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

18And some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers as well were conversing with him. Some were saying, “What could this scavenger of tidbits want to say?” Others, “He seems to be a proclaimer of strange deities,”--because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. 19And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is which you are proclaiming? For you are bringing some strange things to our ears; so we want to know what these things mean.” 21(Now all the Athenians and the strangers visiting there used to spend their time in nothing other than telling or hearing something new.) 22So Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I see that you are very religious in all respects.

Acts 17:20 word by word

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

• For you are bringingεἰσφέρωeispherō · to bring inG1533
• someτιςtis · oneG5100
• strangeξενίζωxenizō · to hostG3579
• to our earsἀκοήakoē · hearingG189
• soοὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
• we wantβούλομαιboulomai · to planG1014
• to knowγινώσκωginōskō · to knowG1097
• whatτίςtis · which?G5101
• theseοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• meanθέλωthelō ethelō · to will/desireG2309
• meanεἰμίeimi · to beG1510

Cross-references for Acts 17:20

• Hosea 8:12Though I wrote for him ten thousand precepts of My Law, They are regarded as a strange thing.
• Matthew 19:23And Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly I say to you, it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven.
• Mark 10:24And the disciples were amazed at His words. But Jesus responded again and said to them, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!
• John 6:60So then many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, “This statement is very unpleasant; who can listen to it?”
• John 7:35The Jews then said to one another, “Where does this Man intend to go that we will not find Him? He does not intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks, does He?
• 1 Corinthians 1:18For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
• 1 Corinthians 2:14But a natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.
• Hebrews 5:11Concerning him we have much to say, and it is difficult to explain, since you have become poor listeners.
• 1 Peter 4:4In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them in the same excesses of debauchery, and they slander you;
• Acts 2:12And they all continued in amazement and great perplexity, saying to one another, “What does this mean?”
• Acts 10:17Now while Peter was greatly perplexed in mind as to what the vision which he had seen might mean, behold, the men who had been sent by Cornelius had asked directions to Simon’s house, and they appeared at the gate;
• Mark 9:10They seized upon that statement, discussing with one another what rising from the dead meant.

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

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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