Acts 18:14

Acts 18:14 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And when Paul was now about to open his mouth, Gallio said unto the Jews, If it were a matter of wrong or wicked lewdness, O ye Jews, reason would that I should bear with you:
• New International Version (NIV)Just as Paul was about to speak, Gallio said to them, “If you Jews were making a complaint about some misdemeanor or serious crime, it would be reasonable for me to listen to you.
• English Standard Version (ESV)But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, "If it were a matter of wrongdoing or vicious crime, O Jews, I would have reason to accept your complaint.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of wrongdoing or wicked crimes, O Jews, there would be reason why I should bear with you.

Context of Acts 18:14

12Gallio then became the Roman ruler of the region called Achaia. At this time the Jewish leaders in Corinth decided together to speak against Paul. So they took hold of him and they brought him to Gallio. They wanted Gallio to judge Paul. 13The Jewish leaders said to Gallio, ‘This man is teaching people to worship God in a wrong way. The things that he teaches are against our Jewish law.’ Paul was ready to speak, but Gallio spoke first to the Jews. He said, ‘If this man had done a very bad thing, then I would judge him. It would be right for me to listen to you. 15But you are arguing about words and names and your own Jewish law. So you yourselves must decide what to do about it. I will not be a judge to decide about these things.’ 16Then Gallio told his soldiers to take the Jewish leaders away.

Acts 18:14 word by word

Μέλλοντος δὲ τοῦ Παύλου ἀνοίγειν τὸ στόμα εἶπεν ὁ Γαλλίων πρὸς τοὺς Ἰουδαίους· εἰ μὲν ἦν ἀδίκημά τι ἢ ῥᾳδιούργημα πονηρόν, ὦ Ἰουδαῖοι, κατὰ λόγον ἂν ἀνεσχόμην ὑμῶν·Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andδέde · thenG1161
• when Paulὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• when PaulΠαῦλοςPaulos · PaulG3972
• was now aboutμέλλωmellō · to ensueG3195
• to openἀνοίγωanoigō · to openG455
• mouthστόμαstoma · mouthG4750
• GallioΓαλλίωνGalliōn · GallioG1058
• saidλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• untoπρόςpros · to/withG4314
• the JewsἸουδαῖοςIoudaios · JewG2453
• Ifεἰei · ifG1487
• ·μένmen · on the other handG3303
• ·οὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
• it wereεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• a matterτιςtis · oneG5100
• of wrongἀδίκημαadikēma · crimeG92
• orἤē · orG2228
• wickedπονηρόςponēros · evil/badG4190
• lewdnessῥᾳδιούργημαrhadiourgēma · crimeG4467
• Oὦō · oh!G5599
• reasonλόγοςlogos · wordG3056
• would thatκατάkata · according toG2596
• ·ἄνan · ifG302
• I should bearἀνέχωanechomai · to endureG430
• with youσύsu · youG4771

Cross-references for Acts 18:14

• Acts 21:39Paul answered, ‘I am a Jew and I was born in Tarsus in the region called Cilicia. So you see, I am a man from an important city. Please, let me speak to this crowd.’
• Acts 22:1Paul said to the crowd, ‘Please, listen to me, you Jewish leaders and all you other people who are Jews like me. I want to explain to you what has happened here.’
• Acts 26:1King Agrippa said to Paul, ‘You may now say what you think about this problem.’ Paul raised his hand so that people would listen to him.
• Luke 21:12But before all those things happen, people will take hold of you. They will do bad things to you and give you pain. They will take you to the leaders in their meeting places and they will keep you in prisons. They will make you stand in front of kings and rulers. All this will happen because you are my disciples.
• 1 Peter 3:14But somebody might give you trouble, even when you do what is right. If that happens, God will bless you. So do not be afraid of what people may do to you. Do not worry about it.
• Acts 23:27I am sending this man to you. The Jews took hold of him and they wanted to kill him. I found out that he is a citizen of Rome. Because of that, I took my soldiers and I saved him from them.
• Acts 25:11Have I done something bad that you should kill me for it? If that is true, then I will agree to it. It is right that I should die. But these Jews are not speaking true words against me. Nobody should let them take hold of me. So now I ask you to send me to Caesar himself. I want him to be the judge.’
• Acts 13:18The people of Israel did not obey God. But God took care of them in the wilderness for 40 years.
• Mark 9:19Jesus replied, ‘You people today still do not believe in God. I have been with you for a long time and still you do not believe. It is difficult for me to be patient with you. Bring the boy to me.’
• Romans 13:3People who do good things do not need to be afraid of the rulers. Only people who do bad things should be afraid of the rulers. Do you want to live and not be afraid of the rulers? Then you must do good things and they will respect you.
• 2 Corinthians 11:1Please be patient with me! I am speaking like a fool. I know that you are being patient with me already!
• Hebrews 5:2That priest himself may often do wrong things, because he is weak and human. As a result, he understands other people who make mistakes. He can be kind to people who do wrong things.

Commentaries on Acts 18:14

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 14Paul was now about to open his mouth - He was about to enter on his defense; but Gallio, perceiving that the prosecution was through envy and malice, would not put Paul to any farther trouble, but determined the matter as follows. If it were a matter of wrong - , Of injustice; any thing contrary to the rights of the subject. Or wicked lewdness - ̔ͅ , Destructive mischief. (See the note on Acts 13:10, where the word is explained.) Something by which the…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 14About to open his mouth - In self-defense, ever ready to vindicate his conduct. A matter of wrong - Injustice, or crime, such as could be properly brought before a court of justice. Or wicked lewdness - Any flagrant and gross offence. The word used here occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. It denotes properly an act committed by him who is skilled, facile, or an adept in iniquity an act of a veteran offender. Such crimes Gallio was willing to take…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-17Verses 12-17 Paul was about to show that he did not teach men to worship God contrary to law; but the judge would not allow the Jews to complain to him of what was not within his office. It was right in Gallio that he left the Jews to themselves in matters relating to their religion, but yet would not let them, under pretence of that, persecute another. But it was wrong to speak slightly of a law and religion which he might have known to be of God, and…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 14-17Gallio’s ruling indicated that the charges against Paul were unjustified. The Roman government had nothing to fear from acknowledging Christianity as a legal religion.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 12-1712-17. when Gallio was the deputy--"the proconsul." See on Ac 13:7. He was brother to the celebrated philosopher Seneca, the tutor of Nero, who passed sentence of death on both.Read the comment

Topics related to Acts 18:14

• Gallio
• Indictments
• Nolle Prosequi
• Paul

In the dictionaries

• Paul
• Paul, Saul
• Baptism
• Bear
• Blood
• Clean
• Convince
• Corinth
• Feel
• James

Commentaries on Acts 18

• 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
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings