Acts 16:8-11

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Acts 16:6-15

In these verses we have, I. Paul's travels up and down to do good. 1. He and Silas his colleague went throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, where, it should seem, the gospel was already planted, but whether by Paul's hand or no is not mentioned; it is likely it was, for in his epistle to the Galatians he speaks of his preaching the gospel to them at the first, and how very acceptable he was among them, Gal. 4:13-15. And it appears by that epistle that the judaizing teachers had then... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Acts 16:6-10

16:6-10 They went through the Phrygian and Galatian territory, but they were prevented by the Holy Spirit from speaking the word in Asia. When they had gone through Mysia they tried to go into Bithynia.; and the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them to do so. So they passed by Mysia and came down to Troas. During the night a vision appeared to Paul. A man from Macedonia stood and urged him, "Cross over into Macedonia and help us." When he saw the vision he immediately sought to go forth into... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Acts 16:11-15

16:11-15 When we had set sail from Troas we had a straight run to Samothrace. On the next day we reached Neapolis and from there we came to Philippi which is the chief city of that section of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We spent some days in this city. On the Sabbath day we went outside the gates along the riverside where we believed there was a place of prayer. We sat down and were talking with the women who met together there. A woman whose name was Lydia, who was a purple seller from the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 16:8

And they passed by Mysia ,.... Without stopping or staying there, though they came to it: came down to Troas ; either the country of Troas, as the Syriac version renders it; which, according to Solinus F13 lb. c. 53. , is bordered on the north part of Galatia, and was near to Lycaonia, Pisidia, and Mygdonia on the south, and to Lydia on the east, and to Mysia and Caria on the north: or rather the city of Troas, which Pliny says F14 Hist. Nat. l. 5. c. 30. , was formerly... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 16:9

And a vision appeared to Paul in the night ,.... Either in a dream, or, it may be, when he was awake: there stood a man of Macedonia ; an angel in the form of a man; the Syriac version reads, "as a man of Macedonia", and who might appear in a Macedonian habit, or speak in the Macedonian language; or the apostle might conclude him to be so, from his making mention of Macedonia, as the place where he requested him to come, and assist: and prayed him, saying, come over into Macedonia ;... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 16:10

And after he had seen the vision ,.... And considered it, and related it to his companions: and when they had well weighed it, and the circumstances of it: immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia ; they determined upon it, and took all the proper methods, and made the necessary provisions for it. Here Luke, the writer of this history, first appears, saying, "we endeavoured"; whether he came with the apostle from Antioch, since he is commonly said to have been a physician of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 16:11

Therefore loosing from Troas ,.... Or setting sail from thence, which, as before observed, was the Hellespont; which was a narrow sea that divided Asia from Europe, now called Stretto di Gallipoii, or Bracci di St. Georgio: and so Pliny F17 Nat. Hist. l. 5. c. 30. speaking of Troas says, it lies near the Hellespont; and Jerom F18 De locis Hebraicis, fol. 96. K. calls it a maritime city of Asia; and it further appears to be on the sea coast, by what is said in Acts 20:6 , for... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 16:8

Came down to Troas - The Troad, or part of Phrygia Minor in which the celebrated city of Troy was formerly situated. This city was first built by Dardanus, who was its king, and from whom it was called Dardania; from Tros, his grandson, it was called Troja, or Troy; and from his son, Ilus, it was called Ilium. It has been long so completely destroyed that no ascertainable vestige of it remains; insomuch that some have even doubted of its existence. Those who contend for the reality of the... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 16:9

A vision appeared to Paul in the night - Whether this was in a dream, or whether a representation made to the senses of the apostle, we cannot tell. A man of Macedonia appeared to him, and made this simple communication, Come over into Macedonia, and help us. Some suppose that the guardian angel of Macedonia appeared to St. Paul in a human shape; others, that it was a Divine communication made to his imagination in a dream. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 16:10

We endeavored to go into Macedonia - This is the first place that the historian St. Luke refers to himself: We endeavored, etc. And, from this, it has been supposed that he joined the company of Paul, for the first time, at Troas. Assuredly gathering - Συμβιβαζοντες , Drawing an inference from the vision that had appeared. That the Lord had called us for to preach - That is, they inferred that they were called to preach the Gospel in Macedonia, from what the vision had said, come... read more

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