We left by ship translates a technical term which means “to put out to sea.” Evidently they had a favorable wind behind them because they sailed straight across to Samothrace. Samothrace was an island about 38 miles from Troas; it was half way between Troas and Neapolis, the port city of Philippi, which was about 10 miles south of Philippi.

In some languages very careful distinctions are made in terms for sailing or going by ship. One verb may stipulate going from a mainland to an island, while another is used to describe travel from an island to the mainland. It is important in a passage such as this to employ a proper set of terms so as to coincide with the geographical relationships.

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on The Acts of the Apostles. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1972. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .