Philip receives a new command: Rise and go toward the south (anistѐmi en poreuo) with a route indicator: toward the South, the road from Jerusalem to Gaza, the desert road. Gaza is an important final destination for the road through the desert to Egypt, the ancient caravan route.

“Kastabaineo” (ESV: goes down) means the road that goes downward, downward from Jerusalem. Lonely and abandoned can be a dangerous place (to be), like the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Jericho (Luke 10:30–33). A lonely road (erѐmos) through a deserted, uninhabited area is added information from the angel (not from Luke), to distinguish this desert road from the other road, along the coast. It is a geographical indicator, and it makes the command somewhat strange for Philip. Is an evangelist to go to a deserted area, while he is planning to bring the Good News to many people (at the same time)? Does he become a voice, calling out in the desert?