Acts 17
HAMMActs 17:4
And some of the Jews received the faith, and associated with Paul and Silas, and many also of the Grecians, which were proselytes, and many women of better quality.
ᵉ of those which call the people together on occasion, (see note [b] Mark vii.,) and raising the city, they set upon Jason’s house, searching for Paul and Silas, meaning to bring them out to the people as enemies of the public peace.
ᵈ believers, Christians, unto the officers of the city, (see note [f] ch. xix.,) crying—
ᵉ and their doctrine is quite contrary to Cæsar’s authority over us, saying—
ᶠ the people and magistrates were troubled, (see note [b] Luke xvi.,) when they heard these things.
² worshipping Grecians: see ch. xlii. 50. ³ being enraged, ζηλώσαντες. ⁴ wicked men of the officers of their courts, and making a tumult, τῶν ἀγορῶν τινὰς ἄνδρας κονηροῦς, καὶ ἀχλοκοιήσαντες. ⁵ troubled the world.
Acts 17:6
[a] turned the world upside down] What ἀναστατώσαντες signifies will best be discerned by the use of the word Gal. v. 12; there we render it troubling, and so it appears to signify by comparing it with ver. 10, ὁ δὲ ταράσσων, but he that troubleth you shall bear his own judgment, as before he said, ch. i. 7, εἰ μὴ τινὲς εἰσιν οἱ ταράσσοντες, but that there are some that trouble you. So Acts xv. 24, the same is expressed, τινὲς ἐτάραξαν ὑμᾶς λόγοις, some troubled you with words. And thus we may resolve by the use of other authors. Ἀναστατεῖν, saith Eustathius, is ἀναστάτους ποιεῖν, and that ἀβασιλεύτους ποιεῖν, “to put in disorder or confusion,” such as in state of anarchy: and “in the same place he interprets ἀναστήσειεν by ταράξας ἐξεγερεῖ, “to stir up by troubling or disturbing.” Contrary to this is κατάστασις, a quiet tranquillity, and so is used by the stoics and Epicureans for ἀταραξία, un-troubledness. Thus Cicero renders καταστάσεις sometimes constantias, sometimes sedationes, as the contrary perturbationes. And then ἀναστατεῖν contrary to κατάστασις, must be to disturb, disquiet, stir up. And so it will most properly be here rendered also, in the same sense that ἀκαταστασία is used, James iii. 16, for disturbance, confusion, &c.
Acts 17:12
Many therefore of those Jews received the faith; and so likewise of the Gentiles many of the better sort, both women and men.
Acts 17:13
And when those Jews of Thessalonica, which opposed Paul there, had knowledge—
Acts 17:14
And suddenly the Christians, to delude the persecutors, sent Paul toward the sea side, as if he meant to take ship, whereas he meant to go a-foot to Athens: but Silas—
Acts 17:16
[b] wholly given to idolatry] Κατείδωλος πάλις is a city full of images or idols or altars erected to the gods, and much given to the worship of them. That Athens was such, appears by Pausanias, the number of the simulacra or εἴδωλα there being more than in all Greece besides: so saith Philostratus in Apollonius’s travel thither, φιλοθύτας τοὺς Ἀθηναίους εἶδεν, de Vit. Apollon. l. 4. c. 6, “he saw the Athenians were lovers of devotion, of sacrificing,” &c. And therefore in his discourse with Timasionᵉ, he tells him, σωφρονίστερον περὶ πάντων θεῶν λέγειν εὖ, καὶ ταῦτα Ἀθήνησιν, “it was the soberest way to speak well of all gods, especially at Athens, where there were altars of unknown gods.” See Suidas in Τιμασίων. So saith Pausaniasᶠ, that they did εὐσεβεῖν θεοὺς ἄλλων πλέον, “express more piety to the gods than any;” and presently adds, as an evidence of their piety, that they had “altars, αἰδοῦς, φήμης, καὶ ὁρμῆς, of bashfulness, of fame, and of desire;” and again, Ἀθηναίοις, περισσότερον τι ἢ τοῖς ἄλλοις εἰς τὰ θεῖα ἐστι σπουδῆς, “they exceed all in their diligence about the gods.” So Strabo, Ἀθηνοῖοι δὲ ὥσπερ περὶ τὰ ἄλλα φιλοξενοῦντες διατελοῦσιν, οὕτω καὶ περὶ τοὺς θεοὺς, πολλὰ γὰρ τῶν ξενικῶν ἱερῶν παρεδέξαντο, ὥσπερ καὶ ἐκωμωδήθησαν, “their hospitality to strangers extends to the gods too, being very ready to receive in any strange worships.” So Himerius, in his Declamation against Epicurus, when, saith he, I named Athens, τὸ μέγιστον εἶπον τῆς εὐσεβείας κεφάλαιον, “I named the greatest sum of piety.” So Theophylact, setting down the full inscription of the altar, ver. 23, θεοῖς Ἀσίας, καὶ Εὐρώπης, καὶ Λιβύης, θεῷ ἀγνώστῳ καὶ ξένῳ, supposes them to have received all the strange gods of the world, of Asia, Europe, Afric, and moreover one strange one which they knew not who or whence he was. Whereas Dionysius Halic., speaking of the Romans,
ᵉ In Iliad. 1. p. 60. ll. 27. 29. ᵈ l. 25. ᵉ l. 6. c. 7. ᶠ p. 15.
Acts 17:17
And thereupon he did not only preach in the synagogue of the Jews to the Jews and proselytes, but in other places of concourse he took occasion to make known the Christian doctrine to all the heathens that he met with there.
Acts 17:18
And some of the learned men of Athens of the two contrary sects, one that denied all providence, the other that denied all freedom of will, encountered him—
h to the place of judicature at Athens, and examined him what new religion it was that he taught.
[c] babbler] The notion of the word σπερμολόγος (all one with σπερμονόμος) is clear by the concurrence of the grammarians in their explication of the Attic word, as it is proverbially used among them, and by the Greek fathers upon this place, both generally agreeing that the word primarily signifies εἶδος ὀρνέου, “a sort of bird,” that was wont to be about the streets, λωβώμενον τὰ σπέρματα, “picking up the seeds.” So Œcumenius and Phavorinus: from whence, say they, the Attic writers applied the word proverbially to those that do περὶ ἐμπόρια καὶ ἀγορὰς διατρίβειν, “spend their time in the streets, at fairs and markets,” that is, very idly; and from hence, say they, it comes to signify τοὺς εὐτελεῖς καὶ οὐδενὸς λόγου ἀξίους, “mean, vile persons, that are worth nothing.” And so Eustathius on Homer Ὀδυσσ. ε’, and Suidas also.
[d] Jesus, and the resurrection] That Jesus and ἀνάστασις, the resurrection, were by them taken to be (both of them) δαιμόνια ξένα, new or strange gods, is not only affirmed by some of the fathers, but very reasonable to believe, when we remember out of Pausanias, that αἰδώς, and φήμη, and ὁρμή, “modesty, and fame, and vehement desire,” were gods, and had altars erected to them by these Athenians. See note [a].
Acts 17:19
[e] Areopagus] Their Areopagus was their senate or standing court of judicature in Athens, by whose laws and orders any new gods were received among them; and therefore as soon as they conceived that Paul was καταγγελεὺς ξενῶν δαιμονίων, a promulger of new strange deities, they bring him to the Areopagus, to have him examined what gods they were that he thus preached. Two judicatures they had in Athens; one every year changed, made up of five hundred chosen men, of whom the republic consisted; the other perpetual, which judged of murders and the like capital offences, and this was in Areopago: of which, and the customs thereof, see Buddæus on the Pandects. This Juvenal calls curiam Martis, and ℣Pausanias tells us that it was so called, because when Mars had killed Neptune’s son Alirrothios, he was the first that was there judged. Ἄρειος πάγος καλούμενος, ὅτι πρῶτος Ἄρης ἐνταῦθα ἐκρίθη. But this, saith ℣St. Austin, Varro would not yield to, but produces another original of it, de obscurarum notitia literarum, “out of the knowledge of dark learning.” The word πάγος in the
℣ Attic. p. 26. l. 44. and p. 19. l. 19. ℣ De Clr. l. 18. c. 18.
Acts 17:20
For all that yet we hear is very new and strange: we desire to have a full account of all.
Paul being brought before the judges in Areopagus, said, Ye Athenians have a greater number of gods, which ye worship, than any other cities have.
k This God therefore whom you acknowledge not to know, and yet profess to worship, is he that I preach, the invisible God of heaven and earth, ruler, because creator, of all, which cannot be contained in any shrine of man’s framing.
Acts 17:22
[ʃ] too superstitious] What is the notion of δεισιδαιμονία, superstition, doth here deserve to be considered. And by what hath been said of κατείδωλος (note [a]), it will soon appear that in this place δεισιδαιμονίστεροι, more superstitious than ordinary, signifying the worship of more gods than other cities worshipped, the positive δεισιδαιμων, and the substantive δεισιδαιμονία must denote no more than the worship of God; and accordingly it follows, ver. 23, ὃν οὖν εὐσεβείτε, whom ye wor-
Acts 17:23
[g] To the unknown God] Concerning this altar at Athens inscribed To the unknown God, there is a famous story in Laertius in Epimenid., that in time of pestilence at Athens, Epimenides being accounted by them θεοφιλέστατος, one “most beloved of God,” was consulted by them, who appointed this lustration for the city. Taking many sheep, black and white, he brought them into Areopagus, and permitted them to go whither they would, appointing some to follow each, and wherever they lay down there to kill and sacrifice them προσήκοντι θεῷ, “to a fit god,” or to a god to whom sacrifices were due, and so the plague ceased, ὅθεν ἔτι καὶ νῦν ἐστιν εὑρεῖν κατὰ τοὺς δήμους τῶν Ἀθηναίων βωμοὺς ἀνωνύμους, “whence,” saith he, “is it that among the Athenians in public places there are altars that have no names on them.” So Hesychius, Θεοὶ ξενικοὶ παρὰ Ἀθηναίοις τιμῶνται, οὓς καταλέγει Ἀπολλοφάνης ἐν Κρησίν, “Strange gods are worshipped among the Athenians, which Apollophanes reckons up in his Cretians.” So in Philostratus, l. 6. c. 7, of Apollonius mentioning Athens, οὗ καὶ ἀγνώστων δαιμόνων βωμοὶ ἴδρυνται, saith he, “where are built altars of unknown demons, or spirits, or gods.” And so Lucian in his Philopater, Νὴ τὸν ἄγνωστον ἐν Ἀθήναις, “By the unknown God at Athens.” And, Ἡμεῖς δὲ τὸν ἐν Ἀθήναις ἄγνωστον ἐφεύραντες καὶ προσκυνήσαντες, χεῖρις εἰς οὐρανὸν ἐκτείναντες τούτῳ εὐχαριστήσομεν, “We having found and worshipped the unknown God at Athens, will stretch out our hands to heaven, and give thanks to him.” And so saith Pausanias, that there were at Athens “altars of unknown gods.” And the same author mentions among the Lydians or Persians some sacrifices, that by invocation of an unknown God, and a form which he calls barbarous, because not understood by the Grecians, (the God of Abraham, &c.) brought fire down, and burnt the wood upon the altar, Eliac. l. 1, which is a description of the πυραυθεία mentioned by Strabo, l. 15, which may well be thought an imitation of that fact of Elias in Ahab’s time, who, by invoking the name of God, brought down fire upon the altar. Of St. Paul’s making use of this inscription at Athens against the heathens, see Photii Epist. ξβ. p. 114.
Acts 17:25
Nor can any image made by man be a proper instrument to worship or propitiate him, he being so far from wanting any help of ours, that he gives to all their very life, and all that they have.
Acts 17:26
And from one Adam first, and then from one Noah, hath framed a whole world of men, fixing times and places in great order and wisdom of disposal.
Acts 17:27
And the end of all that is, that they might look after him that created them, and worship him. And though they were left through their sins, as in the dark, in gross ignorance, yet was God so palpably to be discerned, that by feeling or groping, as blind men in that dark, they might, if they would but seek, find him, who is indeed very near every one of us, even as the soul that animates every one:
Acts 17:28
For our life, motion, and subsistence, is wholly through him, according to that which Aratus an heathen poet said, For we are—
[h] in him we live] This seems to have reference to an old iambic, Ζῶμεν δ’ ἐν αὐτῷ καὶ κινούμεθα, Καὶ ἐσμίν.
Acts 17:29
God therefore being our creator can in no reason be supposed by us his workmanship to be the work of our hands, such as a piece of gold, or silver, or stone, with a signature upon it.
Acts 17:30
And it is certainly long enough that men have gone on in such prodigious conceits as this: be it therefore now known unto you, that there is place of repentance, if you will make haste to accept it; for God, not looking or fastening his eyes upon the continued idolatry of the heathens for many years, (which might provoke him to desert them for ever,) now sends us to you, their progeny, to call you to repentance, enters a new covenant with you, as well as others, a covenant of free pardon upon reformation.
Acts 17:31
Having now determined the way by which the whole world shall be judged, viz., by their receiving
¹⁷ needing, προσεύμενος. ἀγλαφθένιον αὐτόν. ¹⁸ himself giving, αὐτὸς διδούς. ¹⁹ grope him out, ²⁰ taking no notice of, doth now command, ὑπερὶν, ταῦν παρὰν.
Acts 17:39
And they came and brought them out of the jailor’s house, which was now their prison, ver. 34, and gave them very fair words, and attended on them out of the prison.
Acts 17:40
And from the prison they went to the house of Lydia; and having spent some time in confirming the Christians (see note [b] John xiv.), they went out of Philippi.