Acts 20:6-7

20:6 We ¹  sailed away from Philippi ²  after the days of Unleavened Bread, ³  and within five days ⁴  we came to the others ⁵  in Troas, ⁶  where we stayed for seven days. 20:7 On the first day ⁷  of the week, when we met ⁸  to break bread, Paul began to speak ⁹  to the people, and because he intended ¹⁰  to leave the next day, he extended ¹¹  his message until midnight.

[20:6]  ¹ sn This marks the beginning of another “we” section in Acts. These have been traditionally understood to mean that Luke was in the company of Paul for this part of the journey.

[20:6]  ² map For location see JP1 C1; JP2 C1; JP3 C1; JP4 C1.

[20:6]  ³ sn The days of Unleavened Bread refer to the week following Passover. Originally an agricultural festival commemorating the beginning of harvest, it was celebrated for seven days beginning on the fifteenth day of the month Nisan (March-April). It was later combined with Passover (Exod 12:1-20; Ezek 45:21-24; Matt 26:17; Luke 22:1).

[20:6]  ⁴ tn BDAG 160 s.v. ἄχρι 1.a.α has “ἄ. ἡμερῶν πέντε within five days Ac 20:6.”

[20:6]  ⁵ tn Grk “to them”; the referent (the others mentioned in v. 4) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[20:6]  ⁶ sn Troas was a port city (and surrounding region) on the northwest coast of Asia Minor. From Philippi to Troas was about 125 mi (200 km).

[20:7]  ⁷ sn On the first day. This is the first mention of a Sunday gathering (1 Cor 16:2).

[20:7]  ⁸ tn Or “assembled.”

[20:7]  ⁹ tn The verb διαλέγομαι (dialegomai) is frequently used of Paul addressing Jews in the synagogue. As G. Schrenk (TDNT 2:94-95) points out, “What is at issue is the address which any qualified member of a synagogue might give.” Other examples of this may be found in the NT in Matt 4:23 and Mark 1:21. In the context of a Christian gathering, it is preferable to translate διελέγετο (dielegeto) simply as “speak” here. The imperfect verb διελέγετο has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.

[20:7]  ¹⁰ tn BDAG 628 s.v. μέλλω 1.c.γ has “denoting an intended action: intend, propose, have in mind…Ac 17:31; 20:3, 7, 13ab; 23:15; 26:2; 27:30.”

[20:7]  ¹¹ tn Or “prolonged.”