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 ]