And thence sailed to Antioch, from whence they had been recommended to the grace of God for the work which they fulfilled.

and thence they sailed to Antioch, from whence they had been committed to the grace of God for the work which they had fulfilled.

And thence they sailed to Antioch, from whence they had been delivered to the grace of God, unto the work which they accomplished.

And thence sailed to Antioch, from whence they had been commended to the grace of God, for the work which they fulfilled.

and thence did sail to Antioch, whence they had been given by the grace of God for the work that they fulfilled;

And there sailed to Antioch, from where they had been recommended to the grace of God for the work which they fulfilled.

Thence they sailed to Antioch, where they had previously been commended to the grace of God in connexion with the work which they had now completed.

And from there they went by ship to Antioch, where they had been handed over to the grace of God for the work which they had not done.

And from there, they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work which they had now accomplished.

When they had been commended. Luke might have said that they were ordained there to be the apostles of the Gentiles; but by a circuit of words [1] he doth more plainly express that they were neither sent away of men, neither did they attempt any thing trusting to their own strength, but that their whole journey, together with the success, was committed to God, the author thereof. Therefore, their preaching was no man's work, but a work of the grace of God. And the word grace is referred as well unto the power and efficacy of the Spirit, as also unto all the rest of the signs of favor; because all those gifts be free which God bestoweth upon his servants. And the sentence may be thus resolved, that they prayed God that he would show forth his grace to further the labors of his servants.

Footnotes

1 - "Verborum circuitu," by a circumlocution.

And thence sailed to Antioch - See the note at Acts 11:19.
From whence they had been recommended - Where they had been appointed to this missionary tour by the church, Acts 13:1-4.
To the grace of God - His favor and protection had been implored for them in their perilous undertaking.
For the work which they fulfilled - This shows conclusively:
(1) That they had accomplished fully the work which was originally contemplated. It was strictly a missionary tour among the Gentiles. It was an important and hazardous enterprise, and was the first in which the church formally engaged. Hence, so much importance is attached to it, and so faithful a record of it is preserved.
(2) it shows that the act by which they were set apart to this Acts 13:1-3 was not an ordination to the ministerial office. It was an appointment to a missionary tour.
(3) it shows that the act was not an appointment to the apostleship. Paul was an apostle before by the express appointment of the Saviour; and Barnabas was never an apostle in the original and proper sense of the term. It was a designation to a temporary work, which was now fulfilled.
We may remark, also, in regard to this missionary tour:
(1) That the work of missions is one which early engaged the attention of Christians.
(2) it entered into their plans, and was one in which the church was deeply interested.
(3) the work of missions is attended with danger. People are now no less hostile to the gospel than they were in Lystra and Iconium.
(4) Missionaries should be sustained by the prayers of the church. And,
(5) In the conduct of Paul and Barnabas we have an example for missionaries in founding churches, and in regard to their own trials and persecutions. If they were persecuted, missionaries may be now; and if the grace of Christ was sufficient to sustain them, it is not the less sufficient to sustain those of our own times amidst all the dangers attending the preaching of the cross in pagan lands.

And thence sailed to Antioch - This was Antioch in Syria; and to reach which, by sea, they were obliged to coast a part of the Mediterranean Sea, steering between Cyprus and Cilicia; though they might have gone the whole journey by land.
Whence they had been recommended - for the work which they fulfilled - The reader will recollect that it was from this Antioch they had been sent to preach the Gospel to the heathen in Asia Minor: see Acts 13:1, Acts 13:2; and that they fulfilled that work: see in the same chapter, Acts 13:48; and the circumstantial account of their travels and preaching given in this chapter.

And thence sailed to (i) Antioch, from whence they had been recommended to the grace of God for the work which they fulfilled.
(i) Antioch of Syria.

And thence sailed to Antioch,.... In Syria,
from whence they had been recommended to the grace of God; by the prophets: from this place they first set out on their travels; here they were separated by the order of the Holy Ghost to the work of the ministry, and by them they were sent forth, after they had in prayer commended them to God, and to his grace to assist them, and succeed them, as well as to fit them
for the work which they fulfilled; that is, for the work of the ministry, for the preaching of the Gospel in several places; and which they had now gone through, and finished with great integrity and faithfulness, and with much success, though through many afflictions and persecutions.

sailed to Antioch, from whence they had been recommended--(See on Acts 13:3).

Recommended to the grace - Or favour, of God, for the work which they had fulfilled - This shows the nature and design of that laying on of hands, which was mentioned Acts 13:3.