Acts 16:6

Acts 16:6

Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia,

a. NLT: Next Paul and Silas traveled through the area of Phrygia and Galatia, because the Holy Spirit had prevented them from preaching the word in the province of Asia at that time.

b. NIV: Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia.

c. YLT: And having gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia,

d. Amplified Bible Classic: And Paul and Silas passed through the territory of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to proclaim the Word in [the province of] Asia.

e. Worrell Translation: And they passed through the Phrygian and Galatian country, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia;

f. Wuest Translation: Then they passed through Phrygia and the Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the Word in Asia

1.  “Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia…”

a. Now [Strong: 1161 de deh a primary particle (adversative or continuative); but, and, etc.:--also, and, but, moreover, now (often unexpressed in English).]

b. when they had gone throughout [Strong: 1330 dierchomai dee-er'-khom-ahee from 1223 and 2064; to traverse (literally):--come, depart, go (about, abroad, everywhere, over, through, throughout), pass (by, over, through, throughout), pierce through, travel, walk through.]

c. Phrygia [Strong: 5435 Phrugia froog-ee'-ah probably of foreign origin; Phrygia, a region of Asia Minor:--Phrygia.]

d. and [Strong: 2532 kai kahee apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:--and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.]

e. the region [Strong: 5561 chora kho'-rah feminine of a derivative of the base of 5490 through the idea of empty expanse; room, i.e. a space of territory (more or less extensive; often including its inhabitants):--coast, county, fields, ground, land, region.]

f. of Galatia [Strong: 1054 Galatikos gal-at-ee-kos' from 1053; Galatic or relating to Galatia:--of Galatia.]

1). All the word is for all of us, but when written the letter to the Galatians was to the churches in Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra and Derbe and other churches located in the Galatian province.

2. “…and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia.”

a. [and] were forbidden [Strong: 2967 koluo ko-loo'-o from the base of 2849; to estop, i.e. prevent (by word or act):--forbid, hinder, keep from, let, not suffer, withstand.]

b. of [Strong: 5259 hupo hoop-o' a primary preposition; under, i.e. (with the genitive case) of place (beneath), or with verbs (the agency or means, through); (with the accusative case) of place (whither (underneath) or where (below) or time (when (at)):--among, by, from, in, of, under, with. In the comparative, it retains the same general applications, especially of inferior position or condition, and specially, covertly or moderately.]

c. the [Strong: 3588 ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.]

d. Holy [Strong: 40 hagios hag'-ee-os from hagos (an awful thing) (compare 53, 2282); sacred (physically, pure, morally blameless or religious, ceremonially, consecrated):--(most) holy (one, thing), saint.]

e. Ghost [Strong: 4151 pneuma pnyoo'-mah from 4154; a current of air, i.e. breath (blast) or a breeze; by analogy or figuratively, a spirit, i.e. (human) the rational soul, (by implication) vital principle, mental disposition, etc., or (superhuman) an angel, demon, or (divine) God, Christ's spirit, the Holy Spirit:--ghost, life, spirit(-ual, -ually), mind.]

f. to preach [Strong: 2980 laleo lal-eh'-o a prolonged form of an otherwise obsolete verb; to talk, i.e. utter words:--preach, say, speak (after), talk, tell, utter.]

g. the [Strong: 3588 ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.]

h. word [Strong: 3056 logos log'-os from 3004; something said (including the thought); by implication, a topic (subject of discourse), also reasoning (the mental faculty) or motive; by extension, a computation; specially, (with the article in John) the Divine Expression (i.e. Christ):--account, cause, communication, X concerning, doctrine, fame, X have to do, intent, matter, mouth, preaching, question, reason, + reckon, remove, say(-ing), shew, X speaker, speech, talk, thing, + none of these things move me, tidings, treatise, utterance, word, work.]

i. in [Strong: 1722 en en a primary preposition denoting (fixed) position (in place, time or state), and (by implication) instrumentality (medially or constructively), i.e. a relation of rest (intermediate between 1519 and 1537); "in," at, (up-)on, by, etc.:--about, after, against, + almost, X altogether, among, X as, at, before, between, (here-)by (+ all means), for (... sake of), + give self wholly to, (here-)in(-to, -wardly), X mightily, (because) of, (up-)on, (open-)ly, X outwardly, one, X quickly, X shortly, (speedi-)ly, X that, X there(-in, -on), through(-out), (un-)to(-ward), under, when, where(-with), while, with(-in). Often used in compounds, with substantially the same import; rarely with verbs of motion, and then not to indicate direction, except (elliptically) by a separate (and different) preposition.]

j. Asia [Strong: 773 Asia as-ee'-ah of uncertain derivation; Asia, i.e. Asia Minor, or (usually) only its western shore:--Asia.]

1). The Spirit of God forbid Paul and his company to go into Asia. I believe this was because the great Macedonian call bringing the gospel into Europe was days or weeks from occurring. The leading of the Holy Ghost to go into Europe would change the course of Europe and begin Western civilization.

2). Saint Paul The Traveller And Roman Citizen, William M. Ramsay, pp 194, 195 Paul and his companions made a missionary progress through the Phrygian Region of the province of Galatia, and then crossed the frontier of the province Asia: but here they were prevented from preaching, and the prohibition was made absolute for the entire province.

3). The Book Of Acts, Stanley M. Horton, p191. “The Bible does not say how the Spirit did this. He may have done it by a word of wisdom given to one of Paul’s company, or perhaps given by a Spirit filled believer in one of the churches.”

4). F.F. Bruce suggests that this may have come through a prophet in Lystra. However it occurred, the Scripture says in Romans 8:14, For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.