And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.
And the (or 'an') angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way (that is, so as to get into the way) that goeth down from Jerusalem into Gaza, which [ hautee (G3778 ), that is, not Gaza itself, but the way], is desert. Gaza was the southernmost city of Palestine, situated at the border of the desert leading to Egypt. It is mentioned as early as Genesis 10:19; it was allotted to the tribe of Judah; but it was seized and held by the Philistines, and became one of their five principal cities. There was such a road to it, across mount Hebron, which Philip might take without requiring to go first to Jerusalem (as Von Raumer's 'Palestine' shows). Indeed, there were, and still are, two such roads at least (Robinson's 'Palestine,' 2: p. 321). The next clause, therefore, "which is desert" - a tract of country without villages or fixed habitations-was probably intended to define the one which Philip was to take, so as not to miss the returning eunuch. (So Bengel, Alford, Baumgarten, Hackett, Lechler.) Others take Gaza itself as what was "desert;" some of these referring it to the ancient Gaza, which was then a ruin, though rebuilt with the same name (as Olshausen, Humphry, etc.), while others apply it even to the rebuilt Gaza, which was destroyed by the Romans, (so Hug, etc.) But as that destruction did not take place until after this book must have been published, this interpretation must be set aside.
Nor does any application of the phrase, "which is desert," to the town give point to the direction to Philip, as the word Gaza would be enough to guide him to the spot, whether old or new, standing or ruined. Little better is it to suppose this (as several critics do) to be a parenthetical explanation of the historian himself, to enable his readers to identify the spot. By far the simplest explanation of the clause, then, is to refer it to the way or road which the angel would have Philip take, to compass his object.