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parallelVerse INT GEN EXO LEV NUM DEU JOS JDG RUTH 1SA 2SA PSA AMOS HOS 1KI 2KI 1CH 2CH PRO ECC SNG JOEL MIC ISA ZEP HAB JER LAM YNA NAH OBA DAN EZE EZRA EST NEH HAG ZEC MAL JOB YHN MARK MAT LUKE ACTs YAC GAL 1TH 2TH 1COR 2COR ROM COL PHM EPH PHP 1TIM TIT 1PET 2PET 2TIM HEB YUD 1YHN 2YHN 3YHN REV
Acts Intro C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 C12 C13 C14 C15 C16 C17 C18 C19 C20 C21 C22 C23 C24 C25 C26 C27 C28
Acts 17 V1 V2 V3 V4 V5 V6 V7 V8 V9 V10 V11 V12 V13 V14 V15 V16 V18 V19 V20 V21 V22 V23 V24 V25 V26 V27 V28 V29 V30 V31 V32 V33 V34
Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed for doing comparisons of different translations. Click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible. Please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.
Text critical issues=minor spelling Clarity of original=clear Importance=normal (All still tentative.)
OET (OET-RV) So while he stayed busy having discussions with the Jews and other worshippers from the meeting hall, he also spent time every day with anyone who just happened to be around in the marketplace.
OET-LV Therefore he_was_discussing on_one_hand in the synagogue with_the Youdaiōns, and the ones worshipping, and in the marketplace on every day with the ones happening_to_be.
SR-GNT Διελέγετο μὲν οὖν ἐν τῇ συναγωγῇ τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις, καὶ τοῖς σεβομένοις, καὶ ἐν τῇ ἀγορᾷ κατὰ πᾶσαν ἡμέραν πρὸς τοὺς παρατυγχάνοντας. ‡
(Dielegeto men oun en taʸ sunagōgaʸ tois Youdaiois, kai tois sebomenois, kai en taʸ agora kata pasan haʸmeran pros tous paratugⱪanontas.)
Key: khaki:verbs, orange:accusative/object, cyan:dative/indirect object.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).
ULT So indeed he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the ones worshiping and in the marketplace every day with the ones meeting him.
UST So Paul went to the Jewish meeting place and talked about Jesus with the Jews there. He also spoke with the Greeks who had accepted what Jews believe. He also went every day to the open area of the city and had conversations with the people he met there.
BSB So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and God-fearing Gentiles, and in the marketplace with those he met each day.
BLB So indeed he was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews and those worshiping, and in the marketplace on every day with those meeting him.
AICNT So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there.
OEB So he argued in the synagogue with the Jews and with those who joined in their worship, as well as daily in the public Square with those who happened to be there.
WEBBE So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who met him.
WMBB (Same as above)
NET So he was addressing the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles in the synagogue, and in the marketplace every day those who happened to be there.
LSV therefore, indeed, he was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the worshiping persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who met with him.
FBV He debated in the synagogue with the Jews and those who worshiped God,[fn] as well as in the marketplace with those he happened to meet from day to day.
17:17 Presumably the same “class” of believers mentioned in 17:4: foreigners who had accepted the God of Israel but had not become Jews.
TCNT So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout Greeks, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there.
T4T So he went to the Jewish meeting place and talked about Jesus with the Jews, and also with the Greeks who had accepted what the Jews believe. He also went to the public square/center every day and talked to the people whom he met there.
LEB So he was discussing in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles,[fn] and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there.
17:17 *Here the word “Gentiles” is not in the Greek text but is implied
BBE So he had discussions in the Synagogue with the Jews and God-fearing Gentiles, and every day in the market-place with those who were there.
Moff No Moff ACTs book available
Wymth So he had discussions in the synagogue with the Jews and the other worshippers, and in the market place, day after day, with those whom he happened to meet.
ASV So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with them that met him.
DRA He disputed, therefore, in the synagogue with the Jews, and with them that served God, and in the marketplace, every day with them that were there.
YLT therefore, indeed, he was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the worshipping persons, and in the market-place every day with those who met with him.
Drby He reasoned therefore in the synagogue with the Jews, and those who worshipped, and in the market-place every day with those he met with.
RV So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with them that met with him.
Wbstr Therefore he disputed in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him.
KJB-1769 Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him.
KJB-1611 Therefore disputed he in the Synagogue with the Iewes, and with the deuout persons, and in the market dayly with them that met with him.
(Therefore disputed he in the Synagogue with the Yewes, and with the deuout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him.)
Bshps Therfore disputed he in the synagogue with the Iewes, and with the deuout persons, and in the market dayly with them that came vnto hym by chaunce.
(Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Yewes, and with the deuout persons, and in the market daily with them that came unto him by chaunce.)
Gnva Therefore he disputed in the Synagogue with the Iewes, and with them that were religious, and in the market daily with whomesoeuer he met.
(Therefore he disputed in the Synagogue with the Yewes, and with them that were religious, and in the market daily with whomsoever he met. )
Cvdl And he spake vnto the Iewes and deuoute personnes in the synagoge, & in ye market daylie vnto the that came to him.
(And he spake unto the Yews and deuoute personnes in the synagogue, and in ye/you_all market daily unto the that came to him.)
TNT Then he disputed in the synagoge with the Iewes and with the devout persones and in the market dayly with the that came vnto him.
(Then he disputed in the synagogue with the Yews and with the devout persones and in the market daily with the that came unto him. )
Wyc Therfor he disputide in the synagoge with the Jewis, and with men that worschipiden God, and in the dom place, by alle daies to hem that herden.
(Therefore he disputide in the synagogue with the Yewis, and with men that worshippedn God, and in the dom place, by all days to them that heard.)
Luth Und er redete zwar zu den Juden und Gottesfürchtigen in der Schule, auch auf dem Markt alle Tage zu denen, die sich herzufanden.
(And he talked zwar to the Yuden and God’sfürchtigen in the/of_the Schule, also on to_him Markt all days to denen, the itself/yourself/themselves herzufanden.)
ClVg Disputabat igitur in synagoga cum Judæis et colentibus, et in foro, per omnes dies ad eos qui aderant.
(Disputabat igitur in synagoga when/with Yudæis and colentibus, and in foro, through everyone days to them who aderant. )
UGNT διελέγετο μὲν οὖν ἐν τῇ συναγωγῇ τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις, καὶ τοῖς σεβομένοις, καὶ ἐν τῇ ἀγορᾷ κατὰ πᾶσαν ἡμέραν πρὸς τοὺς παρατυγχάνοντας;
(dielegeto men oun en taʸ sunagōgaʸ tois Youdaiois, kai tois sebomenois, kai en taʸ agora kata pasan haʸmeran pros tous paratugⱪanontas;)
SBL-GNT διελέγετο μὲν οὖν ἐν τῇ συναγωγῇ τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις καὶ τοῖς σεβομένοις καὶ ἐν τῇ ἀγορᾷ κατὰ πᾶσαν ἡμέραν πρὸς τοὺς παρατυγχάνοντας.
(dielegeto men oun en taʸ sunagōgaʸ tois Youdaiois kai tois sebomenois kai en taʸ agora kata pasan haʸmeran pros tous paratugⱪanontas.)
TC-GNT Διελέγετο μὲν οὖν ἐν τῇ συναγωγῇ τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις καὶ τοῖς σεβομένοις, καὶ ἐν τῇ ἀγορᾷ κατὰ πᾶσαν ἡμέραν πρὸς τοὺς παρατυγχάνοντας.
(Dielegeto men oun en taʸ sunagōgaʸ tois Youdaiois kai tois sebomenois, kai en taʸ agora kata pasan haʸmeran pros tous paratugⱪanontas. )
Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs (from our SR-GNT base).
17:16-34 In 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 Col 1:28). Paul reminded these proud intellectuals that there is a living God to whom all human beings are answerable; that they will be judged by him through Jesus, whom God raised from the dead; and that they should therefore repent and put their faith in Jesus.
The Unknown God
When Paul spoke to the Areopagus, the “high council of the city” of Athens (Acts 17:19), he was speaking to people who did not share his faith in the God of Abraham and Moses who had revealed himself “many times and in many ways to [his] ancestors through the prophets” (Heb 1:1). The members of his audience had a very different definition of the divine. A host of divinities inhabited their world, and the common people retained much of their belief in the ancient gods. But many of the cultural elite of Athens no longer believed in the gods in any literal sense. Instead, they held to either a form of materialism (the physical is everything) or pantheism (the divine inhabits everything).
What they all shared in common was the absence of the idea that there is one true God who is Lord of all. Their myths told of the activities of various gods, but they did not have faith that the ultimate reality, God himself, could be known. Instead, they reasoned and discussed “the latest ideas,” hoping for a better understanding of the nature of things.
There were a wide variety of philosophical ideas current in Athens when Paul visited, but two main schools of thought dominated, Stoicism and Epicureanism (Acts 17:18).
Zeno of Citium (334~262 BC) founded Stoicism. Stoics studied nature’s laws and believed in the Logos, a pervasive organizing and sustaining force that gives all things their essential nature and so gives life and reason to humanity. The good life is one in which reason rules, and peace of mind and harmony with nature prevail. Many prominent statesmen were Stoics or influenced by Stoicism, including Cicero, Seneca, and Marcus Aurelius. Stoic ideas proved attractive to some Christians because of the similarities between the Stoic logos and the divine Logos (John 1:1-18), and between the idea of natural law and the law of God.
Those who followed Epicurus (341–270 BC) were empiricists; they relied upon sense experience (as opposed to reason) for knowledge. Epicureans were concerned with natural evidence and were unenthusiastic about mathematics. Their focus was ethics, the study of right behavior; they judged the value of an action or thing in terms of the pleasure or pain it brought. Epicurus saw belief in gods (meddling and powerful beings who terrified ordinary mortals) as a serious threat to tranquility. For him and his followers, neither the gods nor death (which is the end) should be feared.
When Paul spoke in that context, he used their own poets to proclaim things that they could barely comprehend: That the God who made everything is both personal and knowable; that he revealed himself clearly, historically, and definitively in Jesus Christ; that death is not followed by either the cessation of existence or the migration of the soul, but by judgment; and that the proof of all of this is the resurrection of Christ from the dead.
What was foolishness to most of the Greeks of Athens turns out to be the ultimate truth: God is knowable, and can be known through Jesus Christ.
Passages for Further Study
Ps 50:7-15; Isa 42:5-7; Acts 17:16-32; Rom 1:18-32; Col 1:15-23; 2:6-12; 1 Thes 1:9-10; Heb 1:1-4
Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom
τοῖς σεβομένοις
˱with˲_the the_‹ones› worshipping
See how you translated the similar expression in 16:14. Alternate translation: “the Greeks who sincerely worshiped the God of Israel”
Note 2 topic: translate-unknown
ἐν τῇ ἀγορᾷ
in the in the marketplace
See how you translated the similar expression in 16:19. Alternate translation: “in the public square”