SEV Biblia, Chapter 1:12
¶ Entonces se volvieron a Jerusaln del monte que se llama del Olivar, el cual est cerca de Jerusaln camino de un sbado.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Acts 1:12
Verse 12. A Sabbath day's journey.] See the difficulties in this verse explained in the note on Luke xxiv. 50. A Sabbath day's journey was seven furlongs and a half. Olivet was but five furlongs from Jerusalem; and Bethany was fifteen. The first region or tract of Mount Olivet, which was called Bethany, was distant from the city a Sabbath day's journey, or seven furlongs and a half; and the same distance did that tract called Bethphage extend from the city. When, therefore; our Lord came to the place where these two tracts touched each other, he there ascended, which place was distant from Jerusalem a Sabbath day's journey, as St. Luke here remarks. See the notes referred to above.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 12. Then returned they unto Jerusalem , etc.] With great joy, after the angels had told them that he should come again in like manner: from the mount called Olivet ; which was on the east side of Jerusalem, a mountain Christ much frequented, and from whence he ascended to heaven. This is the hill which in ( 1 Kings 11:7) is said to be before Jerusalem; and accordingly Jarchi interprets it of the Mount of Olives; and in ( Zechariah 14:4) it is expressly said to be before Jerusalem on the east; hence, when our Lord sat upon it, he is said to be over against the temple, ( Mark 13:3). It has its name from the multitude of olive trees which grew upon it: it is by the Jewish writers sometimes called ytyzh rh , the Mount of Olives f13 , as in ( Zechariah 14:4) and sometimes hjmh rh f14 , and ajm rwj f15 , the Mount of Oil; i.e. of olive oil, which was made out of the olives that grew upon it. It is said, that in an old edition of the Latin version of this text it is called the Mountain of Three Lights; and this reason is given for it, because on the west side it was enlightened in the night by the continual fire of the altar in the temple; and on the east side it had the first beams of the sun before the city was enlightened with them; and it produced plenty of olives, by which the light is maintained in the lamps. Josephus relates, that in the earthquake in the times of Uzziah, half part of this mountain, which was to the west, was divided from it, and was rolled four furlongs to the eastern part of it, so that the ways and kings gardens were stopped up. Which, is from Jerusalem a sabbath days journey . The Syriac version renders it, about seven furlongs, or near a mile; though Josephus f17 writes, that the Mount of Olives was but five furlongs from Jerusalem: perhaps this may be a mistake in the present copies of Josephus, since Chrysostom on this place cites this passage of Josephus, and reads seven furlongs; which exactly agrees with the Syriac version. A sabbath days journey, according to the Jews, was two thousand cubits from any city or town, and which they often called, tb wjt , the bound of the sabbath f18 ; and which they collect partly from ( Numbers 35:4,5) which they understand thus f19 : a thousand cubits are the suburbs (of the city), and two thousand cubits the bounds of the sabbath. And these were so many middling paces; for so they say f20 , a walk of two thousand middling paces, this is the bound of the sabbath.
And that this was the proper space they also gather from ( Joshua 3:4) it being the distance between the ark and the people when they marched; and though this was not fixed by the law, yet being a tradition of the elders, was strictly observed by them: so when Ruth desired to become a proselytess, the Targumist on ( Ruth 1:16) introduces Naomi thus speaking to her; says Naomi, we are commanded to keep the sabbaths, and the good days, (or feasts,) and not to walk above two thousand cubits; i.e. on those days; for to go further was reckoned a profanation of them: so it is said f21 , the sabbath day is profaned with the hands by work, and with the feet by walking more than two thousand cubits.
Yea, this was punishable with beatings f22 : a man might go on the sabbath without the city two thousand cubits on every side but if he went beyond two thousand cubits, they beat him with the beating of rebels, or in the same manner a rebellious son was beaten. Nay, not only they might not go out of a city or town where they were, further than this, but from whatsoever place they happened to be, as appears by these following rules f23 ; if anyone falls asleep in the way (or on the road), and he does not know that it was dark (and so that the sabbath is begun), he has two thousand cubits (allowed him) on every side. Whoever is on a journey, and it is dark, and he knows a tree, or a hedge, and says, let my sabbath (or sabbatical seat) be under it, he says nothing; but if he says, let my sabbath be at the root of it, then he may go from the place of his feet, and to the root of it, two thousand cubits, and from the root of it to his house two thousand cubits; by which means he may go four thousand cubits after it is dark. But if he does not know (any), and is not expert in walking, and says, let my sabbath be in my place, (i.e. in which he stands,) then from his place he has two thousand cubits on every side.
Hence, in some copies it is here inserted, such being the distance that the Jews could walk; that is, were allowed to walk by their canons. They call two thousand cubits a mile f24 ; and if the Mount of Olives was seven furlongs from Jerusalem, it was pretty near a mile; but if but five furlongs, it was little more than half a mile: perhaps the true distance might be six furlongs, since Josephus says f25 , the tenth legion was ordered to encamp six furlongs from Jerusalem, at the Mount of Olives, which was over against the city to the east; agreeably to which Epiphanius f26 , who had been a Jew, and was born in Palestine, says, it was not lawful to go on the sabbath day beyond six furlongs, which were three quarters of a mile.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 12-14 - God can find hiding-places for his people. They made supplication. All God's people are praying people. It was now a time of trouble an danger with the disciples of Christ; but if any is afflicted, let his pray; that will silence cares and fears. They had now a great work to do, and before they entered upon it, they were earnest in prayer to God for his presence. They were waiting for the descent of the Spirit, an abounded in prayer. Those are in the best frame to receive spiritual blessings, who are in a praying frame. Christ had promised shortly to send the Holy Ghost; that promise was not to do away prayer, but to quicken and encourage it. A little company united in love, exemplary in their conduct, fervent in prayer, and wisely zealous to promote the cause of Christ, are likely to increase rapidly.
Greek Textus Receptus
τοτε 5119 ADV υπεστρεψαν 5290 5656 V-AAI-3P εις 1519 PREP ιερουσαλημ 2419 N-PRI απο 575 PREP ορους 3735 N-GSN του 3588 T-GSN καλουμενου 2564 5746 V-PPP-GSN ελαιωνος 1638 N-GSM ο 3739 R-NSN εστιν 2076 5748 V-PXI-3S εγγυς 1451 ADV ιερουσαλημ 2419 N-PRI σαββατου 4521 N-GSN εχον 2192 5723 V-PAP-ASN οδον 3598 N-ASF
Vincent's NT Word Studies
12. A Sabbath-day's journey (sabbatou econ odon). Lit., having a Sabbath's way. The way conceived as belonging to the mountain; connected with it in reference to the neighborhood of Jerusalem. A Sabbath-day's journey, according to Jewish tradition, was about three-quarters of a mile. It was the supposed distance between the camp and the tabernacle in the wilderness (Josh. iii. 4.)
Robertson's NT Word Studies
1:12 {Olivet} (elaiwnos). Genitive singular. Vulgate _Olivetum_. Made like ampelwn. Here only in the N.T., usually to oros t"n Elai"n (the Mount of Olives), though some MSS. have Olivet in #Lu 19:29; 21:37. Josephus (_Ant_. VII. 9, 2) has it also and the papyri (Deissmann, _Light from the Ancient East_, p. 170). {A sabbath day's journey off} (sabbatou ecwn hodon). Luke only says here that Olivet is a Sabbath day's journey from Jerusalem, not that Jesus was precisely that distance when he ascended. In the Gospel Luke (#24:50) states that Jesus led them "over against" (hews pros) Bethany (about two miles or fifteen furlongs). The top of Olivet is six furlongs or three-fourths of a mile. The Greek idiom here is "having a journey of a Sabbath" after "which is nigh unto Jerusalem" (ho estin eggus ierousalem), note the periphrastic construction. Why Luke mentions this item for Gentile readers in this form is not known, unless it was in his Jewish source. See #Ex 16:29; Nu 35:5; Jos 3:4. But it does not contradict what he says in #Lu 24:50, where he does not say that Jesus led them all the way to Bethany.
