Barnes New Testament Notes

Verse 20. Were men of Cyprus and Cyrene. Were natives of Cyprus and Cyrene. Cyrene was a province and city of Libya in Africa. It is at present called Cairoan, and is situated in the kingdom of Barca. In Cyprus, the Greek language was spoken; and from the vicinity of Cyrene to Alexandria, it is probable that the Greek language was spoken there also. From this circumstance it might have happened that they were led more particularly to address the Grecians who were in Antioch. It is possible, however, that they might have heard of the vision which Peter saw, and felt themselves called on to preach the gospel to the Gentiles.

Spake unto the Grecian. prov touv ellhnistav To the Hellenists. This word usually denotes, in the New Testament, those Jews residing in foreign lands who spoke the Greek language. See Barnes "Ac 6:1".

But to them the gospel had been already preached; and yet in this place it is evidently the intention of Luke to affirm, that the men of Cyprus and Cyrene preached to those who were not Jews, and that thus their conduct was distinguished from those Ac 11:19 who preached to the Jews only. It is thus manifest that we are here required to understand the Gentiles, as those who were addressed by the men of Cyprus and Cyrene. In many Mss. the word used here is ellhnav, Greeks, instead of Hellenists. This reading has been adopted by Griesbach, and is found in the Syriac, the Arabic, the Vulgate, and in many of the Fathers. The AEthiopic version reads, "to the Gentiles." There is no doubt that this is the true reading; and that the sacred writer means to say that the gospel was here preached to those who were not Jews, for all were called Greeks by them who were not Jews, Ro 1:16. The connexion would lead us to suppose that they had heard of what had been done by Peter, and that, imitating his example, they preached the gospel now to the Gentiles also.

{*} "Grecians" "Hellenists" {a} "preaching" Ac 6:1; 9:29