SEV Biblia, Chapter 11:19
¶ Y los que habían sido esparcidos por causa de la tribulacin que sobrevino en tiempo de Esteban, anduvieron hasta Fenicia, y Chipre, y Antioquía, no hablando a nadie la Palabra, sino slo a los judíos.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Acts 11:19
Verse 19. The persecution that arose about Stephen] That is, those who were obliged to flee from Jerusalem at the time of that persecution in which Stephen lost his life. See chap. viii. 1. Phoenice] Phoenicia, a country between Galilee and Syria, along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, including Tyre, Sidon, &c. It is often mentioned as a part of Syria. See chap. xxi. 2, 3.
Cyprus] An island of the Mediterranean Sea, over against Syria. See on chap. iv. 30.
Antioch] A city of Syria, built by Antiochus Seleucus, near the river Orontes; at that time one of the most celebrated cities of the east. For the situation of all these, see the map accompanying this book.
Unto the Jews only.] For they knew nothing of the vision of St. Peter; and did not believe that God would open the door of faith to the Gentiles.
The next verse informs us that there were others who were better instructed. See below.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 19. Now they which were scattered abroad , etc.] These were not the apostles, but the other ministers of the word; (see Acts 8:1) who were dispersed upon the persecution that arose about Stephen ; his preaching and miracles, his oration in defence of himself, and his death: these travelled as far as Phenice ; a country near to Syria and Galilee; its chief towns and cities were Tripolis, Botrys, Biblus, Berytus, Tyre, Sidon, Ecdippa, Ptolemais, and Dora. It was famous, as Pliny says f550 , for the invention of letters, and of the constellations, and of naval and warlike arts.
It was a maritime country, reaching from Orthosia (now called Tortosa) to Pelusium, or from Sidon to the borders of Egypt: it is the same with Old Canaan, and was so called, and had its name from Canaan; who, according to Sanchuniathon f551 , also had the name of Phoenix, from whom this country was called Phoenice, or Phoenicia. Some think the name is the same with qn[p , Pahanah, or qn[ twap , Peoth Anak, the corners of the Anakites; it being the tract of land which the children of Anak, or the giants inhabited, when drove out of Hebron by Caleb, ( Joshua 15:13,14). Others say, it had its name from the palm trees, with which it abounded; and here, it seems, dwelt some of Gods elect, who being made righteous, flourished like the palm trees; and Cyprus and Antioch ; the former of these was an island, lying between the shores of Syria and Cilicia: it had Syria on the east, Pamphilia on the west, and Phoenice on the south, and Cilicia on the north; (See Gill on Acts 4:36) and the latter was a city of Syria, built by Seleucus, king of Egypt, and called Antiochia, after his fathers name Antiochus. The account Josephus gives of it is, that it is the metropolis of Syria, and that for its greatness, and other happy acquirements, it has, without doubt, the third place among the cities in the Roman empire; meaning, that it was the next to Rome and Alexandria: and elsewhere he calls it the palace or royal seat of the Syrians; and the Jews, when they speak of a great city, and would describe one, instance in Antioch, a great city, say they f554 , as Antioch; with them, it is the same as Hemath the great, spoken of in ( Amos 6:2) on which words Jerom has this note: Hemath the great is what is now called Antioch; and it is called the great, to distinguish it from the lesser Hemath, which is called Epiphania And so the Jerusalem Targum on ( Genesis 10:18) renders the Hamathite, Antioch: and the Targum of Jonathan on ( Numbers 13:21) renders Hamath by Antioch. Here many Jews dwelt, to whom the ministers of the word preached the Gospel only at first. Josephus speaks of many in this place, and gives reasons for it: the nation of the Jews, he says, was much spread throughout the whole world, and great part of Syria, because near, was mixed with them, especially there were many in Antioch; partly because of the greatness of the city, and chiefly because of the liberty of dwelling there, granted them by the successors of Antiochus; for Antiochus, called Epiphanes, having wasted Jerusalem, robbed the temple; but those that reigned after him, whatsoever among the things devoted to sacred use were of brass, they returned to the Jews in Antioch, to be laid up in their synagogue; and they granted to them equally to partake of the city with the Greeks; and many of the Grecians they brought over to their religion, and made them, in some sort, a part of themselves.
Here the Jews also had schools and taught: it is said R. Samlai taught in Antioch; and here also was a sanhedrim. It is often said f557 , that Nebuchadnezzar came and sat down at Daphne of Antioch, and the great sanhedrim went out to meet him. Now Antioch was formerly called Epidaphne, because it was near a fountain of that name; and in the Targumists on ( Numbers 34:11) Daphne answers to Riblah, which was in the land of Hamath, ( 2 Kings 23:33) and Riblah, Jerom says, is what is now called Antioch of Syria: and that you may know, says he, that Riblah signifies this city, which is now the most noble in Coele Syria, it follows, over against the fountain, (in Numbers it is, on the east side of Ain,) which, it is clear, signifies Daphne, out of which fountain the above said city enjoys abundance of water. And so Josephus calls Antioch f559 , Antiochia which is by Daphne of Syria; and in: Which when Onias knew of a surety, he reproved him, and withdrew himself into a sanctuary at Daphne, that lieth by Antiochia. (2 Maccabees 4:33) Daphne is said to be by Antioch. Some make it to be two hundred and eighty miles from Jerusalem. So far they went who were scattered abroad at Stephens death, and carried the Gospel to this and other places, in which there was a manifest appearance of divine Providence, and of rich grace. Preaching the word to none but to the Jews only , which dwelt in those parts; so little was the commission of Christ, to preach the Gospel to all nations, understood, though it was so plain; or so it was ordered in providence, that as it was to be first preached to them, so it should be only for a while, till the elect of God of that generation were brought in, and until the rest put it away from them, and so were left without excuse.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 19-24 - The first preachers of the gospel at Antioch, were dispersed from Jerusalem by persecution; thus what was meant to hurt the church, wa made to work for its good. The wrath of man is made to praise God. What should the ministers of Christ preach, but Christ? Christ, and his crucified? Christ, and him glorified? And their preaching wa accompanied with the Divine power. The hand of the Lord was with them to bring that home to the hearts and consciences of men, which the could but speak to the outward ear. They believed; they were convince of the truth of the gospel. They turned from a careless, carnal way of living, to live a holy, heavenly, spiritual life. They turned from worshipping God in show and ceremony, to worship him in the Spirit an in truth. They turned to the Lord Jesus, and he became all in all with them. This was the work of conversion wrought upon them, and it must be wrought upon every one of us. It was the fruit of their faith; all wh sincerely believe, will turn to the Lord, When the Lord Jesus i preached in simplicity, and according to the Scriptures, he will giv success; and when sinners are thus brought to the Lord, really goo men, who are full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, will admire an rejoice in the grace of God bestowed on them. Barnabas was full of faith; full of the grace of faith, and full of the fruits of the fait that works by love.
Greek Textus Receptus
οι 3588 T-NPM μεν 3303 PRT ουν 3767 CONJ διασπαρεντες 1289 5651 V-2APP-NPM απο 575 PREP της 3588 T-GSF θλιψεως 2347 N-GSF της 3588 T-GSF γενομενης 1096 5637 V-2ADP-GSF επι 1909 PREP στεφανω 4736 N-DSM διηλθον 1330 5627 V-2AAI-3S εως 2193 CONJ φοινικης 5403 N-GSF και 2532 CONJ κυπρου 2954 N-GSF και 2532 CONJ αντιοχειας 490 N-GSF μηδενι 3367 A-DSM λαλουντες 2980 5723 V-PAP-NPM τον 3588 T-ASM λογον 3056 N-ASM ει 1487 COND μη 3361 PRT-N μονον 3440 ADV ιουδαιοις 2453 A-DPM
Vincent's NT Word Studies
19. They which were scattered abroad (oi diasparentev). On the technical expression, the dispersion, see on 1 Pet. i. 1. Not so used here.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
11:19 {They therefore that were scattered abroad} (hoi men oun diasparentes). Precisely the same words used in #8:4 about those scattered by Saul (which see) and a direct reference to it is made by the next words, "upon the tribulation that arose about Stephen" (apo tes qliyews tes genomenes epi stefanwi). As a result of (apo), in the case of (epi) Stephen. From that event Luke followed Saul through his conversion and back to Jerusalem and to Tarsus. qen he showed the activity of Peter outside of Jerusalem as a result of the cessation of the persecution from the conversion of Saul with the Gentile Pentecost in Caesarea and the outcome in Jerusalem. Now Luke starts over again from the same persecution by Saul and runs a new line of events up to Antioch parallel to the other, probably partly following. {Except to Jews only} (ei me monon ioudaiois). Clearly these disciples did not know anything about the events in Caesarea and at first their flight preceded that time. But it was a wonderful episode, the eager and loyal preaching of the fleeing disciples. The culmination in Antioch was probably after the report of Peter about Caesarea. this Antioch by the Orontes was founded 300 B.C. by Seleucus Nicator and was one of five cities so named by the Seleucides. It became the metropolis of Syria though the Arabs held Damascus first. Antioch ranked next to Rome and Alexandria in size, wealth, power, and vice. There were many Jews in the cosmopolitan population of half a million. It was destined to supplant Jerusalem as the center of Christian activity.
