Acts 17:16-21 NIV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Acts 17:16-21

A scholar that has acquaintance, and is in love, with the learning of the ancients, would think he should be very happy if he were where Paul now was, at Athens, in the midst of the various sects of philosophers, and would have a great many curious questions to ask them, for the explication of the remains we have of the Athenian learning; but Paul, though bred a scholar, and an ingenious active man, does not make this any of his business at Athens. He has other work to mind: it is not the... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Acts 17:16-21

17:16-21 When Paul was waiting for them in Athens, his spirit was deeply vexed as he saw the whole city full of idols. He debated with the Jews and the worshippers in the synagogue and every day he talked in the city square with everyone he met. Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers took issue with him. Some of them said, "What would this gutter-sparrow of a man be saying?" Others said, "He seems to be the herald of strange divinities." This they said because he told the good news of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 17:16

Now while Paul waited for them at Athens ..... That is, for Silas and Timotheus: his spirit was stirred in him ; not only his soul was troubled and his heart was grieved, but he was exasperated and provoked to the last degree: he was in a paroxysm; his heart was hot within him; he had a burning fire in his bones, and was weary with forbearing, and could not stay; his zeal wanted vent, and he gave it: when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry ; or "full of idols", as the Syriac... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 17:17

Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews ,.... There being a synagogue of the Jews here, and there being many Jews settled in this place, hence we read in Jewish writings F3 Echa Rabbati, fol. 43. 3,4. & 44. 1. of men going from Jerusalem to Athens, and from Athens to Jerusalem; and hence it may be accounted for, how many of the Athenian philosophers came to be acquainted with the books and sentiments of the Jews, from whom they borrowed may things; since there were so... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 17:18

Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans ,.... These were so called from Epicurus, the son of Neocles, who was born 342 years before Christ, and taught philosophy at Athens, in his garden; the principal tenets of which were, that the world was not made by any deity, or with any design, but came into its being and form, through a fortuitous concourse of atoms, of various sizes and magnitude, which met, and jumbled, and cemented together, and so formed the world; and that the world is not... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 17:19

And they took him ,.... Not that they laid hands on him, and carried him away by violence, as a derider of their gods, and an introducer of new ones, in order to punish him; but they invited him to go with them, and they took him along with them in a friendly manner, and had him to a more convenient place for preaching and disputation, and where were many learned men to hear and judge of his doctrine; and this appears from their desire to hear what his doctrine was, and from his quiet... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 17:20

For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears ,.... Strange doctrines and strange deities, such as they had never heard of before: we would know therefore what these things mean ; they desire he would explain these things to them, and let them know the rise, and ground, and nature, and end, and design of them. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 17:21

For all the Athenians ,.... The natives of Athens, who were born and lived there, and were inhabitants of the city, and free of it: and strangers which were there ; who came there from several parts of the world, to get wisdom and knowledge, to learn the several arts and sciences, and to attend the several sects of philosophers they made choice of: spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing ; that is, they did so for the most part; and this was the... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 17:16

He saw the city wholly given to idolatry - Κατειδωλον , Full of idols, as the margin has it, and very properly. Whoever examines the remains of this city, as represented by Mr. Stuart in his Antiquities, already referred to, will be satisfied of the truth of St. Luke's remark: it was full of idols. Bishop Pearce produces a most apposite quotation from Pausanias, which confirms the observation: Ουκ ην αλλαχου τοσαυτα ιδειν ειδωλα . There was no place where so many idols were to be seen.... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 17:17

Disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews - Proving that Jesus was the Messiah: and with the devout persons, probably heathens, proselyted to the Jewish religion. And in the market: I suppose the αγορα here means some such place as our exchange, where people of business usually met, and where the philosophers conversed and reasoned. The agora was probably like the Roman forum, and like places of public resort in all countries, where people of leisure assembled to converse, hear the news,... read more

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Acts 17:16-21

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Acts 17:16-21

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 17:16

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 17:17

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 17:18

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 17:19

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 17:20

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 17:21

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 17:16

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 17:17

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