Acts 17 Geneva Bible (1599)
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (1)
- Original 16th-century spelling.
1 Nowe as they passed through Amphipolis, and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a Synagogue of the Iewes.
1 Διοδεύσαντες δὲ τὴν Ἀμφίπολιν καὶ Ἀπολλωνίαν ἦλθον εἰς Θεσσαλονίκην, ὅπου ἦν ἡ συναγωγὴ τῶν Ἰουδαίων.
2 And Paul, as his maner was, went in vnto them, and three Sabbath daies disputed with them by the Scriptures,
2 κατὰ δὲ τὸ εἰωθὸς τῷ Παύλῳ εἰσῆλθε πρὸς αὐτούς, καὶ ἐπὶ σάββατα τρία διελέγετο αὐτοῖς ἀπὸ τῶν γραφῶν,
3 Opening, and alleadging that Christ must haue suffered, and risen againe from the dead: and this is Iesus Christ, whom, said he, I preach to you.
3 διανοίγων καὶ παρατιθέμενος ὅτι τὸν Χριστὸν ἔδει παθεῖν καὶ ἀναστῆναι ἐκ νεκρῶν, καὶ ὅτι οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ Χριστός, Ἰησοῦς ὃν ἐγὼ καταγγέλλω ὑμῖν.
4 And some of them beleeued, and ioyned in companie with Paul and Silas: also of the Grecians that feared God a great multitude, and of the chiefe women not a fewe.
4 καί τινες ἐξ αὐτῶν ἐπείσθησαν καὶ προσεκληρώθησαν τῷ Παύλῳ καὶ τῷ Σίλᾳ, τῶν τε σεβομένων Ἑλλήνων πολὺ πλῆθος γυναικῶν τε τῶν πρώτων οὐκ ὀλίγαι.
5 But the Iewes which beleeued not, mooued with enuie, tooke vnto them certaine vagabonds and wicked fellowes, and whe they had assembled the multitude, they made a tumult in the citie, and made assault against the house of Iason, and sought to bring them out to the people.
5 Προσλαβόμενοι δὲ οἱ ἀπειθοῦντες Ἰουδαῖοι τῶν ἀγοραίων τινὰς ἄνδρας πονηροὺς καὶ ὀχλοποιήσαντες ἐθορύβουν τὴν πόλιν, ἐπιστάντες τε τῇ οἰκίᾳ Ἰάσονος ἐζήτουν αὐτοὺς ἀγαγεῖν εἰς τὸν δῆμον·
6 But when they found them not, they drew Iason and certaine brethren vnto the heads of the citie, crying, These are they which haue subuerted the state of the world, and here they are,
6 μὴ εὑρόντες δὲ αὐτοὺς ἔσυρον τὸν Ἰάσονα καί τινας ἀδελφοὺς ἐπὶ τοὺς πολιτάρχας, βοῶντες ὅτι οἱ τὴν οἰκουμένην ἀναστατώσαντες οὗτοι καὶ ἐνθάδε πάρεισιν,
7 Whom Iason hath receiued, and these all doe against the decrees of Cesar, saying that there is another King, one Iesus.
7 οὓς ὑποδέδεκται Ἰάσων· καὶ οὗτοι πάντες ἀπέναντι τῶν δογμάτων Καίσαρος πράσσουσι, βασιλέα ἕτερον λέγοντες εἶναι, Ἰησοῦν.
8 Then they troubled the people, and the heads of the citie, when they heard these things.
8 ἐτάραξαν δὲ τὸν ὄχλον καὶ τοὺς πολιτάρχας ἀκούοντας ταῦτα,
9 Notwithstanding when they had receiued sufficient assurance of Iason and of the other, they let them goe.
9 καὶ λαβόντες τὸ ἱκανὸν παρὰ τοῦ Ἰάσονος καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν ἀπέλυσαν αὐτούς.
10 And the brethren immediatly sent away Paul and Silas by night vnto Berea, which when they were come thither, entred into ye Synagogue of the Iewes.
10 Οἱ δὲ ἀδελφοὶ εὐθέως διὰ τῆς νυκτὸς ἐξέπεμψαν τόν τε Παῦλον καὶ τὸν Σίλαν εἰς Βέροιαν, οἵτινες παραγενόμενοι εἰς τὴν συναγωγὴν ἀπῄεσαν τῶν Ἰουδαίων.
11 These were also more noble men then they which were at Thessalonica, which receiued the woorde with all readinesse, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
11 οὗτοι δὲ ἦσαν εὐγενέστεροι τῶν ἐν Θεσσαλονίκῃ, οἵτινες ἐδέξαντο τὸν λόγον μετὰ πάσης προθυμίας, τὸ καθ᾽ ἡμέραν ἀνακρίνοντες τὰς γραφὰς εἰ ἔχοι ταῦτα οὕτως.
12 Therefore many of them beleeued, and of honest women, which were Grecians, and men not a fewe.
12 πολλοὶ μὲν οὖν ἐξ αὐτῶν ἐπίστευσαν, καὶ τῶν Ἑλληνίδων γυναικῶν τῶν εὐσχημόνων καὶ ἀνδρῶν οὐκ ὀλίγοι.
13 But when the Iewes of Thessalonica knewe, that the woord of God was also preached of Paul at Berea, they came thither also, and mooued the people.
13 Ὡς δὲ ἔγνωσαν οἱ ἀπὸ τῆς Θεσσαλονίκης Ἰουδαῖοι ὅτι καὶ ἐν τῇ Βεροίᾳ κατηγγέλη ὑπὸ τοῦ Παύλου ὁ λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἦλθον κἀκεῖ σαλεύοντες τοὺς ὄχλους.
14 But by and by the brethren sent away Paul to goe as it were to the sea: but Silas and Timotheus abode there still.
14 εὐθέως δὲ τότε τὸν Παῦλον ἐξαπέστειλαν οἱ ἀδελφοὶ πορεύεσθαι ὡς ἐπὶ τὴν θάλασσαν· ὑπέμενον δὲ ὅ τε Σίλας καὶ ὁ Τιμόθεος ἐκεῖ.
15 And they that did conduct Paul, brought him vnto Athens: and when they had receiued a commandement vnto Silas and Timotheus that they shoulde come to him at once, they departed.
15 οἱ δὲ καθιστῶντες τὸν Παῦλον ἤγαγον αὐτὸν ἕως Ἀθηνῶν, καὶ λαβόντες ἐντολὴν πρὸς τὸν Σίλαν καὶ Τιμόθεον ἵνα ὡς τάχιστα ἔλθωσι πρὸς αὐτόν, ἐξῄεσαν.
16 Nowe while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirite was stirred in him, when hee sawe the citie subiect to idolatrie.
16 Ἐν δὲ ταῖς Ἀθήναις ἐκδεχομένου αὐτοὺς τοῦ Παύλου, παρωξύνετο τὸ πνεῦμα αὐτοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ θεωροῦντι κατείδωλον οὖσαν τὴν πόλιν.
17 Therefore he disputed in the Synagogue with the Iewes, and with them that were religious, and in the market daily with whomesoeuer he met.
17 διελέγετο μὲν οὖν ἐν τῇ συναγωγῇ τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις καὶ τοῖς σεβομένοις καὶ ἐν τῇ ἀγορᾷ κατὰ πᾶσαν ἡμέραν πρὸς τοὺς παρατυγχάνοντας.
18 Then certaine Philosophers of the Epicures, and of the Stoickes, disputed with him, and some sayde, What will this babler say? Others sayde, He seemeth to be a setter forth of straunge gods (because hee preached vnto them Iesus, and the resurrection.)
18 τινὲς δὲ τῶν Ἐπικουρείων καὶ τῶν Στοϊκῶν φιλοσόφων συνέβαλλον αὐτῷ, καί τινες ἔλεγον· τί ἂν θέλοι ὁ σπερμολόγος οὗτος λέγειν; οἱ δέ· ξένων δαιμονίων δοκεῖ καταγγελεὺς εἶναι· ὅτι τὸν Ἰησοῦν καὶ τὴν ἀνάστασιν εὐηγγελίζετο αὐτοῖς.
19 And they tooke him, and brought him into Mars streete, saying, May we not know, what this newe doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is?
19 ἐπιλαβόμενοί τε αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὸν Ἄρειον πάγον ἤγαγον λέγοντες· δυνάμεθα γνῶναι τίς ἡ καινὴ αὕτη ἡ ὑπὸ σοῦ λαλουμένη διδαχή;
20 For thou bringest certaine strange thinges vnto our eares: we woulde knowe therefore, what these things meane.
20 ξενίζοντα γάρ τινα εἰσφέρεις εἰς τὰς ἀκοὰς ἡμῶν· βουλόμεθα οὖν γνῶναι τί ἂν θέλοι ταῦτα εἶναι.
21 For all the Athenians, and strangers which dwelt there, gaue them selues to nothing els, but either to tell, or to heare some newes.
21 Ἀθηναῖοι δὲ πάντες καὶ οἱ ἐπιδημοῦντες ξένοι εἰς οὐδὲν ἕτερον εὐκαίρουν ἢ λέγειν τι καὶ ἀκούειν καινότερον.
22 Then Paul stoode in the mids of Mars streete, and sayde, Yee men of Athens, I perceiue that in all things yee are too superstitious.
22 Σταθεὶς δὲ ὁ Παῦλος ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ Ἀρείου πάγου ἔφη· ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, κατὰ πάντα ὡς δεισιδαιμονεστέρους ὑμᾶς θεωρῶ.
23 For as I passed by, and behelde your deuotions, I founde an altar wherein was written, VNTO THE VNKNOWEN GOD. Whom ye then ignorantly worship, him shewe I vnto you.
23 διερχόμενος γὰρ καὶ ἀναθεωρῶν τὰ σεβάσματα ὑμῶν εὗρον καὶ βωμὸν ἐν ᾧ ἐπεγέγραπτο, ἀγνώστῳ Θεῷ. ὃν οὖν ἀγνοοῦντες εὐσεβεῖτε, τοῦτον ἐγὼ καταγγέλλω ὑμῖν.
24 God that made the world, and all things that are therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaue and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands,
24 ὁ Θεὸς ὁ ποιήσας τὸν κόσμον καὶ πάντα τὰ ἐν αὐτῷ, οὗτος οὐρανοῦ καὶ γῆς Κύριος ὑπάρχων οὐκ ἐν χειροποιήτοις ναοῖς κατοικεῖ,
25 Neither is worshipped with mens handes, as though he needed any thing, seeing hee giueth to all life and breath and all things,
25 οὐδὲ ὑπὸ χειρῶν ἀνθρώπων θεραπεύεται προσδεόμενός τινος, αὐτὸς διδοὺς πᾶσι ζωὴν καὶ πνοὴν κατὰ πάντα·
26 And hath made of one blood all mankinde, to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath assigned the seasons which were ordeined before, and the boundes of their habitation,
26 ἐποίησέ τε ἐξ ἑνὸς αἵματος πᾶν ἔθνος ἀνθρώπων κατοικεῖν ἐπὶ πᾶν τὸ πρόσωπον τῆς γῆς, ὁρίσας προστεταγμένους καιροὺς καὶ τὰς ὁροθεσίας τῆς κατοικίας αὐτῶν,
27 That they shoulde seeke the Lord, if so be they might haue groped after him, and founde him though doubtlesse he be not farre from euery one of vs.
27 ζητεῖν τὸν Κύριον, εἰ ἄρα γε ψηλαφήσειαν αὐτὸν καὶ εὕροιεν, καί γε οὐ μακρὰν ἀπὸ ἑνὸς ἑκάστου ἡμῶν ὑπάρχοντα.
28 For in him we liue, and mooue, and haue our being, as also certaine of your owne Poets haue sayd, for we are also his generation.
28 ἐν αὐτῷ γὰρ ζῶμεν καὶ κινούμεθα καὶ ἐσμέν, ὡς καί τινες τῶν καθ᾽ ὑμᾶς ποιητῶν εἰρήκασι· τοῦ γὰρ καὶ γένος ἐσμέν.
29 Forasmuch then, as we are the generation of God, we ought not to thinke that ye Godhead is like vnto gold, or siluer, or stone grauen by arte and the inuention of man.
29 γένος οὖν ὑπάρχοντες τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐκ ὀφείλομεν νομίζειν χρυσῷ ἢ ἀργύρῳ ἢ λίθῳ, χαράγματι τέχνης καὶ ἐνθυμήσεως ἀνθρώπου, τὸ θεῖον εἶναι ὅμοιον.
30 And the time of this ignorance God regarded not: but nowe hee admonisheth all men euery where to repent,
30 τοὺς μὲν οὖν χρόνους τῆς ἀγνοίας ὑπεριδὼν ὁ Θεὸς τανῦν παραγγέλλει τοῖς ἀνθρώποις πᾶσι πανταχοῦ μετανοεῖν,
31 Because hee hath appoynted a day in the which he wil iudge the world in righteousnes, by that man whome hee hath appoynted, whereof he hath giuen an assurance to all men, in that hee hath raised him from the dead.
31 διότι ἔστησεν ἡμέραν ἐν ᾗ μέλλει κρίνειν τὴν οἰκουμένην ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ, ἐν ἀνδρὶ ᾧ ὥρισε, πίστιν παρασχὼν πᾶσιν ἀναστήσας αὐτὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν.
32 Now when they heard of the resurrection from the dead, some mocked, and other sayde, We will heare thee againe of this thing.
32 ἀκούσαντες δὲ ἀνάστασιν νεκρῶν οἱ μὲν ἐχλεύαζον, οἱ δὲ εἶπον· ἀκουσόμεθά σου πάλιν περὶ τούτου.
33 And so Paul departed from among them.
33 καὶ οὕτως ὁ Παῦλος ἐξῆλθεν ἐκ μέσου αὐτῶν.
34 Howbeit certaine men claue vnto Paul, and beleeued: among whome was also Denys Areopagita, and a woman named Damaris, and other with them.
34 τινὲς δὲ ἄνδρες κολληθέντες αὐτῷ ἐπίστευσαν, ἐν οἷς καὶ Διονύσιος ὁ Ἀρεοπαγίτης καὶ γυνὴ ὀνόματι Δάμαρις καὶ ἕτεροι σὺν αὐτοῖς.
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Damaris
A woman who believed after Paul's speech at Athens.
Cited in the guide: Acts 17:34
Places
Athens
The philosophical center of the Greco-Roman world. Paul engaged Stoic and Epicurean thinkers on Mars Hill (the Areopagus), reasoning toward the resurrection.
Cited in the guide: Acts 17:16; Acts 17:22
Thessalonica
Capital of the Roman province of Macedonia and a key stop on the Via Egnatia. Paul's brief ministry produced a strong church and two of his earliest letters.
Cited in the guide: Acts 17:1; 1 Thessalonians 1:1; Acts 17:6
Cross references (33)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 1 Thessalonians 1:1; Philippians 4:16; Acts 20:4; 2 Thessalonians 1:1; 2 Timothy 4:10
- 2 Acts 18:4; Acts 9:20; Isaiah 1:18; Acts 17:10; Luke 4:16
- 3 Acts 18:28; Acts 9:22; Luke 24:32; 1 Thessalonians 1:5–6; Acts 3:18
- 4 Acts 17:12; Acts 13:43; Acts 14:4; Acts 15:22; Acts 13:50
- 5 Galatians 5:26; Acts 17:13; Acts 14:2; Galatians 5:21; 1 Thessalonians 2:14–16
- 6 Acts 24:5; Acts 16:19–21; Acts 28:22; Luke 23:5; Acts 21:28–31
- 7 Luke 23:2; John 19:12; Acts 16:21; Daniel 3:12; 1 Peter 2:15
- 8 John 11:48; Matthew 2:3
- 9 Acts 17:5
- 10 Acts 17:13–14; 1 Thessalonians 2:2; Acts 17:2; Acts 20:4; Acts 9:25
- 11 Isaiah 34:16; Proverbs 2:1–5; John 5:39; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; Matthew 13:23
- 12 Ephesians 5:14; Acts 14:1; Acts 13:50; Acts 17:2–4; 1 Corinthians 1:26
- 13 1 Thessalonians 2:14–16; Acts 17:5; Acts 21:27; Acts 14:2; Acts 6:12
- 14 Acts 17:10; Matthew 10:23; Acts 16:1; Acts 9:25; Acts 9:30
- 15 Acts 18:5; 1 Thessalonians 3:1; Acts 18:1; 2 Timothy 4:10–11; Titus 3:12
- 16 Psalm 119:158; Psalm 119:136; Exodus 32:19–20; 2 Peter 2:7; Job 32:18–20
- 17 Acts 13:16; Acts 14:1–4; Acts 17:2–4; Acts 9:20; Matthew 5:1–2
- 18 1 Corinthians 1:20–21; Luke 11:53; 1 Corinthians 3:18; Colossians 2:8; Acts 4:2
- 19 Mark 1:27; Acts 17:22; Acts 24:24; Acts 25:22; Acts 26:1
- 20 Hosea 8:12; 1 Corinthians 1:23; 1 Corinthians 2:14; 1 Corinthians 1:18; 1 Peter 4:4
- 21 2 Timothy 2:16–17; Colossians 4:5; Ephesians 5:16; 2 Thessalonians 3:11–12; 1 Timothy 5:13
- 22 Acts 25:19; Acts 17:16; Acts 19:35; Jeremiah 10:2–3; Jeremiah 50:38
- 23 John 4:22; Galatians 4:8–9; John 17:3; John 17:25; Acts 17:30
- 24 1 Kings 8:27; Deuteronomy 10:14; Acts 7:48; Isaiah 66:1; 2 Chronicles 6:18
- 25 Psalm 50:8–13; Isaiah 42:5; Genesis 2:7; Acts 17:28; Romans 11:35
- 26 Deuteronomy 32:7–8; Genesis 3:20; Malachi 2:10; Romans 5:12–19; 1 Corinthians 15:22
- 27 Jeremiah 23:23–24; Deuteronomy 4:7; Romans 1:20; Acts 14:17; Psalm 19:1–6
- 28 Job 12:10; Colossians 1:17; Hebrews 1:3; Psalm 36:9; Luke 20:38
- 29 Isaiah 40:25; Isaiah 46:5–6; Exodus 20:4; Psalm 115:4–8; Habakkuk 2:19–20
- 30 Acts 14:16; Titus 2:11–12; Luke 24:47; Romans 3:25; Ephesians 4:17–32
- 31 Romans 2:16; 2 Peter 3:7; Matthew 25:31–46; Psalm 9:8; Psalm 98:9
- 32 Acts 17:18; Acts 26:8; 2 Corinthians 6:2; 1 Corinthians 4:10; Acts 2:13
- 34 Acts 17:19; Romans 11:5–6; Acts 13:48; Acts 17:4; Philippians 4:22
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
Again they haste past the small cities, and press on to the greater ones, since from those the word was to flow as from a fountain into the neighboring cities. "And Paul, as his manner was, went into the synagogue of the Jews." Although he had said, "We turn to the Gentiles" (ch. xiii.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 11 (1889)
And to the Athenians Thou saidst by Thy apostle, that in Thee "we live, and move, and have our being;" as one of their own poets has said. And verily these books came from thence.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)
For "They," it is said, "that have turned the world upside down, are come hither also;" and again, "They preach things contrary to the decrees of Cæsar, saying that Jesus Christ is king." And everywhere the courts of justice were preoccupied by such suspicions, and much influence from above was needed, for their showing both the truth of the doctrine …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
For in Him we live and move and have our being, according to the double power of that Breathing into us; for we were all inspired by Him with breath, and as many of us as were capable of it, and in so far as we open the mouth of our mind, with God the Holy Ghost.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)
… of the expected appearance of the Lord from heaven the Holy Spirit will not, as some suppose, have no functions to discharge: on the contrary, even in the day of His revelation, in which the blessed and only potentate will judge the world in righteousness, the Holy Spirit will be present with Him.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 8 (1895)