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

20For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean. 21(For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.) 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. 23For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. 24God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;

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

• 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 17:19And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is?
• Acts 17:16Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry.
• Acts 19:35And when the townclerk had appeased the people, he said, Ye men of Ephesus, what man is there that knoweth not how that the city of the Ephesians is a worshipper of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which fell down from Jupiter?
• Acts 25:19But had certain questions against him of their own superstition, and of one Jesus, which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.
• Jeremiah 10:2Thus saith Yhwh, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.
• Jeremiah 50:38A drought is upon her waters; and they shall be dried up: for it is the land of graven images, and they are mad upon their idols.

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