Charles Ellicott Commentary Acts 16:9

"And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: There was a man of Macedonia standing, beseeching him, and saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us." — Acts 16:9 (ASV)

There stood a man of Macedonia.—The term is probably used in its later sense as applied to the Roman province, which included Macedonia, properly so called, Illyricum, Epirus, and Thessaly; the province of Achaia, in the same way, included the whole of Southern Greece.

The vision which St. Paul looked on explained to him all the varied promptings and restraints of his journey. This was the door that was to be opened to him. The faith of Christ was to pass from Asia to Europe, and the cry, Come over and help us, was to him as a call from the whole western world. In view of this, he did not then delay to preach at Troas. Probably, indeed, as the next verse implies, that work had been already done.