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

18Also some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were conversing with him, and some were asking, “What does this foolish babbler want to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods.” (They said this because he was proclaiming the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.) 19So they took Paul and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are proclaiming? For you are bringing some surprising things to our ears, so we want to know what they mean.” 21(All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there used to spend their time in nothing else than telling or listening to something new.) 22So Paul stood before 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

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 spelled out my law for him in great detail, but they regard it as something totally unknown to them!
• Matthew 19:23Then Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven!
• Mark 10:24The disciples were astonished at these words. But again Jesus said to them, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!
• John 6:60Then many of his disciples, when they heard these things, said, “This is a difficult saying! Who can understand it?”
• John 7:35Then the Jewish leaders said to one another, “Where is he going to go that we cannot find him? He is not going to go to the Jewish people dispersed among the Greeks and teach the Greeks, is he?
• 1 Corinthians 1:18For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
• 1 Corinthians 2:14The unbeliever does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him. And he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.
• Hebrews 5:11On this topic we have much to say and it is difficult to explain, since you have become sluggish in hearing.
• 1 Peter 4:4So they are astonished when you do not rush with them into the same flood of wickedness, and they vilify you.
• Acts 2:12All were astounded and greatly confused, saying to one another, “What does this mean?”
• Acts 10:17Now while Peter was puzzling over what the vision he had seen could signify, the men sent by Cornelius had learned where Simon’s house was and approached the gate.
• Mark 9:10They kept this statement to themselves, discussing what this 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