world . Greek. kosmos. App-129 . therein = in (Greek. en) it. seeing that He is = This One being essentially (Greek. huparcho. See note on Luke 9:48 ). heaven . No art. See note on Matthew 6:9 , Matthew 6:10 . earth . Greek. ge. App-129 .4. dwelleth . See note on Acts 2:5 . temples = shrines. Greek. naos. See note on Matthew 23:16 . made with hands . See note on Acts 7:48 . This is a direct quotation from Stephen's speech. read more
And Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, Ye men of Athens, in all things I perceive that ye are very religious.PAUL'S SPEECH ON MARS' HILL (THE AREOPAGUS)Very religious ... is an alternate meaning of "very superstitious," as in the KJV; and, as Paul's purpose at the outset was one of rapport with his hearers, the English Revised Version (1885) rendition is far preferable. read more
For as I passed along, and observed the objects of your worship, I found an altar with the inscription TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. What therefore ye worship in ignorance, this I set forth unto you.Polytheism is here manifested in one of its most pitiful characteristics. Some poor worshiper, having placated all the gods that he knew, still felt no certainty or confidence, but went out and erected an altar to the god who was unknown. The proliferation of idols in Athens, coupled with the amazing example... read more
The God that made the world and all things therein, he being Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands.In this Paul proclaimed the unity and creative power of the one eternal and true God, hailing him as the Creator of all things and the Lord of heaven and earth alike. There was absolutely nothing of this concept in the Greek philosophies.Dwelleth not in temples made with hands ... Paul who had learned from Stephen's dying words that God's true temple was not a physical... read more
Acts 17:22. Ye are too superstitious.— Dr. Doddridge renders the original, Ye are exceedingly addicted to the worship of invisible powers; which, he observes, is very agreeable to the etymology of the word Δεισιδαιμονεστεροι, and has, what a version of scripture in such a case should always have, if possible, the ambiguity of the original; which learned writers have proved to be capable of a good as well as a bad sense: (Comp. ch. Acts 25:19.) whereas neither superstitious nor religious has... read more
Acts 17:23. And beheld your devotions,— Σεβασματα ;—the objects, and instruments of your worship. This is the proper signification of the original, which has no English word exactly corresponding to it. (Comp. 2 Thessalonians 2:4.) Diogenes Laertius, in his life of Epimenides, gives us the following account of the inscription. He tells us, "that in the time of that philosopher, about 600 years before Christ, there was a terrible pestilence at Athens; and when none of the deities to whom they... read more
22. Then Paul stood . . . and said—more graphically, "standing in the midst of Mars' hill, said." This prefatory allusion to the position he occupied shows the writer's wish to bring the situation vividly before us [BAUMGARTEN]. I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious—rather (with most modern interpreters and the ancient Greek ones), "in all respects extremely reverential" or "much given to religious worship," a conciliatory and commendatory introduction, founded on his own... read more
23. as I passed by and beheld your devotions—rather, "the objects of your devotion," referring, as is plain from the next words, to their works of art consecrated to religion. I found an altar . . . To the—or, "an" unknown god—erected, probably, to commemorate some divine interposition, which they were unable to ascribe to any known deity. That there were such altars, Greek writers attest; and on this the apostle skilfully fastens at the outset, as the text of his discourse, taking it as... read more
24, 25. God that made the world and all . . . therein—The most profound philosophers of Greece were unable to conceive any real distinction between God and the universe. Thick darkness, therefore, behooved to rest on all their religious conceptions. To dissipate this, the apostle sets out with a sharp statement of the fact of creation as the central principle of all true religion—not less needed now, against the transcendental idealism of our day. seeing he is Lord—or Sovereign. of heaven and... read more
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E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Acts 17:23
beheld . Greek. anatheoreo. App-133 . devotions = the objects of your worship. Greek. sebasma. Only here and 2 Thessalonians 2:4 . Compare sebomai. App-137 . altar . Greek. bomos. Only here. Add "also". with this, &c . = on (Greek. en) which had been inscribed. Greek. epigrapho. Only here, Mark 15:26 . Hebrews 8:10 ; Hebrews 10:16 , Revelation 21:12 . UNKNOWN . Greek. agnostos. Only here. For type see App-48 . Public or private calamities would suggest that some god whom they... read more