Acts 19:17-41

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 19:22

So he sent into Macedonia ,.... To Philippi, or Thessalonica, or Berea, or some of the places there, to let them know of his coming, and to prepare for him: two of them that ministered unto him ; that were his assistants in preaching the Gospel: Timotheus and Erastus ; the former of these was a disciple he found at Lystra, and took along with him, and to whom he afterwards wrote two epistles; and the latter seems to be the same with him, who was chamberlain of the city of Corinth,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 19:23

And the same time there arose no small stir about that way. The Syriac version reads, "the way of God"; and the Vulgate Latin version, "the way of the Lord": that is, the Christian religion, and the doctrines and ordinances of the Gospel, which the saints were directed to walk in; and the Ethiopic version renders it, "about this doctrine"; which mightily grew and prevailed, and which such numbers embraced; and how great the stir was about it, and from whence it arose, who began it, and what... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 19:24

For a certain man, named Demetrius, a silversmith ,.... Who worked in silver, not in coining silver money, but in making silver vessels, in melting silver, and casting it into moulds, and forming it into different shapes; and particularly, which made silver shrines for Diana ; who Diana was; see Gill on Acts 19:27 , these were not coins or medals of silver, struck by Demetrius, with the figure of the temple of Diana on them, nor images of Diana, as the Ethiopic version reads; but they... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 19:25

Whom he called together ,.... That is, the craftsmen; "all his co-artificers", as the Syriac version reads, all the chief of the trade, the masters of it, as he himself was: with the workmen of like occupation ; who were employed by him, and the rest of the masters in the several branches of the business; as founders, engravers, polishers, &c.; some might make the images, and others the temples, or shrines; some do one part and some another, so that abundance of persons might be... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 19:26

Moreover, ye see and hear ,.... Demetrius appeals to their senses of seeing and hearing; they saw what was done in their own city, and they had heard how things were elsewhere; they might believe what they saw with their eyes, and they had reason to depend upon the report which was brought to their ears: that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people ; by "all Asia" is meant Ionia, that part of Asia, of which Ephesus was... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 19:27

So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nought ,.... Or "to come into reproof", as the words may be literally rendered, and as they are in the Vulgate Latin version; that is, if this notion prevails, that they are not gods, which are made with hands, this art and business of making shrines and images for Diana will be brought into contempt, and come to nothing; who will buy them, when once they believe there is no divinity in them? they will despise them, and the makers of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 19:28

And when they heard these sayings ,.... Both the masters and the workmen; they were full of wrath ; against Paul and his doctrine: and cried out, saying, great is Diana of the Ephesians ; this goddess is frequently called in Heathen writers, Diana of the Ephesians, or the Ephesian Diana, because of her famous temple at Ephesus; and to distinguish her from all other Dianas: Pausanias makes mention of sixty Dianas at least, and yet seems not to have taken notice of them all; all of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 19:29

And the whole city was filled with confusion ,.... For the workmen that made the silver shrines very likely ran up and down in the city, crying out, great is Diana of the Ephesians, which brought the people out of their houses to inquire what was the matter; and the mob gathering and increasing, as they went along, threw the whole city into confusion and disorder: and having caught Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia ; the latter of these was of Thessalonica in Macedonia, as appears... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 19:30

And when Paul would have entered in unto the people ,.... In the theatre, in order to have preached to the people, and to have removed their prejudices against him, and the Gospel preached by him, and to have shown them the error and evil of their idolatrous ways and worship, and to have reconciled them to him, and his friends, and to have persuaded them to do them no hurt; which shows the apostle's greatness of soul, his firmness, constancy, and intrepidity, and his great concern and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 19:31

And certain of the chief of Asia ,.... Or the Asiarchs; these were not princes of Asia, rulers or governors of provinces, or cities, or civil magistrates; but priests who presided over the games and diversions at the theatre, and had the management and command of things there. Such an one was Philip the Asiarch, the church of Smyrna makes mention of in their account of the sufferings and martyrdom of Polycarp F26 Apud Euseb. Eccl, Hist. l. 4. c. 15. , whom the people entreated that he... read more

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