SEV Biblia, Chapter 17:1
¶ Y pasando por Anfípolis y Apolonia, llegaron a Tesalónica, donde estaba la sinagoga de los judíos.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Acts 17:1
Verse 1. Passed through Amphipolis] This city was the metropolis of the first division of Macedonia, as made by Paulus AEmilius: see the note on chap. xvi. 10. It was builded by Cimon, the Athenian general, who sent 10,000 Athenians thither as a colony. It stood in an island in the river Strymon, and had its name of Amphipolis because included between the two grand branches of that river where they empty themselves into the sea, the river being on both sides of the city. Apollonia] This was another city of Macedonia, between Amphipolis and Thessalonica. It does not appear that St. Paul stopped at any of these cities: and they are only mentioned by the historian as places through which the apostles passed on their way to Thessalonica. It is very likely that in these cities there were no Jews; and that might have been the reason why the apostles did not preach the Gospel there, for we find them almost constantly beginning with the Jews; and the Hellenist Jews, living among the Gentiles, became the medium through which the Gospel of Christ was conveyed to the heathen world.
Thessalonica] This was a celebrated city of Macedonia, situated on what was called the Thermaic Gulf. According to Stephanus Byzantinus, it was embellished and enlarged by Philip, king of Macedon, who called it Thessalonica, the victory of Thessalia, on account of the victory he obtained there over the Thessalians; but, prior to this, it was called Thermae. But Strabo, Tzetzes, and Zonaras, say that it was called Thessalonica, from Thessalonica, wife of Cassander, and daughter of Philip. It is now in possession of the Turks, and is called Salonichi, which is a mere corruption of the original name.
A synagogue of the Jews.] Æh sunagwgh, THE synagogue; for the article here must be considered as emphatic, there probably being no other synagogue in any other city in Macedonia. The Jews in different parts had other places of worship called proseuchas. as we have seen, chap. xvi. 13.
At Thessalonica alone they appear to have had a synagogue.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 1. Now when they had passed through Amphipolls , etc.] A city of Macedonia, where it is placed by Pliny f833 ; according to Ptolomy f834 , it was in that part of Macedonia, which is called Edonis, and was near Philippi, and lay in the way from thence to Thessalonica; Harpocratian says, it was a city of Thrace, formerly called “the Nine Ways”; it was upon the borders of Thrace, and had its name Amphipolis from the river Strymon running on both sides of it, making it a peninsula; it was also called Crademna, and Anadraemum; it is now in the hands of the Turks, and by them called Empoli; this city was originally built by Cimon the Athenian, into which he sent ten thousand Athenians for a colony, as the writer of his life reports f836 . The apostle only passed through this place; it does not appear that he at all preached in it, or at any other time, nor do we read of it in ecclesiastical history, nor of the following place: and Apollonia ; this is also placed by Pliny in Macedonia, and is said by him to have been formerly a colony of the Corinthians, and about seven miles from the sea; and by Ptolomy f838 , in that part of Macedonia called Mygdonia, and with him its name is Apollonia of Mygdonia; it was situated by the river Echedorus, and was famous for Augustus Caesar’s learning Greek here, and is now called Ceres: there was another of this name in the region of Pentapolis, and was one of the five cities in it; and another in Palestine mentioned by Pliny f840 , along with Caesarea; and by Josephus f841 , with Joppa, Jamnia, Azotus, etc. but this was near Thessalonica; it is said to be about twenty miles from it: here also the apostle did not stay to preach the Gospel, nor is there any mention made of it elsewhere in the Acts of the Apostles, and yet Marcus, sister’s son to Barnabas, is said to be bishop of Apollonia; (see Gill on “ Luke 10:1”), but whether the same place with this, or whether fact, is not certain; they came to Thessalonica ; a free city of Macedonia f842 ; it was formerly called Halis f843 , and sometimes Therme; it had its name of Thessalonica from the victory which Philip king of Macedon obtained over the Thessalians; and not from his daughter Thessalonica, the wife of Cassander, who also had her name from the same victory: in this place a sedition being raised, and some magistrates killed, Theodosius the Roman emperor suffered seven thousand men to be slain; and when he came to Milain, Ambrose bishop of that place having heard of it, would not suffer him to enter into the church and receive the Lord’s supper, until he repented of his sin, and made public confession of it f844 . Thessalonica has been since the head of a new kingdom erected by Boniface marquis of Montferrat; it was for some time in the hands of the Venetians, but was taken from them by Amurath emperor of the Turks f845 . The Italians call it now Saloniki; it has been since inhabited by Christians, Turks, and Jews, and chiefly by the latter, their number, according to their own account, is fourteen thousand, and their synagogues fourscore. There always were many Jews in this place, and so there were when the apostle was here, for it follows; where was a synagogue of the Jews ; it seems as if there was none, neither in Philippi, nor in Amphipolis, nor in Apollonia: why these two last places should be passed through by the apostle, without making any stay at them, cannot be said; it is very likely he had, as in some other instances before, some particular directions from the Spirit of God, there being none of the chosen vessels of salvation to be called there, at least, at this time, when there were many at Thessalonica.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-9 - The drift and scope of Paul's preaching and arguing, was to prove tha Jesus is the Christ. He must needs suffer for us, because he could no otherwise purchase our redemption for us; and he must needs have rise again, because he could not otherwise apply the redemption to us. We are to preach concerning Jesus that he is Christ; therefore we may hop to be saved by him, and are bound to be ruled by him. The unbelievin Jews were angry, because the apostles preached to the Gentiles, tha they might be saved. How strange it is, that men should grudge other the privileges they will not themselves accept! Neither rulers no people need be troubled at the increase of real Christians, even thoug turbulent spirits should make religion the pretext for evil designs. O such let us beware, from such let us withdraw, that we may show desire to act aright in society, while we claim our right to worshi God according to our consciences.
Greek Textus Receptus
διοδευσαντες 1353 5660 V-AAP-NPM δε 1161 CONJ την 3588 T-ASF αμφιπολιν 295 N-ASF και 2532 CONJ απολλωνιαν 624 N-ASF ηλθον 2064 5627 V-2AAI-3P εις 1519 PREP θεσσαλονικην 2332 N-ASF οπου 3699 ADV ην 2258 5713 V-IXI-3S η 3588 T-NSF συναγωγη 4864 N-NSF των 3588 T-GPM ιουδαιων 2453 A-GPM
Robertson's NT Word Studies
17:1 {When they had passed through} (diodeusantes). First aorist active participle of diodeuw, common verb in the _Koin‚_ (Polybius, Plutarch, LXX, etc.), but in the N.T. only here and #Lu 8:1. It means literally to make one's way (hodos) through (dia). They took the Egnatian Way, one of the great Roman roads from Byzantium to Dyrrachium (over 500 miles long) on the Adriatic Sea, opposite Brundisium and so an extension of the Appian Way. {Amphipolis} (ten amfipolin). So called because the Strymon flowed almost around (amfi) it, the metropolis of Macedonia Prima, a free city, about 32 miles from Philippi, about three miles from the sea. Paul and Silas may have spent only a night here or longer. {Apollonia} (ten apollwnian). Not the famous Apollonia in Illyria, but 32 miles from Amphipolis on the Egnatian Way. So here again a night was spent if no more. Why Paul hurried through these two large cities, if he did, we do not know. There are many gaps in Luke's narrative that we have no way of filling up. There may have been no synagogues for one thing. {To Thessalonica} (eis qessaloniken). There was a synagogue here in this great commercial city, still an important city called Saloniki, of 70,000 population. It was originally called Therma, at the head of the Thermaic Gulf. Cassander renamed it Thessalonica after his wife, the sister of Alexander the Great. It was the capital of the second of the four divisions of Macedonia and finally the capital of the whole province. It shared with Corinth and Ephesus the commerce of the Aegean. One synagogue shows that even in this commercial city the Jews were not very numerous. As a political center it ranked with Antioch in Syria and Caesarea in Palestine. It was a strategic center for the spread of the gospel as Paul later said for it sounded (echoed) forth from Thessalonica throughout Macedonia and Achaia (#1Th 1:8).
