Acts 21:9

Now this man had four virgin daughters, who prophesied.

MacGreggor noted that:

The absence of any statement as to what the daughters of Philip did or said is a sign that here we have the account of an eyewitness. In fiction, a new character is introduced only in order to do or say something.[18]

Wesley's notion that "these women were evangelists also"[19] must be rejected. These are the New Testament counterpart of such Old Testament prophetesses as Miriam (Exodus 15:20), Deborah (Judges 4:4), Noadiah (Nehemiah 6:14), and Huldah (2 Kings 22:14). They were not evangelists. Furthermore, the mention of their being unmarried "virgins is only an interesting detail and carries no religious significance."[20]

Root's supposition that these daughters of Philip "likely repeated the same prophecy that was being given in every city (Acts 20:23),"[21] is not proved by anything in the text but could be true. Also, Bruce's seeing in the sojourn of Luke with Paul and company in the house of Philip a possible source of information acquired by Luke with reference to the earliest days of the church, is most likely correct. "The daughters who lived to great age were highly esteemed as informants concerning persons and events"[22] of the early years of Christianity.

In that connection, it should be remembered that Paul was imprisoned here at Caesarea for two whole years; and there can hardly be any doubt that Luke, who was with him (though not imprisoned), would have highly prized information acquired during that period, making use of such information "in the composition of his twofold work."[23]

[18] G. H. C. MacGreggor, The Interpreter's Bible (New York: Abingdon Press, 1954), Vol. IX, p. 278.

[19] John Wesley, op. cit., in loco.

[20] Everett F. Harrison, Wycliffe Bible Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1971), p. 462.

[21] Orrin Root, Acts (Cincinnati, Ohio: Standard Publishing Company, 1966), p. 164.

[22] F. F. Bruce, The Book of Acts (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans, Publishers, 1954), p. 424.

[23] Ibid.