{They therefore} (hoi men oun). Demonstrative hoi as
often ( 1:6 , etc.) though it will make sense as the article with
the participle diasparentes. The general statement is made here
by men and a particular instance (de) follows in verse  5 .
The inferential particle (oun) points back to verse  3 , the
persecution by young Saul and the Pharisees. Jesus had commanded
the disciples not to depart from Jerusalem till they received the
Promise of the Father ( 1:4 ), but they had remained long after
that and were not carrying the gospel to the other peoples
( 1:8 ). Now they were pushed out by Saul and began as a result
to carry out the Great Commission for world conquest, that is
those "scattered abroad" (diasparentes, second aorist passive
participle of diaspeir(935c)). This verb means disperse, to sow in
separate or scattered places (dia) and so to drive people
hither and thither. Old and very common verb, especially in the
LXX, but in the N.T. only in  Ac 8:1,4  11:19 . {Went about}
(di(886c)thon). Constative second aorist active of dierchomai, to
go through (from place to place, dia). Old and common verb,
frequent for missionary journeys in the Acts ( 5:40  8:40  9:32  11:19  13:6 ). {Preaching the word} (euaggelizomenoi ton
logon). Evangelizing or gospelizing the word (the truth about
Christ). In  11:19  Luke explains more fully the extent of the
labours of these new preachers of the gospel. They were emergency
preachers, not ordained clergymen, but men stirred to activity by
the zeal of Saul against them. The blood of the martyrs (Stephen)
was already becoming the seed of the church. "The violent
dispersion of these earnest disciples resulted in a rapid
diffusion of the gospel" (Alvah Hovey).