SEV Biblia, Chapter 27:3
Al otro día llegamos a Sidn; y Julio, tratando a Pablo humanamente, le permiti que fuese a los amigos, para ser de ellos asistido.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Acts 27:3
Verse 3. Touched at Sidon] For some account of this place, see the notes on Matt. xi. 21; and chap. xii. 20. Julius courteously entreated Paul] At the conclusion of the preceding chapter, it has been intimated that the kind treatment which Paul received, both from Julius and at Rome, was owing to the impression made on the minds of Agrippa and Festus, relative to his innocence. It appears that Julius permitted him to go ashore, and visit the Christians which were then at Sidon, without using any extraordinary precautions to prevent his escape. He was probably accompanied with the soldier to whose arm he was chained; and it is reasonable to conclude that this soldier would fare well on St. Paul's account.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 3. And the next day we touched at Sidon , etc.] This was a famous city in Phoenicia, upon the northern border of the land of Israel; it was a maritime place, and noted for trade and navigation; Mela calls it rich Sidon, and the chief of the maritime cities; Jerom calls it the ancient city Sidon; and Curtius says it was renowned for the antiquity and fame of its founders; it is thought to be built by Sidon, the firstborn of Canaan, ( Genesis 10:15) from whom it took its name; so Josephus affirms, that Sidonius, as he calls him, built a city in Phoenicia after his own name, and it is called by the Greeks Sidon; some say it was built by Sidus the son of Aegyptus, and named after him: according to R. Benjamin it was a days journey from hence to Tyre; and with others f1244 , it was not more than two hundred furlongs, about twelve or thirteen miles, which was another city of Phoenicia, as this was: Jeroms account of Sidon is this, Sidon, a famous city of Phoenicia, formerly the border of the Canaanites, to the north, situated at the foot of Mount Libanus, and the artificer of glass: and so Pliny calls it, it being famous for the making of glass; and Herodotus speaks of it as a city of Phoenicia: Justin the historian says it was built by the Tyrians, who called it by this name from the plenty of fish in it; for the Phoenicians call a fish Sidon: and indeed Sidon or Tzidon seems to be derived from dwx , Tzud, which signifies to fish; and the place is to this day called Said or Salt; and so R. Benjamin calls it Tzaida f1249 : to this city they came from Caesarea, the day following that they set out on, and here they stopped awhile: and Julius courteously treated Paul ; the centurion into whose hands the apostle was delivered, used him with great humanity and civility; he found grace in his sight, as Joseph did in the sight of Potiphar, and as he himself had done before with Lysias, Felix, Festus and Agrippa: and gave him liberty to go unto his friends to refresh himself ; for as there were disciples at Tyre, ( Acts 21:3,4) so it seems there were at Sidon, both which cities were in Phoenicia, and are often mentioned together; and the apostle was allowed to go ashore, and visit his friends, and be refreshed by them, both in body and spirit, and be provided for by them with things convenient for his voyage. It is highly probable that there was here a Gospel church, but by whom planted cannot be said; our Lord himself was at the borders of this place, ( Matthew 15:21) and the ministers of the word scattered at the death of Stephen, went as far as Phoenicia preaching the Gospel, ( Acts 11:19) and that there were brethren there, appears from note on: (see Gill on Acts 15:3), in which country Sidon was: in the third century there was a church in this place, and Zenobius was presbyter of it, who suffered martyrdom under Dioclesian f1250 ; in the fourth century there was a bishop of the church here, at the synod held at Nice; in the fifth century the bishop of the Sidonians, in the council of Chalcedon, declared his opinion with others against Dioscorus, whose name was Damianus; in the sixth century, mention is made of a bishop of Sidon, in the acts of the council held at Rome and Constantinople, and in the same century a synod met at Sidon, in the 20th year of Anastasius the emperor f1251 : the account of the bishops of Sidon, as given by Reland f1252 , is as follows; Theodorus bishop of Sidon subscribed in the first Nicene council, in the year 325; Paulus subscribed in the first council at Constantinople, in the year 381; Damianus was in the council held at Chalcedon, in the year 451; Megas is mentioned in the acts and epistles subjoined to the Chalcedon council; Andreas, bishop of this place, is taken notice of in a letter of John of Jerusalem.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-11 - It was determined by the counsel of God, before it was determined by the counsel of Festus, that Paul should go to Rome; for God had wor for him to do there. The course they steered, and the places the touched at, are here set down. And God here encourages those who suffe for him, to trust in him; for he can put it into the hearts of those to befriend them, from whom they least expect it. Sailors must make the best of the wind: and so must we all in our passage over the ocean of this world. When the winds are contrary, yet we must be getting forwar as well as we can. Many who are not driven backward by cros providences, do not get forward by favourable providences. And man real Christians complain as to the concerns of their souls, that the have much ado to keep their ground. Every fair haven is not a saf haven. Many show respect to good ministers, who will not take their advice. But the event will convince sinners of the vanity of their hopes, and the folly of their conduct.
Greek Textus Receptus
τη 3588 T-DSF τε 5037 PRT ετερα 2087 A-DSF κατηχθημεν 2609 5648 V-2API-1S εις 1519 PREP σιδωνα 4605 N-ASF φιλανθρωπως 5364 ADV τε 5037 PRT ο 3588 T-NSM ιουλιος 2457 N-NSM τω 3588 T-DSM παυλω 3972 N-DSM χρησαμενος 5530 5666 V-ADP-NSM επετρεψεν 2010 5656 V-AAI-3S προς 4314 PREP {VAR2: τους 3588 T-APM } φιλους 5384 A-APM πορευθεντα 4198 5679 V-AOP-ASM επιμελειας 1958 N-GSF τυχειν 5177 5629 V-2AAN
Vincent's NT Word Studies
3. Touched (kathcqhmen). From kata, down, and agw, to lead or bring. To bring the ship down from deep water to the land. Opposed to ajnhxqhmen, put to sea (ver. 2); which is to bring the vessel up (ana) from the land to deep water. See on Luke viii. 22. Touched is an inferential rendering. Landed would be quite as good. From Caesarea to Sidon, the distance was about seventy miles.Courteously (filanqrwpwv). Only here in New Testament. Lit., in a man-loving way; humanely; kindly. Rev., kindly, better than courteously. Courteous, from court, expresses rather polish of manners than real kindness.
To refresh himself (epimeleiav tucein). Lit., to receive care or attention.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
27:3 {The next day} (tei heterai). Locative case with hemerai understood. {We touched} (katecqemen). First aorist passive of katagw, the usual term for "coming down" from the seas as anagw above (and verse #4) is for "going up" to sea. So it _looks_ to sailors. Sidon was 67 miles from Caesarea, the rival of Tyre, with a splendid harbor. The ship stopped here for trade. {Treated Paul kindly} (philanthr"p"s t"i Paul"i chrsamenos). "Using (cresamenos, first aorist middle participle of craomai, to use) Paul (instrumental case used with this verb) kindly" (filanqrwpws, "philanthropically," adverb from phil-anqrwpos, love of mankind). He was kindly to Paul throughout the voyage (verse #43; 28:16), taking a personal interest in his welfare. {Refresh himself} (epimeleias tucein). Second aorist active infinitive of tugcanw (to obtain) with the genitive epimeleias, old word from epimeles, careful, only here in the N.T. Whether it was mere hospitality we do not know. It may have been medical attention required because of Paul's long confinement. this is Paul's first visit to Sidon, but Christians were already in Phoenicia (#11:19) and so Paul had "friends" here.
