and children] It is not likely that Paul, Silas, Luke, &c., had either wives
or children with them; and it is more natural to suppose that the brethren of Tyre, with their wives and children are those that are meant; these, through affection to the apostles, accompanied them from their homes to the ship; and the coming out of the husbands, wives, and children, shows what a general and affectionate interest the preaching and private conversation of these holy men had excited.
Kneeled down on the shore, and prayed.] As God fills heaven and earth, so he may be worshipped every where; as well, when circumstances require it, on the seashore as in the temple. We have already seen, in the case of Lydia, that the Jews had proseuchas by the river sides, &c.; and an observation in Tertullian seems to intimate that they preferred such places, and in the open air offered their petitions to God by the seashore: Omissis templis, per omne littus, quocumque in aperto aliquando jam preces ad coelum mittunt. Tertul. de Jejunio.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
and children, till we were out of the city ; that is, the disciples, even all of them that dwelt in that city, with their whole families, their wives and children, accompanied the apostle and those that were with him, through the streets of the city of Tyre, till they came out of it to the shore, where lay the ship they were to go aboard; and which was a mark of their affection and respect to the apostle, as well as a token of their public spirit, that they were not ashamed of Christ and his ministers, nor of their profession of the Gospel: and we kneeled down on the shore and prayed ; which was agreeably to the custom of the Jews, who had, as Tertullian observes f1077 , their orationes litterales, their prayers at the seashore; (see Gill on Acts 16:13).
Matthew Henry Commentary Verses 1-7 - Providence must be acknowledged when our affairs go on well. Whereve Paul came, he inquired what disciples were there, and found them out Foreseeing his troubles, from love to him, and concern for the church they wrongly thought it would be most for the glory of God that he should continue at liberty; but their earnestness to dissuade him from it, renders his pious resolution the more illustrious. He has taught u by example, as well as by rule, to pray always, to pray withou ceasing. Their last farewell was sweetened with prayer.
and children, brought us on our way} (propempontwn hemas pantwn sun gunaixi kai teknois). No "and" in the Greek, simply genitive absolute, "They all with wives and children accompanying us," just as at Miletus (#20:28), same verb propempw which see. The first mention of children in connection with the apostolic churches (Vincent). Vivid picture here as at Miletus, evident touch of an eyewitness. {Till we were out of the city} (hews exw tes polews). Note both adverbial prepositions (hews exw) clear outside of the city.
