts 21:7
Verse 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, Judg. i. 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.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 7. And when we had finished our course from Tyre , etc.] 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 and Harpocratian f1079 , 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 wk[d hlmn , the port of Aco f1080 , and of wk[d ypyk , the banks of Aco f1081 , 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 f1082 : according to R. Benjamin, it was one days sail from Tyre, and who also says, it was upon the borders of Asher, and had a very spacious port f1083 ; 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 is made of was fetched; it is mentioned with Tyre, Sidon, and Galilee, in: And said, They of Ptolemais, and of Tyrus, and Sidon, and all Galilee of the Gentiles, are assembled together against us to consume us. (1 Maccabees 5:15) it had the mountainous part of Galilee on the east, the ladder of Tyre on the north, and Mount Carmel on the south, and thus it is described by Josephus f1084 : Ptolemais is a city of Galilee on the sea coast, built in a large champaign country, but is surrounded with mountains, on the east with the mountains of Galilee, sixty furlongs off; on the south with Carmel, distant a hundred and twenty furlongs; on the north with a very high mountain called the Climax, or ladder of the Tyrians, which is a hundred furlongs from it; two miles from the city runs a very small river called Beleus, near which is the sepulchre of Memnon, taking up the space of an hundred cubits, and is worthy of admiration; it is round and hollow (i.e. the river), casting up glassy sand, which ships in great numbers come and take up, and the place is filled up again. The account Jerom gives of it is, Ptolemais, a maritime city in Judea, near Mount Carmel, which was formerly called so from one Ptolomy; from Ptolomy king of Egypt: it was called Ace or Aco, from its being a city of merchandise; though some say it was so called from Hercules being healed of the bite of a serpent, by an herb which grew near the river Beleus. It is now called St. John de Acra or Acri: and saluted the brethren ; that were at Ptolemais or Aco; for the Gospel had been preached here with success; some had believed and professed it, and very likely were in a church state: for there was a church here in the second century, and Clarus was bishop of it; and in the beginning of the fourth century, there was a bishop present in the synod at Nice; and in the fifth century there was a church here; in the time of Arcadius, the Emperor Antiochus was bishop of Ptolemais, a very eloquent man, called therefore by some Chrysostom; in the sixth century there was a bishop of this church, who assisted at the synod held both at Rome and Constantinople f1086 . The bishops of this church are reckoned up, as Reland says, as he found them thus; Clarus, who was in the council at Caesarea, held in the year 198; Aeneas, who was in the council at Nice, in the year 325, and in another at Antioch, in the year 341; Nectabus, who subscribed in the first council at Constantinople, held in the year 381; Paulus, who was present in the Chalcedon council in the year 451: and Joannes, who was in the council at Jerusalem, in the year 536: and perhaps these brethren might be Jews, since those who first preached the Gospel in Phoenicia preached only to Jews; and certain it is that there were many in this place; we often read of Jewish doctors here, as R. Tanchum the son of R. Chaja a man of Caphar Aco f1088 , and R. Simeon ben Judah a man of Caphar Aco f1089 , and R. Aba of Aco f1090 , and R. Judah ben Gamdah f1091 ; and in R. Benjamins time, there were about two hundred Jews in this place f1092 : these brethren Paul and his company visited, and saluted them; and abode with them one day ; conferring together about spiritual things, and employing their time, no doubt, in religious exercises.
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
ημεις 2249 P-1NP δε 1161 CONJ τον 3588 T-ASM πλουν 4144 N-ASM διανυσαντες 1274 5660 V-AAP-NPM απο 575 PREP τυρου 5184 N-GSF κατηντησαμεν 2658 5656 V-AAI-1P εις 1519 PREP πτολεμαιδα 4424 N-ASF και 2532 CONJ ασπασαμενοι 782 5666 V-ADP-NPM τους 3588 T-APM αδελφους 80 N-APM εμειναμεν 3306 5656 V-AAI-1P ημεραν 2250 N-ASF μιαν 1520 A-ASF παρ 3844 PREP αυτοις 846 P-DPM
Vincent's NT Word Studies
7. Finished (dianusantev). Only here in New Testament.Saluted. The word rendered take leave in verse 6. See on ch. xx. 1.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
21:7 {Had finished} (dianusantes). First aorist active participle of dianuw, old verb to accomplish (anuw) thoroughly (dia), only here in the N.T. {From Tyre} (apo turou). Page takes (Hackett also) with katentesamen (we arrived) rather than with "ton ploun" (the voyage) and with good reason: "And we, having (thereby) finished the voyage, arrived from Tyre at Ptolemais." Ptolemais is the modern Acre, called Accho in #Jud 1:31. The harbor is the best on the coast of Palestine and is surrounded by mountains. It is about thirty miles south of Tyre. It was never taken by Israel and was considered a Philistine town and the Greeks counted it a Phoenician city. It was the key to the road down the coast between Syria and Egypt and had successively the rule of the Ptolemies, Syrians, Romans. {Saluted} (aspasamenoi). Here greeting as in #21:19 rather than farewell as in #20:1. The stay was short, one day (hemeran mian, accusative), but "the brethren" Paul and his party found easily. Possibly the scattered brethren (#Ac 11:19) founded the church here or Philip may have done it.
