Acts 20:15-16

20:15 We set sail ¹  from there, and on the following day we arrived off Chios. ²  The next day we approached ³  Samos, ⁴  and the day after that we arrived at Miletus. ⁵  20:16 For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus ⁶  so as not to spend time ⁷  in the province of Asia, ⁸  for he was hurrying ⁹  to arrive in Jerusalem, ¹⁰  if possible, ¹¹  by the day of Pentecost.

[20:15]  ¹ tn Grk “setting sail from there.” The participle ἀποπλεύσαντες (apopleusante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[20:15]  ² tn Or “offshore from Chios.”

[20:15]  ³ tn Or “crossed over to,” “arrived at.” L&N 54.12 has “παραβάλλω: (a technical, nautical term) to sail up to or near – ‘to approach, to arrive at, to sail to.’ παρεβάλομεν εἰς Σάμον ‘we approached Samos’ or ‘we arrived at Samos’ Ac 20:15.”

[20:15]  ⁴ sn Samos is an island in the Aegean Sea off the western coast of Asia Minor.

[20:15]  ⁵ sn Miletus was a seaport on the western coast of Asia Minor about 40 mi (70 km) south of Ephesus. From Mitylene to Miletus was about 125 mi (200 km).

[20:16]  ⁶ map For location see JP1 D2; JP2 D2; JP3 D2; JP4 D2.

[20:16]  ⁷ tn Grk “so that he might not have to spend time.” L&N 67.79 has “ὅπως μὴ γένηται αὐτῷ χρονοτριβῆσαι ἐν τῇ ᾿Ασίᾳ ‘so as not to spend any time in the province of Asia’ Ac 20:16.”

[20:16]  ⁸ tn Grk “Asia”; in the NT this always refers to the Roman province of Asia, made up of about one-third of the west and southwest end of modern Asia Minor. Asia lay to the west of the region of Phrygia and Galatia. The words “the province of” are supplied to indicate to the modern reader that this does not refer to the continent of Asia.

[20:16]  ⁹ tn Or “was eager.”

[20:16]  ¹⁰ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[20:16]  ¹¹ tn Grk “if it could be to him” (an idiom).