(15) After those days we took up our carriages . . .--Better, we took up our baggage. The English word now used always of the vehicle that carries, was in common use at the time of the Authorised version, for the things carried--the luggage or impedimenta of a traveller. So, in 1Samuel 17:22, David leaves his carriage (or, as in the margin, the vessels from upon him) in the hand of the "keeper of the carriage." So, in Udal's translation of Erasmus's Paraphrase of the New Testament (Luke 5:14), the bearers of the paralytic are said to have "taken their 'heavie carriage' to the house-roof." (Comp. also Judges 18:21; Isaiah 10:28; Isaiah 46:1.)

Verse 15. - These for those, A.V.; baggage for carriages, A.V. We took up, etc. Απισκευασάμενοι, is the reading of the R.T., as of Mill, Bengel, Griesbach, Lachmann, Tischendorf, Meyer, Alford, etc. It occurs only here in the New Testament, but is common in classical Greek, in the sense of "fitting out for a journey," "lading a ship" or "beasts of burden" with baggage, "collecting baggage," and the like. The ἀποσκευάζεσθαι of the A.V. means" to unload," "to get rid of baggage," and thence generally "to remove," which gives no good sense here.

21:8-18 Paul had express warning of his troubles, that when they came, they might be no surprise or terror to him. The general notice given us, that through much tribulation we must enter into the kingdom of God, should be of the same use to us. Their weeping began to weaken and slacken his resolution Has not our Master told us to take up our cross? It was a trouble to him, that they should so earnestly press him to do that in which he could not gratify them without wronging his conscience. When we see trouble coming, it becomes us to say, not only, The will of the Lord must be done, and there is no remedy; but, Let the will of the Lord be done; for his will is his wisdom, and he doeth all according to the counsel of it. When a trouble is come, this must allay our griefs, that the will of the Lord is done; when we see it coming, this must silence our fears, that the will of the Lord shall be done; and we ought to say, Amen, let it be done. It is honourable to be an old disciple of Jesus Christ, to have been enabled by the grace of God to continue long in a course of duty, stedfast in the faith, growing more and more experienced, to a good old age. And with these old disciples one would choose to lodge; for the multitude of their years shall teach wisdom. Many brethren at Jerusalem received Paul gladly. We think, perhaps, that if we had him among us, we should gladly receive him; but we should not, if, having his doctrine, we do not gladly receive that.And after those days we took up our carriages,.... Or prepared themselves, both for their journey, and for whatever trials and exercises they were to meet with; they took up their bundles, which hitherto were brought by sea, and now put them upon beasts, going by land from Caesarea:

and went up to Jerusalem; which stood on higher ground, and was, as Josephus (n) says, six hundred furlongs, or seventy five miles distant.

(n) De Bello Jud. l. 1. c. 3. sect. 5.