A Goodly Heritage

161 Preserve me, God, for in you do I take refuge. 2 My soul, you have said to Yahweh, “You are my Lord.
Apart from you I have no good thing.” 3 As for the saints who are in the earth,
they are the excellent ones in whom is all my delight. 4 Their sorrows shall be multiplied who give gifts to another god.
Their drink offerings of blood I will not offer,
nor take their names on my lips. 5 Yahweh assigned my portion and my cup.
You made my lot secure. 6 The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places.
Yes, I have a good inheritance. 7 I will bless Yahweh, who has given me counsel.
Yes, my heart instructs me in the night seasons.

8 I have set Yahweh always before me.
Because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. 9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my tongue rejoices.
My body shall also dwell in safety. 10 For you will not leave my soul in Sheol,
neither will you allow your holy one to see corruption. 11 You will show me the path of life.
In your presence is fullness of joy.
In your right hand there are pleasures forevermore.

A Prayer for Protection against Oppressors

171 Hear, Yahweh, my righteous plea;
Give ear to my prayer, that doesn’t go out of deceitful lips. 2 Let my sentence come forth from your presence.
Let your eyes look on equity. 3 You have proved my heart.
You have visited me in the night.
You have tried me, and found nothing.
I have resolved that my mouth shall not disobey. 4 As for the works of men, by the word of your lips,
I have kept myself from the ways of the violent. 5 My steps have held fast to your paths.
My feet have not slipped. 6 I have called on you, for you will answer me, God.
Turn your ear to me.
Hear my speech. 7 Show your marvelous loving kindness,
you who save those who take refuge by your right hand from their enemies.

8 Keep me as the apple of your eye.
Hide me under the shadow of your wings, 9 from the wicked who oppress me,
my deadly enemies, who surround me. 10 They close up their callous hearts.
With their mouth they speak proudly. 11 They have now surrounded us in our steps.
They set their eyes to cast us down to the earth. 12 He is like a lion that is greedy of his prey,
as it were a young lion lurking in secret places. 13 Arise, Yahweh, confront him.
Cast him down.
Deliver my soul from the wicked by your sword; 14 from men by your hand, Yahweh,
from men of the world, whose portion is in this life.
You fill the belly of your cherished ones.
Your sons have plenty,
and they store up wealth for their children. 15 As for me, I shall see your face in righteousness.
I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with seeing your form.

Paul's Journey to Macedonia and Greece

201 After the uproar had ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, took leave of them, and departed to go into Macedonia. 2 When he had gone through those parts, and had encouraged them with many words, he came into Greece. 3 When he had spent three months there, and a plot was made against him by Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he determined to return through Macedonia. 4 These accompanied him as far as Asia: Sopater of Beroea; Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians; Gaius of Derbe; Timothy; and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia. 5 But these had gone ahead, and were waiting for us at Troas. 6 We sailed away from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and came to them at Troas in five days, where we stayed seven days.

Paul's Farewell Visit at Troas

7 On the first day of the week, when the disciples were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and continued his speech until midnight. 8 There were many lights in the upper chamber where we [1] were gathered together. 9 A certain young man named Eutychus sat in the window, weighed down with deep sleep. As Paul spoke still longer, being weighed down by his sleep, he fell down from the third story, and was taken up dead. 10 Paul went down, and fell upon him, and embracing him said, “Don’t be troubled, for his life is in him.” 11 When he had gone up, and had broken bread, and eaten, and had talked with them a long while, even until break of day, he departed. 12 They brought the boy in alive, and were greatly comforted.

The Voyage from Troas to Miletus

13 But we who went ahead to the ship set sail for Assos, intending to take Paul aboard there, for he had so arranged, intending himself to go by land. 14 When he met us at Assos, we took him aboard, and came to Mitylene. 15 Sailing from there, we came the following day opposite Chios. The next day we touched at Samos and stayed at Trogyllium, and the day after we came to Miletus. 16 For Paul had determined to sail past Ephesus, that he might not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hastening, if it were possible for him, to be in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost.

Matthew Henry's Commentary on Acts 20:1-16

Commentary on Acts 20:1-6

(Read Acts 20:1-6)

Tumults or opposition may constrain a Christian to remove from his station or alter his purpose, but his work and his pleasure will be the same, wherever he goes. Paul thought it worth while to bestow five days in going to Troas, though it was but for seven days' stay there; but he knew, and so should we, how to redeem even journeying time, and to make it turn to some good account.

Commentary on Acts 20:7-12

(Read Acts 20:7-12)

Though the disciples read, and meditated, and prayed, and sung apart, and thereby kept up communion with God, yet they came together to worship God, and so kept up their communion with one another. They came together on the first day of the week, the Lord's day. It is to be religiously observed by all disciples of Christ. In the breaking of the bread, not only the breaking of Christ's body for us, to be a sacrifice for our sins, is remembered, but the breaking of Christ's body to us, to be food and a feast for our souls, is signified. In the early times it was the custom to receive the Lord's supper every Lord's day, thus celebrating the memorial of Christ's death. In this assembly Paul preached. The preaching of the gospel ought to go with the sacraments. They were willing to hear, he saw they were so, and continued his speech till midnight. Sleeping when hearing the word, is an evil thing, a sign of low esteem of the word of God. We must do what we can to prevent being sleepy; not put ourselves to sleep, but get our hearts affected with the word we hear, so as to drive sleep far away. Infirmity requires tenderness; but contempt requires severity. It interrupted the apostle's preaching; but was made to confirm his preaching. Eutychus was brought to life again. And as they knew not when they should have Paul's company again, they made the best use of it they could, and reckoned a night's sleep well lost for that purpose. How seldom are hours of repose broken for the purposes of devotion! but how often for mere amusement or sinful revelry! So hard is it for spiritual life to thrive in the heart of man! so naturally do carnal practices flourish there!

Commentary on Acts 20:13-16

(Read Acts 20:13-16)

Paul hastened to Jerusalem, but tried to do good by the way, when going from place to place, as every good man should do. In doing God's work, our own wills and those of our friends must often be crossed; we must not spend time with them when duty calls us another way.