Acts 11:19-20

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Acts 11:19-26

We have here an account of the planting and watering of a church at Antioch, the chief city of Syria, reckoned afterwards the third most considerable city of the empire, only Rome and Alexandria being preferred before it, next to whose patriarch that of Antioch took place. It stood where Hamath or Riblah did, which we read of in the Old Testament. It is suggested that Luke, the penman of this history, as well as Theophilus, to whom he dedicates it, was of Antioch, which may be the reason why... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Acts 11:19-21

11:19-21 Those who had been dispersed by the persecution following upon the death of Stephen went through the country as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, but they spoke the word to no one except to Jews. But some of them, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, came to Antioch and spoke to the Greeks too and told them the good news of the Lord Jesus. The Lord's hand was with them; and a great number believed and turned to the Lord. In restrained sentences these few words tell of one of the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 11:19

Now they which were scattered abroad ,.... 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 F24 ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 11:20

And some of them were men of Cyprus ,.... 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... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 11:19

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 Acts 8:1 . Phoenice - Phoenicia, a country between Galilee and Syria, along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, including Tyre, Sidon, etc. It is often mentioned as a part of Syria. See Acts 21:2 , Acts 21:3 . Cyprus - An island of the Mediterranean Sea, over against Syria. See on Acts 4:30 ; (note). Antioch -... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 11:20

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... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 11:19

Verse 19 19.Those which were scattered abroad. Luke returneth now unto the former history, (and unto that which followed in the same.) For he had said before that after that Stephen was slain the cruelty of the wicked increased; and many fled hither and thither for fear, so that the apostles were almost left alone at Jerusalem. Whereas the Church was thus torn in pieces, and fear did cause those which were fled to keep silence or else contempt of strangers, (734) he declareth that that event... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 11:20

Verse 20 20.Luke doth at length declare that certain of them brought this treasure even unto the Gentiles. And Luke calleth these Grecians not Ελληνες, but Ελληνισται. Therefore, some say that those came of the Jews, yet did they inhabit Greece; which I do not allow. For seeing the Jews, whom he mentioned a little before, were partly of Cyprus, they must needs be reckoned in that number, because the Jews count Cyprus a part of Greece. But Luke distinguisheth them from those, whom he calleth... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Acts 11:1-28

The mystery. The beginning and the close of this chapter refer to events of precisely similar character, which took place almost simultaneously, at all events without any concert or communication, in Palestine and in Syria; the reception of the Word of God by Gentiles, and their admission into the Church of God. It is difficult for us, after the lapse of eighteen centuries and a half, during which this has been the rule of the kingdom of heaven, to realize the startling strangeness of such... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Acts 11:19

They therefore that for now they which, A.V.; tribulation for persecution, A.V.; Phoenicia for Phenice, A.V.; speaking for preaching, A.V.; save only to Jews for but unto the Jews only, A.V. Scattered abroad ; as in Acts 8:1 , to which point of time the narrative now reverts. Tribulation ( θλίψις ). The word in Acts 8:1 for "persecution" is διωγμός . Phoenicia . "The strip of coast, one hundred and twenty miles long, and about twelve broad, from the river Eleutherus" to a... read more

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