Acts 17:22

Acts 17:22 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.
• New International Version (NIV)Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious.
• English Standard Version (ESV)So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: "Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious;

Context of Acts 17:22

20Some of the things you say sound strange to us. So we would like to know what they mean.” 21Everyone who lived in Athens looked for opportunities to tell or hear something new and unusual. Paul stood in the middle of the court and said, “Men of Athens, I see that you are very religious. 23As I was going through your city and looking closely at the objects you worship, I noticed an altar with this written on it: ‘To an unknown god.’ I’m telling you about the unknown god you worship. 24The God who made the universe and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth. He doesn’t live in shrines made by humans,

Acts 17:22 word by word

Σταθεὶς δὲ ὁ Παῦλος ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ Ἀρείου πάγου ἔφη· ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, κατὰ πάντα ὡς δεισιδαιμονεστέρους ὑμᾶς θεωρῶ·Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Thenδέde · thenG1161
• Paulὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• PaulΠαῦλοςPaulos · PaulG3972
• stoodἵστημιhistēmi · to standG2476
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• the midstμέσοςmesos · midstG3319
• of Mars’Ἄρειος ΠάγοςAreios Pagos · AreopagusG697
• and saidφημίphēmi · to assertG5346
• menἀνήρanēr · manG435
• of AthensἈθηναῖοςAthēnaios · AthenianG117
• I perceiveθεωρέωtheōreō · to see/experienceG2334
• that inκατάkata · according toG2596
• all thingsπᾶςpas · allG3956
• yeσύsu · youG4771
• areὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
• too superstitiousδεισιδαίμωνdeisidaimonesteros · religiousG1174

Cross-references for Acts 17:22

• Acts 17:19Then they brought Paul to the city court, the Areopagus, and asked, “Could you tell us these new ideas that you’re teaching?
• Acts 17:16While Paul was waiting for Silas and Timothy in Athens, he saw that the city had statues of false gods everywhere. This upset him.
• Acts 19:35The city clerk finally quieted the crowd. Then he said, “Citizens of Ephesus, everyone knows that this city of the Ephesians is the keeper of the temple of the great Artemis. Everyone knows that Ephesus is the keeper of the statue that fell down from Zeus.
• Acts 25:19They were disputing with him about their own religion and about some man named Jesus who had died. But Paul claimed that Jesus is alive.
• Jeremiah 10:2This is what the Lord says: Don’t learn the practices of the nations. Don’t be frightened by the signs in the sky because the nations are frightened by them.
• Jeremiah 50:38A drought will diminish their water supply, and it will dry up. Babylon is a land of idols, statues that will go crazy with fear.

Commentaries on Acts 17:22

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 22Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill - That is, in the midst of the judges, who sat in the Areopagus. Ye are too superstitious - ̔ Ϛ ̔ ; I perceive that in all respects ye are greatly addicted to religious practices; and, as a religious people, you will candidly hear what I have got to say in behalf of that worship which I practice and recommend. See farther observations at the end of the chapter.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 22Then Paul - This commences Paul‘s explanation of the doctrines which he had stated. It is evident that Luke has recorded but a mere summary or outline of the discourse; but it is such as to enable us to see clearly his course of thought, and the manner in which he met the two principal sects of their philosophers. In the midst of Mars‘ hill - Greek: Areopagus. This should have been retained in the translation. Ye men of Athens - This language was…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 22-31Verses 22-31 Here we have a sermon to heathens, who worshipped false gods, and were without the true God in the world; and to them the scope of the discourse was different from what the apostle preached to the Jews. In the latter case, his business was to lead his hearers by prophecies and miracles to the knowledge of the Redeemer, and faith in him; in the former, it was to lead them, by the common works of providence, to know the Creator, and worship…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 22-31Paul’s sermon in Athens shows how well he could adapt his preaching of the good news (Romans 11:14; 1 Corinthians 9:19–23; 10:33; compare Acts 16:3; 17:2–3; 21:20–26). His Greek audience did not know the Scriptures or believe in one God like the Jews. However, they had a strong intellectual background. Paul connected with them using an Athenian inscription on an altar TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. He then explained God’s nature as the Creator (17:22–29), followed by…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2222. 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…Read the comment

Topics related to Acts 17:22

• Athens
• Gentiles
• Idolatry
• Paul
• Readings, Select
• Zeal, Religious

In the dictionaries

• Paul
• Paul, Saul
• Mars Hill
• Appoint
• Areopagus
• Assurance
• Blood
• Determine
• Ignorantly
• James

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