And the day following, we came to Sidon. And Julius, treating Paul courteously, permitted him to go to his friends and to take care of himself.
τη τε ετερα κατηχθημεν εις σιδωνα φιλανθρωπως τε ο ιουλιος τω παυλω χρησαμενος επετρεψεν προς τους φιλους πορευθεντα επιμελειας τυχειν
5 Church Fathers comment on this verse
“Julius,” he says, “treated Paul kindly.” He acts well by allowing Paul to go to his acquaintances and receive help. Paul probably needed this after many hardships, from chains, from fear, and from constant changes of place. See how the writer does not conceal even that he wished to receive help. And Aristarchus accompanies Paul up to a certain point. His presence is exceedingly useful, and he is going to report about Paul in Macedonia.
It was natural to lead and support Paul, who was burdened by chains and fear. See how the writer does not conceal even the fact that Paul needed care for himself.
At last Festus found a suitable occasion to send Paul to Italy. For this he used a merchant ship whose owner was from Adramyttium, a coastal city in the Asia Minor province of Mysia, not far from Troas. This ship was to sail along the coasts of Syria and Asia Minor. Paul and the other prisoners assigned for transport to Rome were placed on it with this calculation. Later, in some Asia Minor harbor, it would be easy to find a ship departing for Italy. Thus Paul was put on the Adramyttian ship, together with his companions, Luke the writer of Acts and Aristarchus of Thessalonica. The escort accompanying the prisoners consisted of soldiers from the so-called Augustan cohort. It was under the command of a centurion named Julius. This centurion treated Paul humanely.
Therefore, when the ship put in at Sidon the very next day and stopped there for a time for its own needs, he allowed the Apostle to go to his Christian friends. He also allowed him to benefit from their zeal, so that he and his companions might obtain what was needed for the long journey. When the ship sailed on, contrary winds prevented it from continuing along the coasts of Syria and Asia Minor. It first had to put in at the island of Cyprus. From there it continued and arrived at Myra in Lycia, a coastal city in the Asia Minor province of Lycia. There the centurion found an Alexandrian merchant ship bound for Italy and transferred the prisoners to it.
They reached Sidon, the ancient Phoenician commercial city, on the day after sailing from Caesarea; see the note on Mt 11:22. Thus the voyage was entirely favorable, since Sidon lay about one hundred versts from Caesarea. Treating Paul humanely: the centurion probably dealt with the Apostle in this way by Festus's order. Without doubt, the morally lofty and inspired personality of the prisoner made such an impression that it involuntarily inspired respect and affection for him. To go to his friends: the ship probably stopped here for some time on its own business. The Apostle therefore had time, surely accompanied by a guard, to visit his friends, that is, the Christians; cf. Acts 11:19.
He could benefit from their zeal in supplying everything needed by the Apostle and his Christian companions for the rest of their voyage. For Paul probably needed this after many sufferings from bonds, from fear, and from constant changes of place. See how the writer does not conceal even that he wished to receive assistance, says Chrysostom.
The journey to Sidon, about one hundred versts, was fairly swift. But afterward, according to the course of the wind, they went by Cyprus and farther on to Myra in Lycia. The difficult journey was brightened for the Apostle by the kindly attitude of the centurion Julius. At Sidon he allowed him to visit the Christians, to be comforted by fellowship with them, and to receive such help as they could give. He acted well in permitting Paul to go to his friends and receive assistance. Paul probably needed this after many sufferings from bonds, from fear, and from constant changes of place. See, says Saint John Chrysostom, how the writer does not conceal even that he wished to receive assistance. Then came trials again, and contrary winds again. So it always happens in the lives of the saints.
They were delivered from the tribunal and then were exposed to shipwreck and storm. Myra in Lycia was then a flourishing city in the Asia Minor province of Lycia. It stood four versts from the sea, but on a river navigable all the way to the city. There later the great hierarch Nicholas, the Wonderworker of Myra in Lycia, was glorified by his life and pastoral labors. After the Saracens took this city, his relics were carried to the Italian city of Bari. Now the city of Myra is a wretched ruin. The city of Sidon flourishes to this day, having up to ten thousand inhabitants. Of these, seven thousand are Muslims, seven hundred are Jews, and the rest are Christians.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 20 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS