Seven Days in Port

A data point we all might want to consider about the seven-day stay in Troas, in Acts 20:7, is that Paul and his company were not in control of the schedule of the ship upon which he sailed; the ship did not set sail according to Paul's schedule, but rather Paul set sail according to the ship's schedule.

And interestingly enough, we find that the next time the ship stays in port for any length of time, to "unload her cargo", the stay was seven days, just as it was in Troas:

Acts 21:3-5 (WEB) When we had come in sight of Cyprus, leaving it on the left hand, we sailed to Syria and landed at Tyre, for the ship was there to unload her cargo. Having found disciples, we stayed there seven days. These said to Paul through the Spirit that he should not go up to Jerusalem. When those days were over, we departed and went on our journey. They all, with wives and children, brought us on our way until we were out of the city. Kneeling down on the beach, we prayed.

And again, later in the trip, the ship seemingly stays in port for seven days:

Acts 28:13-14 (WEB) From there we circled around and arrived at Rhegium. After one day, a south wind sprang up, and on the second day we came to Puteoli, where we found brothers, and were entreated to stay with them for seven days. So we came to Rome.

It's unlikely that the Roman centurion, tasked with taking several prisoners (Acts 27:1; 28:16) to Rome, would waste a week's worth of his employer's resources (food and lodging for enough soldiers (Acts 27:31) to keep 270 people in-line when the sailors were trying to abandon ship (Acts 27:30, 37), just waiting on one of his prisoners to enjoy a get-together with his friends. It's much more likely that the centurion was at the mercy of the ship's schedule.

Here's a possibility: Knowing that it takes about a week to do unloading, and presumably loading, of the ship, the captain plans accordingly, scheduling a seven-day stay in port for that process. The ship obviously kept a planned schedule, or Paul could not have made plans to rejoin the ship after separating from it after Troas:

Acts 20:13 (WEB) But we, going ahead to the ship, set sail for Assos, intending to take Paul aboard there; for he had so arranged, intending himself to go by land.

At any rate, Paul's hurry to be in Jerusalem for Pentecost didn't prevent him from staying seven days at this other port town.

And it's likely that Paul had supper with them every night in Tyre, just as he probably had done back in Troas, but without a young man falling from a third-story window, there was no reason for Luke to say much about this stay.

It's unlikely Paul and company stayed seven days in Troas or in Tyre to stick around for "worship day"; it's more likely they stayed seven days because that's when their ship was leaving port.