Albert Barnes Commentary Acts 18:2

"And he found a certain Jew named Aquila, a man of Pontus by race, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome: and he came unto them;" — Acts 18:2 (ASV)

And found a certain Jew. This refers to Aquila, who is mentioned elsewhere as a friend of Paul (Romans 16:3; 2 Timothy 4:19; 1 Corinthians 16:19). Though a Jew by birth, it is evident that he became a convert to the Christian faith.

Born in Pontus. (See the notes on Acts 2:9).

Lately come from Italy. Though the command of Claudius extended only to Rome, yet it was probably considered unsafe to remain, or it might have been difficult to find work in any part of Italy.

Because that Claudius. Claudius was the Roman emperor. He began his reign in A.D. 41 and was poisoned in A.D. 54. It is not certainly known at what time in his reign this command was issued.

Had commanded, etc. This command is not mentioned by Josephus; but it is recorded by Suetonius, a Roman historian (Life of Claudius, chapter 26), who says that "he expelled the Jews from Rome, who were constantly exciting tumults under their leader, Chrestus." Who this Chrestus was is not known. It might have been a foreign Jew who raised tumults on some occasion of which we have no knowledge—as the Jews in all pagan cities were greatly prone to unrest and insurrections. Or it may be that Suetonius, little acquainted with Jewish affairs, mistook this for the name Christ and supposed that he was the leader of the Jews. This explanation has much plausibility, for:

1. Suetonius could scarcely be supposed to be intimately acquainted with the affairs of the Jews.
2. There is every reason to believe that, before this, the Christian religion had been preached at Rome.
3. It would produce there, as everywhere else, great tumult and contention among the Jews.
4. Claudius, the emperor, might suppose that such tumults endangered the peace of the city, and resolve to remove the cause at once by the dispersion of all the Jews.
5. A Roman historian might easily mistake the true state of the case; and while they were contending about Christ, he might suppose that it was under him, as a leader, that these tumults were excited. However, all that is material here is the fact on which Luke and Suetonius agree: that the Jews were expelled from Rome during his reign.