Acts 20:13-16·~1 min

From Troas to Miletus

The rest go on ahead by ship to Assos while Paul chooses to go there on foot, and once he meets them there they take him aboard and continue to Mitylene.

W¹³e went on ahead to the ship and sailed to Assos, where we were to take Paul aboard. He had arranged this because he was going there on foot. ¹⁴And when he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene.

From there the voyage moves past Chios, Samos, and finally to Miletus. Paul has decided to sail past Ephesus so he will not spend time in Asia, since he is hurrying to reach Jerusalem by Pentecost if he can.

¹⁵Sailing on from there, we arrived the next day opposite Chios. The day after that we arrived at Samos, and on the following day we came to Miletus. ¹⁶Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, because he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost.

Section summaryThe company travels by sea from Troas while Paul goes on foot to Assos before rejoining them. Their route continues from port to port until they reach Miletus, where Paul chooses to stop short of Ephesus because he is hurrying to be in Jerusalem, if possible, by Pentecost.

Role in the chapterThis brief movement narrows the chapter toward the farewell to come. The travel details show purposeful urgency, and Miletus becomes the chosen place where Paul will speak without lingering in Ephesus itself.