SEV Biblia, Chapter 11:20
Y de ellos había unos varones ciprianos y cirenences, los cuales cuando entraron en Antioquía, hablaron a los griegos, anunciando el Evangelio del Seor Jess.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Acts 11:20
Verse 20. Men of-Cyrene] The metropolis of the Cyrenaica; a country of Africa, bounded on the east by Marmarica, on the west by the Regio Syrtica, on the north by the Mediterranean, and on the south by the Sahara. Cyrene is now called Cairoan. This city, according to Eusebius, was built in the 37th Olympiad, about 630 years before Christ. In consequence of a revolt of its inhabitants, it was destroyed by the Romans; but they afterwards rebuilt it. It was for a long time subject to the Arabs, but is now in the hands of the Turks. Spake unto the Grecians] ellhnistav, The Hellenists. Who these were, we have already seen chap. vi and chap. ix. 29, viz. Jews living in Greek cities and speaking the Greek language. But, instead of ellhnistav, Grecians, ellhnav, Greeks, is the reading of AD*, Syriac, all the Arabic, Coptic, AEthiopic, Vulgate, some copies of the Itala, Eusebius, Chrysostom, Theophylact, and OEcumenius. On this evidence, Griesbach has admitted it into the text; and few critics entertain any doubt of the genuineness of the reading. This intimates that, besides preaching the Gospel to the Hellenistic Jews, some of them preached it to heathen Greeks; for, were we to adopt the common reading, it would be a sort of actum agere; for it is certain that the Hellenistic Jews had already received the Gospel. See chap. vi. 1. And it is likely that these Cyprians and Cyrenians had heard of Peter's mission to Caesarea, and they followed his example by offering the Christian faith to the heathen. It is worthy of remark that the Jews generally called all nations of the world Greeks; as the Asiatics, to the present day, call all the nations of Europe Franks.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 20. And some of them were men of Cyprus , etc.] That is, some of the preachers, that were scattered abroad, were Jews born at Cyprus: such was Barnabas particularly, ( Acts 4:36) though he was not among these, as appears from ( Acts 11:22) and Cyrene; such were Simon that carried the cross after Christ, and his sons Alexander and Rufus, ( Mark 15:21) and others that heard the apostles speak with tongues on the day of Pentecost, ( Acts 2:10) which when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians ; or Hellenist Jews, who were born and brought up in Greece, and spoke the Greek language; though the Alexandrian copy, and the Syriac version, read Greeks, as if they were native Greeks, and properly Gentiles, to whom these ministers spoke the word of the Lord; but the former seems most likely. Preaching the Lord Jesus ; the dignity of his person, as the Son of God; what he did and suffered to obtain salvation for lost sinners; his resurrection from the dead, ascension to heaven, and intercession; the virtue of his blood for peace and pardon of his sacrifice for atonement of sin, and of his righteousness for justification.
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
ησαν 2258 5713 V-IXI-3P δε 1161 CONJ τινες 5100 X-NPM εξ 1537 PREP αυτων 846 P-GPM ανδρες 435 N-NPM κυπριοι 2953 N-NPM και 2532 CONJ κυρηναιοι 2956 N-NPM οιτινες 3748 R-NPM εισελθοντες 1525 5631 V-2AAP-NPM εις 1519 PREP αντιοχειαν 490 N-ASF ελαλουν 2980 5707 V-IAI-3P προς 4314 PREP τους 3588 T-APM ελληνιστας 1675 N-APM ευαγγελιζομενοι 2097 5734 V-PMP-NPM τον 3588 T-ASM κυριον 2962 N-ASM ιησουν 2424 N-ASM
Vincent's NT Word Studies
20. The Greeks (%Ellhnav). Some, however, read 'Ellhnistav, the Grecian Jews. See on ch. vi. 1. The express object of the narrative has been to describe the admission of Gentiles into the church. There would have been nothing remarkable in these men preaching to Hellenists who had long before been received into the church, and formed a large part of the church at Jerusalem. It is better to follow the rendering of A.V. and Rev., though the other reading has the stronger MS. evidence. Note, also, the contrast with the statement in ver. 19, to the Jews only. There is no contrast between Jews and Hellenists, since Hellenists are included in the general term Jews.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
11:20 {Spake} (elaloun). Inchoative imperfect active, began to speak. For them it was an experiment. {Unto the Greeks also} (kai pros tous hellenas). this is undoubtedly the correct reading in spite of Hellenists (hellenistas) or Grecian Jews in B E H L P. hellenas is read by A and D and a corrector of Aleph. The presence of "also" or "even" (kai) in Aleph A B makes no sense unless "Greeks" is correct. Hellenists or Grecian Jews as Christians were common enough as is seen in #Ac 2; 6. Saul also had preached to the Hellenists in Jerusalem (#9:29). Hellenists were merely one kind of Jews in contrast with those who spoke Aramaic (#Ac 6). It is true that the case of Cornelius was first in importance, but it is not clear that it was before the work in Antioch. Probably the report of the work among the Greeks in Antioch reached Jerusalem after Peter's defence in #11:1-18. That explains the calm tone about it and also why Barnabas and not Peter was sent to investigate. Peter and John (#Ac 8) had condoned Philip's work in Samaria and Peter was the agent in the work among the Romans in Caesarea. His position was now well-known and his services discounted for this new crisis. These Greeks in Antioch were apparently in part pure heathen and not "God-fearers" like Cornelius. A man of wisdom was called for. These preachers were themselves Hellenists (verse #19) and open to the lessons from their environment without a vision such as Peter had at Joppa. "It was a departure of startling boldness" (Furneaux) by laymen outside of the circle of official leaders.
