Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came
to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews:
Arrival at Thessalonica-Success there among the Jews and Gentile
Proselytes (17:1-4)
NOW WHEN THEY HAD PASSED (OR 'TRAVELED') THROUGH diodeusantes
(G1353).
AMPHIPOLIS - 33 m... [ Continue Reading ]
And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath
days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,
AND PAUL, AS HIS MANNER WAS (ALWAYS TO BEGIN WITH THE JEWS), WENT IN
UNTO THEM. That this was an act which, after the shameful treatment
they had received at Philippi, required some c... [ Continue Reading ]
Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen
again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is
Christ.
OPENING AND ALLEGING, [ paratithemenos (G3908)] - 'putting before' or
'representing' to them this great truth, as the sum of all the
Scriptures quote... [ Continue Reading ]
And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of
the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.
AND SOME OF THEM BELIEVED, AND CONSORTED - [ prosekleerootheesan
(G4345 ) OR, 'CAST IN THEIR LOT'] WITH PAUL AND SILAS; AND OF THE
DEVOUT GREEKS - Gentile p... [ Continue Reading ]
But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them
certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and
set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and
sought to bring them out to the people.
BUT THE JEWS WHICH BELIEVED NOT, MOVED WITH ENVY (or '... [ Continue Reading ]
And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren
unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world
upside down are come hither also;
AND WHEN THEY FOUND THEM NOT - no doubt because they had been warned
to keep out of the way,
THEY DREW JASON AND CERTAIN BRE... [ Continue Reading ]
Whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of
Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus.
WHOM JASON HATH RECEIVED - or 'harboured.'
AND THESE ALL DO CONTRARY TO THE DECREES OF CESAR, SAYING - that is,
by saying, for no illegal act was charged against them. Al... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND THEY TROUBLED THE PEOPLE AND THE RULERS OF THE CITY, WHEN THEY
HEARD THESE THINGS._
No JFB commentary on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
And when they had taken security of Jason, and of the other, they let
them go.
AND WHEN THEY HAD TAKEN SECURITY (OR 'BAIL') OF JASON, AND OF THE
OTHER, [ toon (G3588) loipoon (G3062)] - rather, 'of the rest;' that
is, of such others as were charged with countenancing and encouraging
this disloya... [ Continue Reading ]
And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto
Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.
AND THE BRETHREN IMMEDIATELY SENT AWAY PAUL AND SILAS BY NIGHT - for
it would have been as useless as rash to attempt any further preaching
at that time, and the conv... [ Continue Reading ]
These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they
received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the
scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
THESE WERE MORE NOBLE THAN THOSE IN THESSALONICA. The comparison is
only between the Jews of the two places, for in Thessa... [ Continue Reading ]
Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were
Greeks, and of men, not a few.
THEREFORE MANY OF THEM BELIEVED - convinced that Jesus of Nazareth,
whom Paul preached, was indeed the great Promise and Burden of the Old
Testament Scriptures.
ALSO OF HONOURABLE WOMEN - women,... [ Continue Reading ]
But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God
was preached of Paul at Berea, they came thither also, and stirred up
the people.
BUT WHEN THE JEWS OF THESSALONICA HAD KNOWLEDGE THAT THE WORD OF GOD
WAS PREACHED OF PAUL AT BEREA, [ kai (G2532) en (G1722) tee (G3588)
Beroia ... [ Continue Reading ]
And then immediately the brethren sent away Paul to go as it were to
the sea: but Silas and Timotheus abode there still.
AND THEN IMMEDIATELY THE BRETHREN - the converts gathered at Berea.
SENT AWAY PAUL - as had been done before from Jerusalem (Acts 9:30),
and from Thessalonica (Acts 17:10). H... [ Continue Reading ]
And they that conducted Paul brought him unto Athens: and receiving a
commandment unto Silas and Timotheus for to come to him with all
speed, they departed.
AND THEY THAT CONDUCTED PAUL BROUGHT HIM UNTO ATHENS: AND RECEIVING A
COMMANDMENT UNTO SILAS AND TIMOTHEUS FOR TO COME TO HIM WITH ALL
SPEED... [ Continue Reading ]
Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in
him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry.
NOW WHILE PAUL WAITED FOR THEM AT ATHENS, HIS SPIRIT WAS STIRRED, [
parooxuneto (G3947 ), OR 'ROUSED'] IN HIM, WHEN HE SAW, [ theoorounti
(G2334), or rather - theoorountos (G23... [ Continue Reading ]
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.
THEREFORE DISPUTED (OR 'DISCUSSED') HE IN THE SYNAGOGUE WITH THE
JEWS, AND WITH THE DEVOUT PERSONS.
The second "with" here should be omitted; for the Jews and... [ Continue Reading ]
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.
THEN CERTAIN PHILOSOPHERS OF THE EPICUREANS - the f... [ Continue Reading ]
And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we
know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is?
AND THEY TOOK HIM, AND BROUGHT HIM UNTO AREOPAGUS - that is, 'Mars'
hill;' an eminence over against the Acropolis, on the west side of
that citadel rock. 'On this hill (as How... [ Continue Reading ]
For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know
therefore what these things mean.
FOR THOU BRINGEST CERTAIN STRANGE THINGS, [ xenizonta (G3579) tina
(G5100)] - 'certain foreign-sounding things' "to our ears: we would
know therefore what these things mean.... [ Continue Reading ]
(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.)
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, [
kainoteron (G2537)] - li... [ Continue Reading ]
Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of
Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.
THEN PAUL STOOD IN THE MIDST OF MARS' HILL, AND SAID - `taking his
stand in the midst of Mars' hill (or 'Areopagus'), said.' This
prefatory allusion to the position he... [ Continue Reading ]
For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with
this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly
worship, him declare I unto you. FOR AS I PASSED BY, AND BEHELD YOUR
DEVOTIONS, [ ta (G3588) sebasmata (G4574) humoon (G5216)] - rather,
'the objects of your devot... [ Continue Reading ]
God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is
Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;
GOD THAT MADE THE WORLD AND ALL THINGS THEREIN. The most profound
philosophers of Greece were unable to conceive any fundamental
distinction between God and the un... [ Continue Reading ]
Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any
thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;
NEITHER IS WORSHIPPED WITH MEN'S HANDS - or 'ministered to by human
hands' [ therapeuetai (G2323) hupo (G5259) cheiroon (G5495)
anthroopinoon (G442) (which is better t... [ Continue Reading ]
And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the
face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and
the bounds of their habitation;
AND HATH MADE OF ONE BLOOD ALL NATIONS, [ pan (G3956 ) ethnos (G1484
), 'EVERY NATION'] OF MEN FOR TO DWELL ON ALL THE FACE... [ Continue Reading ]
That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him,
and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:
THAT THEY SHOULD SEEK THE LORD - ('seek God' is the much better
supported reading.) That is the high end of all these arrangements of
divine power, wisdom, and love.
IF... [ Continue Reading ]
For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of
your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.
FOR IN HIM WE LIVE, AND MOVE, AND HAVE OUR BEING, [ kai (G2532) esmen
(G2070)] - more simply, 'live, and move, and exist.' This means, not
merely (as Meyer explains it), '... [ Continue Reading ]
Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think
that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art
and man's device.
FORASMUCH THEN AS WE AND THE OFFSPRING OF GOD, WE OUGHT NOT TO THINK
(THE COURTESY OF THIS LANGUAGE IS WORTHY OF NOTICE) THAT THE GODHEAD
I... [ Continue Reading ]
And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all
men every where to repent:
AND THE TIMES OF THIS IGNORANCE GOD WINKED AT, [ huperidoon (G5237)]
- literally, and better, 'overlooked;' that is, bore with, without
interposing to punish it otherwise than by suffering the debasi... [ Continue Reading ]
Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world
in righteousness by that man whom Because he hath appointed a day, in
the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he
hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that
he hath raised him... [ Continue Reading ]
And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and
others said, We will hear thee again of this matter.
AND WHEN THEY HEARD OF THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD, SOME MOCKED. As
the Greek religion was but the glorification of the present life, by
the worship of all its most beauteo... [ Continue Reading ]
So Paul departed from among them.
SO PAUL DEPARTED FROM AMONG THEM. Whether he would have opened, to
any extent, the Gospel scheme in this address, if he had not been
interrupted, or whether he reserved this for exposition afterward to
earnest inquirers, we cannot tell: only the speech is not to... [ Continue Reading ]
Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed: among the which was
Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with
them.
HOWBEIT CERTAIN MEN CLAVE (OR 'ATTACHED THEMSELVES') UNTO HIM, AND
BELIEVED. Instead of mocking or politely waiving the subject, having
listened eagerl... [ Continue Reading ]