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 you are bringing some strange things to our ears, so we want to know what these things mean.” 21Now all the Athenians and foreigners visiting there used to pass their time doing nothing but telling or hearing something new. So Paul stood in the middle of the Aereopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I see that in all ways you are very religious. 23For while I was passing through and observing the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: ‘To an Unknown God.’ Therefore what you worship without knowing, this I proclaim to you. 24The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by 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

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 17:19So they took Paul to the Aereopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are talking about?
• Acts 17:16Now while Paul was waiting for them in Athens, his spirit was aroused within him when he saw that the city was full of idols.
• Acts 19:35After the town clerk quieted the crowd, he said, “Men of Ephesus, what man is there who doesn’t know that the city of the Ephesians is temple keeper of the great Artemis and of her image fallen from heaven?
• Acts 25:19Instead, they had certain issues with him about their own religion and about a certain Yeshua, who had died, whom Paul claimed to be alive.
• Jeremiah 10:2Thus says Adonai: “Do not learn the way of the nations or be frightened by signs of the heavens—though the nations are terrified by them.
• Jeremiah 50:38A drought is on her waters, so they will be dried up. For it is a land of idols— they are mad about horrible things.

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