Acts 16:8

Passing by Mysia. That is, they omitted Mysia. Mysia was generally reckoned as a part of Asia, where they had been forbidden by the Spirit to preach (see Additional Note at end of chapter).

Came down. From the mountainous interior.

Troas. At last their travels had brought them to the coast, and they looked out westward upon the waters of the Aegean Sea. The town of Alexandria Troas, so named in honor of Alexander the Great, was at this time reckoned as a Roman colony and a free city. The site of ancient Troy lay a few miles to the north of Troas. But Paul doubtless had little interest in Homer’s account of the siege of the old Greek town. The questions occupying his thoughts now concerned the best means of proclaiming Christ as Saviour, that the inhabitants of Troas might find eternal life. Such thoughts undoubtedly expressed themselves in Paul’s prayers, and in answer to those prayers came the vision recorded in v. 9. There is no mention of any missionary work done by Paul at Troas at this time, but Scripture gives ample evidence that a church was later established there (see on Acts 20:5-12; 2 Cor. 2:12, 13; 2 Tim. 4:13).