Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Acts 21:6
And when we had taken our leave one of another, we took ship; and they returned home again.
6. The best text requires here for the last clause, “ and we went on board the ship, but they returned home again.” There is nothing in the Greek to tell us whether the ship was the same in which they had come, or not.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 6. Taken – leave] ; Having given each other the kiss of peace, as was the constant custom of the Jews and primitive Christians.
They returned home] That is, the men, their wives, and their children.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Had taken our leave one of another; as Act 20:1, embracing one another at their parting.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
4-6. finding disciplesfindingout the disciples, implying some search. They would expect such, fromwhat is recorded, Ac 11:19.Perhaps they were not many; yet there were gifted ones among them.
who said to Paul . . . thathe should not go up to Jerusalem(See on Ac20:23; also see on Ac21:11-14).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And when we had taken our leave one of another,…. The Alexandrian copy reads, “having prayed, we saluted one another”; with a kiss, as in Ac 20:37 and so parted:
we took ship; or went aboard the ship,
and they returned home again; to their own houses, as the Syriac version renders it; for by “their own”, as it is in the Greek text, cannot be meant their families, their wives, and children, for these were along with them, but their habitations; see Joh 16:32.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Beach (). As in Mt 13:2 which see. This scene is in public as at Miletus, but they did not care.
Bade each other farewell ( ). First aorist middle of . Rare compound, here alone in the N.T. Tender scene, but “no bonds of long comradeship, none of the clinging love” (Furneaux) seen at Miletus (Ac 20:37f.).
Home again ( ). To their own places as of the Beloved Disciple in Joh 19:27 and of Jesus in Joh 1:11. This idiom in the papyri also.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Taken leave. See on ch. Act 20:1.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “And when we had taken our leave one of another,” (apespasametha allelous) “Then giving parting greetings to one another,” then we bid each other farewell.
2) “We took ship; (kai enebemon eis ploion) “And we then entered into (went on board) the ship,” which had been made ready to continue its commercial route to Ptolemais. We embarked the ship.
3) “And they returned home again.” (ekeinoi de hupestrepsan eis ta idia) “Then those disciples returned to their own things,” their own homes, business, and personal responsibilities; It was a sad return, but they had shown fellowship and hospitality to God’s workers for one full week, for which God will one day reward them, Heb 13:2; Mat 25:34-40.
THE MISSIONARY’S FAREWELL
Speaking of his departure with his family from Aintab for a temporary absence, a missionary says: “More than a hundred of the converts accompanied us out of the city; and there, near the spot where one of our number had once been stoned, we halted, and a prayer was offered amid tears. Between thirty and forty escorted us two hours further, on horses and mules, singing hymns as we proceeded on our way. Then another prayer was offered, and with weeping, they forcibly broke away from us. It really seemed as though they could not turn back.”
– Schneider.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(6) We took ship.Literally, we embarked in the ship. The article probably, though not necessarily, indicates that they went in the same ship that had brought them, and which, after discharging her cargo at Tyre, was now bound for Csarea.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
6 And when we had taken our leave one of another, we took ship; and they returned home again.
Ver. 6. We took ship ] Leaving them on shore: we shall one day meet, and never more be separated. O dieculam illam, &c. Euge, Deo sit laus et gloria, quod iam instet horula illa gratissima, a O that day! O that joy! Castigemus mores et moras. (Bernard.) Let us ripen apace, and hasten to that heavenly home, that glorious panegyris and general assembly, Heb 12:23 .
a Greserus moribundus. Melch. Adam.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Act 21:6 . R.V. . “bade each other farewell,” see critical note. : only here in N.T., in Tobit 10:13 ( [351] [352] al [353] ); Himerius, p. 194; here of salutations at departure as simple verb in Act 21:7 , of salutations on arrival ( 1Ma 12:17 ). : article indicates that it was the same ship (Act 21:2 without the article) which was going on to Ptolemais. , cf. Joh 16:32 ; Joh 19:27 , cf. [354] text Act 5:18 , Act 14:18 ( not in Synoptists, but cf. Luk 18:28 ), in LXX, Est 5:10 ; Est 6:12 , 3Ma 6:27 ; 3Ma 6:37 ; 3Ma 7:8 .
[351] Codex Alexandrinus (sc. v.), at the British Museum, published in photographic facsimile by Sir E. M. Thompson (1879).
[352] Codex Cryptoferratensis (sc. vii.), a palimpsest fragment containing chap. Act 11:9-19 , edited by Cozza in 1867, and cited by Tischendorf.
[353] Alford’s Greek Testament .
[354] R(omana), in Blass, a first rough copy of St. Luke.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
taken our leave. Greek. aspazomai. See note on Act 20:1.
took ship = embarked (Greek. epibaino, as in Act 21:1) on (Greek. eis) the ship, i.e. the same ship as Act 21:2.
home. Literally to (Greek. eis) their own (things).
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Act 21:6. having mutually taken leave) With this word are connected both . we embarked, and , they returned.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
taken: 2Co 2:13
they: Joh 1:11,*Gr: Joh 7:53, Joh 16:32, Joh 19:27
Reciprocal: Act 20:1 – embraced
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
WE AT HOME AND THEY ABROAD
When we had taken our leave one of another, we took ship; and they returned home again.
Act 21:6
Within the compass of a few verses, taking the end of the last chapter and the beginning of this, we have the account of three somewhat touching scenes, in which the most prominent figure is that of the Apostle Paul.
The first of them occurred at Miletus. St. Paul, who was sojourning there, had sent to the elders of the Ephesian Church, begging them to come to him for a farewell interview. They came, of course. When the address was over, he kneeled down with them, and prayed; and on rising from their knees, the elders, in their impulsive Oriental fashion, clung round his neck, kissing him, and sobbing with genuine distress, and could hardly be prevailed upon at last to part with him at all. It was with an effort that he tore himself away from the group and got on board his ship.
The third scene lies in the house of Philip the evangelist, in the town of Csarea. There the Apostle has been abiding many days, in congenial Christian society. Presently, there comes from Juda a prophet of the name of Agabus; and heunder a sudden impulse of the Spiritforetells that the Jews in Jerusalem will seize the Apostle, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles. The friends of St. Paul entreated him not to go, but what was his answer? I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.
Between these scenes a second intervenes. It is that to which our text belongs. The ship which carried the Apostle and his friends touched at Tyre, and stayed there a week, for the purpose of discharging her cargo. Here again the disciples tried to dissuade him, but this appeal too was gently but resolutely put aside. And when the time came for re-embarkation, we find the Apostle accompanied to the waters side by the whole Christian community of the place; men, women, and childrenthe children being expressly mentionedall of them anxious to hear a parting word and to receive a parting blessing.
Now let us advance to the consideration of one or two thoughts, of a practical kind, which seem to be suggested by these narratives:
I. Why was it that the Apostle so persistently turned a deaf ear to the earnest expostulations of his truest friends?Was he actuated by a spirit of obstinacy? The fact rather seems to be this: that he had a more distinct view of the Divine will concerning himself than those around him. They were blinded by the affectionate regard which they had for him; by their apprehensions of losing such a friend, and such a worker for the kingdom of Christ: he was not. He saw clearly the mixture, so to speak, of the spiritual and the carnal, that showed itself throughout their dealing with him.
II. Sometimes we are called upon to decide between the pleadings of natural affection and the promptings and pleadings of the Spirit of God.Our duty seems to pull us one way, our hearts pull us another; and the difficulty is, to ascertain between the two what the will of the Lord is. How is decision to be arrived at? As in the case of St. Paul, not by indifference to the pleadings of human affection, for the Apostle is obviously very nearly overcome by the loving importunity of his friends; certainly not by roughly putting aside their arguments and wishes as if they were utterly unworthy of consideration; nor by making no allowance, and blindly rushing upon a predetermined course: but by resolutely but gently turning away from man to God, and, by Divine help, opening the ear, amidst the hubbub and confusion, to hear what the Lord the Spirit has to say. And when the decision is arrived at, Gods people at least will be satisfied, although their wishes have been thwarted; and they will say, The will of the Lord be done.
III. A lesson in self-sacrifice.When we think of those who go to the mission-field, and then look round on our many comforts, and enjoyments, and on the kindly faces of our friends, we can hardly help asking the questions, What sacrifice do I make for Jesus Christ? Where is the cross-bearing? Where is the carrying of heavy burdens for the sake of His great name, and from the impulse of His exceeding love? But about the self-sacrifice of these servants of the Lord there can be no doubt. They go counter to their interests, to their inclinations, almost, I was going to say, to their great natural instinct, in order to follow the voice of Jesus, luring them away from England, to undertake His work in distant and uncongenial heathen lands. Shall we not wish the band of workers Godspeed, and pursue them across the wild waste of waterswith our interest, our sympathy, our loving admiration, and with our earnest and persistent prayers? They take ship, and we return home again.
Rev. Prebendary Gordon Calthrop.
Illustration
Quite recently a group of missionaries going out to India, China, and elsewhere, were sent forth to their work amidst the prayers and benedictions of an assemblage of Christian friends. These missionaries were all ladies. These people who go forth from amongst us in the name of the Lord are worth thinking about, and praying for, and being thankful to God for. We are accustomed to consider it a grand and a noble thing for a man to quit his home and his country, his early associations, and his worldly prospects, and to journey to a foreign land, under the influence of the constraining love of Christ, for the purpose of preaching them the Gospel of the grace of God. A true missionary, heaven-sent and heaven-prepared, has always been, and always will be, the object of very profound respect. But the respect which we feel for a man who will go to the mission-field we extend, in a much greater degree, to a woman who will do the same.
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary
6
Act 21:6. After saying good-bye they separated. The disciples went to their homes and Paul and his company went into the ship which was ready to sail again.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
See notes on verse 5