Azotus

Biblical Text

In the New Korean Revised Version, the name Azotus appears only once, in Acts 8:40. On the road going down from Jerusalem to Gaza, Philip preached the gospel to the Ethiopian eunuch and baptized him. This Philip was one of the seven men named in Acts 6:5 and is regarded as a different person from Philip the apostle. After the baptism, "the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip" (Acts 8:39), and "Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Caesarea" (Acts 8:40). Philip was later living in Caesarea (Acts 21:8).

Geographical and Historical Background

Azotus represents Azōtos, the Greek form of the Hebrew name Ashdod. The New Korean Revised Version, like the KJV, uses "Ashdod" in the Old Testament and "Azotus" in the New Testament. The original meaning of the name is uncertain.

The city lay on the Mediterranean coastal plain, between Gaza to the south and Joppa to the north. In the Old Testament, Ashdod was one of the five principal cities of the Philistines; the other four were Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron (Joshua 13:3; 1 Samuel 6:17).

The principal Old Testament references are as follows:

• The ark of the covenant: The Philistines placed the captured ark of the covenant in the temple of Dagon at Ashdod. The image of Dagon then fell on its face, and the people of the city were afflicted with emerods (1 Samuel 5).
• Relations with the kings of Judah: Uzziah is recorded as having broken down the wall of Ashdod (2 Chronicles 26:6).
• The Assyrian invasion: The commander (Tartan) sent by Sargon king of Assyria fought against Ashdod (Isaiah 20:1).
• After the return from exile: The Ashdodites were among those who opposed the rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls (Nehemiah 4:7). In addition, Nehemiah rebuked the men of Judah who had married women of Ashdod, because their children spoke the speech of Ashdod (Nehemiah 13:23–24).
• Prophetic oracles of judgment: Judgment on Ashdod is announced in Amos 1:8, Zephaniah 2:4, and Zechariah 9:6.

In the New Testament period, Azotus was a coastal city under Herodian and Roman rule. The modern Israeli port city of Ashdod lies in this area, but scholars differ on the exact location and extent of the ancient city.

Significance Within the Bible as a Whole

In the Old Testament, Ashdod was a Gentile city hostile to Israel and a target of prophetic judgment. In Acts, the same place appears as a site where the gospel is proclaimed. Acts 8 traces the spread of the gospel from Jerusalem to Samaria and then to the Gentile coastal region. For this reason, many interpreters read the reference to Azotus as one of the scenes illustrating the pattern of expansion set out in Acts 1:8.

Interpretation and Issues

• How Philip was "found": Interpretations differ concerning the statement "the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip" (Acts 8:39). Some take it to mean that the Holy Spirit supernaturally transported Philip. Others take it to mean that Philip left the place suddenly under the Spirit's leading. The text does not describe the process in detail.
• Distinguishing later traditions: Claims that Philip founded a church at Azotus, or that the believers at Lydda and Joppa mentioned in Acts 9 were the fruit of Philip's evangelism, are not stated directly in the text. They are matters of conjecture.