Acts 11:20

“And some of them were men of Cyprus, etc.] That is, some of the preachers, that were scattered abroad, were Jews born at Cyprus: such was Barnabas particularly, (<440436>Acts 4:36) though he was not among these, as appears from (<441122>Acts 11:22) “and Cyrene”; such were Simon that carried the cross after Christ, and his sons Alexander and Rufus, (<411521>Mark 15:21) and others that heard the apostles speak with tongues on the day of Pentecost, (<440210>Acts 2:10) which when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians; or Hellenist Jews, who were born and brought up in Greece, and spoke the Greek language; though the Alexandrian copy, and the Syriac version, read “Greeks”, as if they…”

“some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene--(see on Luk 23:26); as Lucius, mentioned in Act 13:1. spake unto the Grecians--rather, "the Greeks," that is, uncircumcised Gentiles (as the true reading beyond doubt is). The Gospel had, from the first, been preached to "the Grecians" or Greek-speaking Jews, and these "men of Cyprus and Cyrene" were themselves "Grecians." How, then, can we suppose that the historian would note, as something new and singular (Act 11:22), that some of the dispersed Christians preached to them?”

“Were men of Cyprus and Cyrene - Were natives of Cyprus and Cyrene. Cyrene was a province and city of Libya in Africa. It is at present called Cairoan, and is situated in the kingdom of Barca. In Cyprus the Greek language was spoken; and from the vicinity of Cyrene to Alexandria, it is probable that the Greek language was spoken there also. From this circumstance it might have happened that they were led more particularly to address the Grecians who were in Antioch. It is possible, however, that they might have heard of the vision which Peter saw, and felt themselves called on to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. Spake unto the Grecians - πρὸς τοὺς Ἑλληνιστὰς pros tous Hellēnistas. To…”

“Some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene - Who were more accustomed to converse with the Gentiles. Who coming into Antioch - Then the capital of Syria, and, next to Rome and Alexandria, the most considerable city of the empire. Spake to the Greeks - As the Greeks were the most celebrated of the Gentile nations near Judea, the Jews called all the Gentiles by that name. Here we have the first account of the preaching the Gospel to the idolatrous Gentiles. All those to whom it had been preached before, did at least worship one God, the God of Israel. Acts 11:21”

“11:20 This outreach effort on the part of Jewish believers . . . from Cyprus and Cyrene was the first systematic attempt to preach to Gentiles about the Lord Jesus.”

“Cyrene: Act 2:10, Act 6:9, Act 13:1; Mat 27:32 the Grecians: Act 6:1, Act 9:29 preaching: Act 8:5, Act 8:35, Act 9:20, Act 17:18; Co1 1:23, Co1 1:24, Co1 2:2; Eph 3:8 Acts 11:21”