Acts 2:10
Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,
Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt,.... Phrygia was a country in Asia, and had part of Galatia on the north, Lycaonia, Pisidia, and Mygdonia on the south, and on the east Cappadocia {x}; here the Apostle Paul afterwards travelled, and strengthened the Christians; see Acts 16:6. Pamphylia, now called Setilia, is another country in Asia, formerly called Mopsopia {y}; which had on the west Lycia, and part of Asia, on the north Galatia, on the east Cilicia, and part of Cappadocia, and on the south the sea of Pamphylia {z}, of which mention is made in Acts 27:5. The chief city in it was Perga, where was a temple of Diana {a}, and here the Apostle Paul also was; see Acts 13:13. Others of these sojourning Jews lived in Egypt, which was a large country in Africa; which had on the east the deserts of Arabia, on the west Libya, on the south Ethiopia, and on the north the Mediterranean sea; hither many Jews were carried captive by Ptolomy Lagus, and these spoke the Egyptian language:
and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene; there were others at Jerusalem, which came from hence, The Arabic version reads this clause, "and in the parts of Africa, which is our country"; and Pliny says {b}, the Greeks call Africa, Libya. The Jews say {c}, Libya in Egypt; and for proselytes from Libya, they wait three generations; that is, before they receive them: Cyrene, or Cyreniaca, which is no other than upper Libya, is called by Pliny {d}, the Pentapolitan country, from the five cities in it; Berenice, Arsinoe, Ptolemais, Apollonia, and Cyrene: to these are added,
and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes; that is, as the Syriac version renders it, "those that came from Rome"; to which the Arabic agrees: they were natives and inhabitants of the city of Rome, though now they were at Jerusalem; and some of these were Jews by birth, and lineal descent, though born at Rome; and others were such as were proselytes of righteousness, who were originally Gentiles, but were now circumcised, and had embraced the Jewish religion; concerning such, See Gill on "Matthew 23:15". These doubtless spoke in the Roman, or Latin tongue.
{x} Plin. l. 5. c. 32.
{y} Ib. c. 27.
{z} Ptolom. l. 5. c. 5.
{a} Plin. l. 5. c. 27. Ptolom, ib. &. Mela, l. 1. c. 14.
{b} Plin. l. 5. in principio.
{c} T. Hieros. Kilaim, fol. 31. 3. & Sabbat, fol. 7. 2.
{d} L. 5. c. 5.