The ship completed the short voyage to Ptolemais early ; and the party spent the day with the Brethren ; and went on to Caesareia next day. Probably they went in the same ship. The emphasis laid on " finishing the voyage " from Tyre to Ptolemais is due to the fact that it was probably over about 10 A.M.
1 In v. 2 " a ship," in v. 6 " the ship ".
Sec. 6. Ccesareia and Jerusalem. 301
6. C/BSAREIA AND JERUSALEM. (XXI 8) ON THE MORROW WE DEPARTED, AND CAME INTO OtS- AREIA. AND, ENTERING INTO THE HOUSE OF PHILIP THE EVANGELIST, WHO WAS ONE OF THE SEVEN, WE ABODE WITH HIM. (9) NOW THIS MAN HAD FOUR DAUGHTERS, VIRGINS, WHICH DID PROPHESY. (io) AND, AS WE TARRIED THERE SOME ' DAYS, THERE CAME DOWN FROM JUDAEA A CERTAIN PROPHET NAMED AGABUS. (II) AND COMING TO US AND TAKING PAUL'S GIRDLE, HE BOUND HIS OWN FEET AND HANDS AND SAID : " THUS SAITH THE HOLY SPIRIT, « SO SHALL THE JEWS BIND AT JERUSALEM THE MAN THAT OWNETH THIS GIRDLE, AND DELIVER HIM INTO THE HANDS OF THE GENTILES". . . . (15) AND AFTER THESE DAYS, WE, HAVING EQUIPPED horses, PROCEEDED ON OUR WAY TO JERUSALEM. (16) AND THERE WENT WITH US ALSO some OF THE DISCIPLES FROM CCESAREIA, CONDUCTING US TO the and these conducted us where house OF ONE MNASON, AN we should find entertain- EARLY DISCIPLE, WHERE ment ; and, reaching a cer- WE SHOULD FIND ENTER- tain village, we were in the TAINMENT. (17) AND WHEN house of Mnason, an early WE ARRIVED AT JERUSA- disciple ; and going out LEM, THE BRETHREN RE- thence we came to Jerusalem, CEIVED US GLADLY. and the Brethren received us
gladly. The length of the stay at Caesareia is concealed, with Luke's usual defective sense of time, by the vague phrase, v. IO, rjfiepas irXeLovs. The sense of this ex- pression varies greatly according to the situation (cp. XXIV 17, with XIII 31, XXVII 20); but here it is not likely to be less than nine or ten
1 Literally, " more days," a considerable number of day*
302 The Voyage to Jerusalem. Chap. XIII.
The party was therefore cutting down the time for the journey to the utmost. Evidently they desired to remain as long as possible with the Brethren ; and the plan for the journey was arranged for them, so that with Caesareian guidance and help it could be done with comfort and certainty when time necessitated departure. Now, it is an elementary principle of prudent living in Southern countries that one should avoid those great exertions and strains which in Northern countries we often take as an amusement The customs of the modern peoples (whom we on superficial knowledge are apt to think lazy, but who are not so) show that this principle guides their whole life ; and it may be taken as certain that in ancient time the same principle was followed. Moreover, Paul was accompanied by his physician, who fully understood the importance of this rule, and knew that Paul, subject as he was to attacks of illness, and constantly exposed to great mental and emotional strains, must not begin his work in Jerusalem by a hurried walk of sixty-four miles from Caesareia, more especially as it is clear from a comparison of the Bezan with the Accepted Text that the journey was performed in two days. We conclude, then, that the journey was not performed on foot ; and when we look at the words with this thought in our minds we find there the verb which means in classical Greek, "to equip or saddle a horse". Chrysostom took the word in that sense ; ' but the modern commentators have scorned or misunderstood him.
Some of the Brethren from Caesareia accompanied them as far as a village on the road, where they stayed
1 He says Aer/3oVr«s ra npbs rrjv odomopiav {i.e.% imo(vyia).