17 Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him.
18 Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection.
19 And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is?
20 For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean.
21 (For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.)
17 Therefore G3767 G3303 disputed he G1256 in G1722 the synagogue G4864 with the Jews, G2453 and G2532 with the devout persons, G4576 and G2532 in G1722 the market G58 daily G2596 G3956 G2250 with G4314 them that met with him. G3909
18 Then G1161 certain G5100 philosophers G5386 of the Epicureans, G1946 and G2532 of the Stoicks, G4770 encountered G4820 him. G846 And G2532 some G5100 said, G3004 What G5101 will G302 G2309 this G3778 babbler G4691 say? G3004 G1161 other some, He seemeth G1380 to be G1511 a setter forth G2604 of strange G3581 gods: G1140 because G3754 he preached G2097 unto them G846 Jesus, G2424 and G2532 the resurrection. G386
19 And G5037 they took G1949 him, G846 and brought him G71 unto G1909 Areopagus, G697 saying, G3004 May G1410 we know G1097 what G5101 this G3778 new G2537 doctrine, G1322 whereof G5259 thou G4675 speakest, G2980 is?
20 For G1063 thou bringest G1533 certain G5100 strange things G3579 to G1519 our G2257 ears: G189 we would G1014 know G1097 therefore G3767 what G5101 these things G5023 mean. G302 G2309 G1511
21 (For G1161 all G3956 the Athenians G117 and G2532 strangers G3581 which G3588 were there G1927 spent their time G2119 in G1519 nothing G3762 else, G2087 but either G2228 to tell, G3004 or G2532 to hear G191 some G5100 new thing.) G2537
17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with them that met him.
18 And certain also of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered him. And some said, What would this babbler say? others, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached Jesus and the resurrection.
19 And they took hold of him, and brought him unto the Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new teaching is, which is spoken by thee?
20 For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean.
21 (Now all the Athenians and the strangers sojourning there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell or to hear some new thing.)
17 therefore, indeed, he was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the worshipping persons, and in the market-place every day with those who met with him.
18 And certain of the Epicurean and of the Stoic philosophers, were meeting together to see him, and some were saying, `What would this seed picker wish to say?' and others, `Of strange demons he doth seem to be an announcer;' because Jesus and the rising again he did proclaim to them as good news,
19 having also taken him, unto the Areopagus they brought `him', saying, `Are we able to know what `is' this new teaching that is spoken by thee,
20 for certain strange things thou dost bring to our ears? we wish, then, to know what these things would wish to be;'
21 and all Athenians, and the strangers sojourning, for nothing else were at leisure but to say something, and to hear some newer thing.
17 He reasoned therefore in the synagogue with the Jews, and those who worshipped, and in the market-place every day with those he met with.
18 But some also of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers attacked him. And some said, What would this chatterer say? and some, He seems to be an announcer of foreign demons, because he announced the glad tidings of Jesus and the resurrection [to them].
19 And having taken hold on him they brought [him] to Areopagus, saying, Might we know what this new doctrine which is spoken by thee [is]?
20 For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears. We wish therefore to know what these things may mean.
21 Now all [the] Athenians and the strangers sojourning there spent their time in nothing else than to tell and to hear the news.
17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who met him.
18 Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also{TR omits "also"} were conversing with him. Some said, "What does this babbler want to say?" Others said, "He seems to be advocating foreign deities," because he preached Jesus and the resurrection.
19 They took hold of him, and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, "May we know what this new teaching is, which is spoken by you?
20 For you bring certain strange things to our ears. We want to know therefore what these things mean."
21 Now all the Athenians and the strangers living there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell or to hear some new thing.
17 So he had discussions in the Synagogue with the Jews and God-fearing Gentiles, and every day in the market-place with those who were there.
18 And some of those who were supporters of the theories of the Epicureans and the Stoics, had a meeting with him. And some said, What is this talker of foolish words saying? And others, He seems to be a preacher of strange gods: because he was preaching of Jesus and his coming back from the dead.
19 And they took him to Mars' Hill, saying, Will you make clear to us what is this new teaching of yours?
20 For you seem to us to say strange things, and we have a desire to get the sense of them.
21 (Now all the Athenians and the men from other lands who come there were giving all their time to talking or hearing of anything new.)
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Acts 17
Commentary on Acts 17 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 17
We have here a further account of the travels of Paul, and his services and sufferings for Christ. He was not like a candle upon a table, that gives light only to one room, but like the sun that goes its circuit to give light to many. He was called into Macedonia, a large kingdom, ch. 16:9. He began with Philippi, because it was the first city he came to; but he must not confine himself to this. We have him here,
Act 17:1-9
Paul's two epistles to the Thessalonians, the first two he wrote by inspiration, give such a shining character of that church, that we cannot but be glad here in the history to meet with an account of the first founding of the church there.
Act 17:10-15
In these verses we have,
Act 17:16-21
A scholar that has acquaintance, and is in love, with the learning of the ancients, would think he should be very happy if he were where Paul now was, at Athens, in the midst of the various sects of philosophers, and would have a great many curious questions to ask them, for the explication of the remains we have of the Athenian learning; but Paul, though bred a scholar, and an ingenious active man, does not make this any of his business at Athens. He has other work to mind: it is not the improving of himself in their philosophy that he aims at, he has learned to call it a vain thing, and is above it (Col. 2:8); his business is, in God's name, to correct their disorders in religion, and to turn them from the service of idols, and of Satan in them, to the service of the true and living God in Christ.
Act 17:22-31
We have here St. Paul's sermon at Athens. Divers sermons we have had, which the apostles preached to the Jews, or such Gentiles as had an acquaintance with and veneration for the Old Testament, and were worshippers of the true and living God; and all they had to do with them was to open and allege that Jesus is the Christ; but here we have a sermon to heathens, that worshipped false gods, and were without the true God in the world, and to them the scope of their discourse was quite different from what it was to the other. In the former case their business was to lead their hearers by prophecies and miracles to the knowledge of the Redeemer, and faith in him; in the latter it was to lead them by the common works of providence to the knowledge of the Creator, and the worship of him. One discourse of this kind we had before to the rude idolaters of Lystra that deified the apostles (ch. 14:15); this recorded here is to the more polite and refined idolaters at Athens, and an admirable discourse it is, and every way suited to his auditory and the design he had upon them.
Act 17:32-34
We have here a short account of the issue of Paul's preaching at Athens.