Acts 17:20

Acts 17:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean.
• New International Version (NIV)You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)For you bring some strange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean."
• New King James Version (NKJV)For you are bringing some strange things to our ears. Therefore we want to know what these things mean.”

Context of Acts 17:20

18There were some teachers there who liked to talk about the things that people should believe. Some of them were called Epicureans and some were called Stoics. After they talked to Paul, some of them said to each other, ‘Who is this silly man? He knows nothing and he talks too much!’ But some of these teachers said, ‘We think that he is talking about strange gods.’ They said this because Paul was telling people the good news about Jesus. He was also talking about the time when God will cause dead people to live again. 19So these men asked Paul to go with them to Areopagus hill. They wanted him to speak to the city's important officers who met there. The officers said, ‘These strange ideas that you are teaching surprise us. Please explain to us what these ideas mean.’ 21(The people of Athens liked to talk about new ideas. So did the foreign people who lived there. They all wanted to hear new things and to talk about them. They seemed to do this all the time.) 22So Paul stood up in front of the important officers of the city. He said to them, ‘People of Athens. I see that you have many gods.

Acts 17:20 word by word

ξενίζοντα γάρ τινα εἰσφέρεις εἰς τὰς ἀκοὰς ἡμῶν· βουλόμεθα οὖν γνῶναι τίνα θέλει ταῦτα εἶναι.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Forγάρgar · forG1063
• thou bringestεἰσφέρωeispherō · to bring inG1533
• certainτιςtis · oneG5100
• strangeξενίζωxenizō · to hostG3579
• toεἰςeis · towardG1519
• ourἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• earsὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• earsἀκοήakoē · hearingG189
• we wouldβούλομαιboulomai · to planG1014
• knowγινώσκωginōskō · to knowG1097
• thereforeοὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
• whatτίςtis · which?G5101
• these thingsοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• meanθέλωthelō ethelō · to will/desireG2309
• ·ἄνan · ifG302
• ·εἰμίeimi · to beG1510

Cross-references for Acts 17:20

• Hosea 8:12I carefully explained my laws to my people. But they do not accept my laws as their own.
• Matthew 19:23Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘What I say is true. It is very difficult for rich people to let God rule in their lives.
• Mark 10:24They were very surprised about Jesus' words. Jesus spoke again to them: ‘My friends, it is very difficult for anyone to let God rule in their life.
• John 6:60Many of Jesus' disciples did not like these words. They said, ‘This thing that he teaches is too difficult. Nobody can agree with it!’
• John 7:35The Jewish leaders asked each other, ‘What is he trying to tell us? Where can he go so that we cannot find him? Perhaps he will go to our people who have gone away to live among the Greek people. Perhaps he will go to teach the Greek people.
• 1 Corinthians 1:18Some people think that the message about Christ's death on the cross is silly. Those people are destroying themselves. But it is different for us, the people that God is saving. The message about the cross shows us God's power to save us.
• 1 Corinthians 2:14If someone does not believe in God, they cannot accept the message that comes from God's Spirit. They think that God's message is silly. They cannot even understand those things. Only God's Spirit can explain them to people.
• Hebrews 5:11We have a lot more to say to you about these things. But you are slow to understand things. As a result, it is difficult to explain any more to you now.
• 1 Peter 4:4But now you no longer live in the same wicked way as those people do. They continue to enjoy those wrong things all the time. But you do not join with them. So they insult you.
• Acts 2:12All the people were very surprised. They did not understand what was happening. ‘What does all this mean?’ they asked each other.
• Acts 10:17Just then, Cornelius's men arrived there in Joppa. They found Simon's house. When they stopped at the gate of the house, Peter was still thinking about his dream and what it meant.
• Mark 9:10The three disciples kept these words secret. But they talked together about the words, ‘become alive again after his death’. They asked each other, ‘What does this mean?’

Commentaries on Acts 17:20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20Thou bringest - strange things to our ears - The doctrine of the apostles was different from any they had ever heard: it was wholly spiritual and divine; thus it was strange: it was contrary to their customs and manners; and thus it was strange also. As it spoke much of the exaltation and glory of Jesus Christ, they supposed him to be a setter forth of strange gods: and, therefore, on the authority of the laws, which forbade the introduction of any new…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20Certain strange things - Literally, something pertaining to a foreign country or people. Here it means something unusual or remarkable - something different from what they had been accustomed to hear from their philosophers. What these things mean - We would understand more clearly what is affirmed respecting Jesus and the resurrection.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 16-21Verses 16-21 Athens was then famed for polite learning, philosophy, and the fine arts; but none are more childish and superstitious, more impious, or more credulous, than some persons, deemed eminent for learning and ability. It was wholly given to idolatry. The zealous advocate for the cause of Christ will be ready to plead for it in all companies, as occasion offers. Most of these learned men took no notice of Paul; but some, whose principles were the…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16-34In this chapter, we see Paul presented as a model witness for Christ, engaging the thinkers of his day and challenging them with the Christian message. Paul quoted writers his audience would be familiar with and showed the relevance of the gospel by dialoguing with them, critiquing their assumptions, and offering Jesus as a constructive alternative (see Colossians 1:28). Paul reminded these proud intellectuals that there is a living God to whom all human…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 18-2118-21. certain ... of the Epicureans--a well-known school of atheistic materialists, who taught that pleasure was the chief end of human existence; a principle which the more rational interpreted in a refined sense, while the sensual explained it in its coarser meaning. and of the Stoics--a celebrated school of severe and lofty pantheists, whose principle was that the universe was under the law of an iron necessity, the spirit of which was what is called…Read the comment

Topics related to Acts 17:20

• Athens
• Curiosity
• Paul

In the dictionaries

• Appoint
• Assurance
• Blood
• Determine
• Ignorantly
• James
• Manner
• Mind
• Move
• Noble

Commentaries on Acts 17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings