Acts 13:14

Departed from Perga. Or “passed through from Perga.” The route led north, likely along the Cestrus River into Galatia. To reach Antioch they passed through Pamphylia and southwestern Galatia.

Antioch. Pisidia was a region, not a province until the 3rd century A.D. The Antioch here was near Pisidia in Phrygia, known as Pisidian Antioch to distinguish it from other cities of the same name. It was included in Galatia province.

Antioch was built by Seleucus I Nicator (d. 280 B.C.), named after his father Antiochus. It lay on Taurus Mountains’ lower slopes at 3,600 feet elevation. Its people had Roman citizenship under Augustus. Antioch attracted a considerable Jewish population, which led Gentiles to interest in Judaism (v. 42).

Paul and Barnabas may have faced “perils of robbers” (2 Cor. 11:26) in Pisidia’s mountainous, brigand-infested regions (Strabo, Geography xii.7.2).

The synagogue. Though Paul was apostle to Gentiles, he always went first to synagogues (Acts 13:5,14; 17:2; 18:4; 16:13). Synagogues allowed lay preaching by trained men. Elders and scribes were not necessarily Levites as priests were.

On the sabbath. Like Jesus (Luke 4:16), Paul habitually attended synagogue services on Sabbath (Acts 13:42-44; 17:2; 18:4). His purpose was to make spiritual contact with Jews and keep the Sabbath holy “according to the commandment” (Luke 23:56).