Acts 17:23

Acts 17:23 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For 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.
• New International Version (NIV)For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.
• English Standard Version (ESV)For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: 'To the unknown god.' What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.
• New King James Version (NKJV)for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you:

Context of Acts 17:23

21(For all the Athenians and strangers who were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.) 22Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are very religious. For 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 to you. 24God that made the world and all things in it, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; 25Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;

Acts 17:23 word by word

διερχόμενος γὰρ καὶ ἀναθεωρῶν τὰ σεβάσματα ὑμῶν εὗρον καὶ βωμὸν ἐν ᾧ ἐπεγέγραπτο· ἀγνώστῳ θεῷ. ὃ οὖν ἀγνοοῦντες εὐσεβεῖτε, τοῦτο ἐγὼ καταγγέλλω ὑμῖν.Read the interlinear

• Forγάρgar · forG1063
• byδιέρχομαιdierchomai · to pass throughG1330
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• beheldἀναθεωρέωanatheōreō · to contemplateG333
• yourὑμῶνhumōn · of youG5216
• devotionsσέβασμαsebasma · object of worshipG4574
• foundεὑρίσκωheuriskō · to find/meetG2147
• altarβωμόςbōmos · altarG1041
• thisἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• thisὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• inscriptionἐπιγράφωepigraphō · to write onG1924
• UNKNOWNἄγνωστοςagnōstos · unknownG57
• GODθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• thereforeοὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
• ignorantlyἀγνοέωagnoeō · be ignorantG50
• worshipεὐσεβέωeusebeō · to show pietyG2151
• himτοῦτονtouton · thisG5126
• declareκαταγγέλλωkataggellō · to proclaimG2605
• Iἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• youὑμῖνhumin · to youG5213

Cross-references for Acts 17:23

• Romans 1:23And changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man, and birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
• 1 Corinthians 8:5For though there are that are called gods, whether in heaven or upon earth, as there are gods many, and lords many,)
• 2 Thessalonians 2:4Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.
• Psalms 147:20He hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for his judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye the LORD.
• John 17:3And this is life eternal, that they may know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
• Romans 1:20For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
• 1 Corinthians 1:21For when in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
• 2 Corinthians 4:4In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them who believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.
• Galatians 4:8However then, when ye knew not God, ye did service to them which by nature are no gods.
• Ephesians 2:12That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
• 1 Timothy 1:17Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, God the only wise, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
• 1 John 5:20And we know that the Son of God hath come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.
• Acts 17:30And the times of this ignorance God overlooked; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
• Psalms 50:21These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes.
• Matthew 15:9But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
• John 4:22Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is from the Jews.

Commentaries on Acts 17:23

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 23Beheld your devotions - , The objects of your worship; the different images of their gods which they held in religious veneration, sacrificial instruments, altars, etc., etc. To the Unknown God - . That there was an altar at Athens thus inscribed, we cannot doubt after such a testimony; though St. Jerome questions it in part; for he says St. Paul found the inscription in the plural number, but, because he would not appear to acknowledge a plurality of…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 23For as I passed by - Greek: “For I, coming through, and seeing, etc.” And beheld - Diligently contemplated; attentively considered ̓͂ anatheōrōnThe worship of an idolatrous people will be an object of intense and painful interest to a Christian. Your devotions - ̀ ́ ta sebasmataOur word devotions refers to the “act of worship” - to prayers, praises, etc. The Greek word used here means properly any sacred thing; any object which is worshipped, or which…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. 2323. as I passed by and beheld your devotions--rather, "the objects of your devotion," referring, as is plain from the next words, to their works of art consecrated to religion. I found an altar ... To the--or, "an" unknown god--erected, probably, to commemorate some divine interposition, which they were unable to ascribe to any known deity. That there were such altars, Greek writers attest; and on this the apostle skilfully fastens at the outset, as the…Read the comment

Topics related to Acts 17:23

• Altar
• Athens
• Blindness
• Gentiles
• Idolatry
• Ignorance
• Paul
• Readings, Select
• Religion
• Zeal, Religious

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Unknown God
• Altar
• Appoint
• Areopagus
• Assurance
• Blood
• Determine
• Ignorantly

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