Passage

Acts 17.16

Book: Acts · ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT

Immediate context (±2 verses)

ASV

14. And then immediately the brethren sent forth Paul to go as far as to the sea: and Silas and Timothy abode there still. 15. But they that conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens: and receiving a commandment unto Silas and Timothy that they should come to him with all speed, they departed.

16. Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he beheld the city full of idols.

So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with them that met him. 18. And certain also of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered him. And some said, What would this babbler say? others, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached Jesus and the resurrection. (Acts 17:14-18, ASV)

WEB

14. Then the brothers immediately sent out Paul to go as far as to the sea, and Silas and Timothy still stayed there. 15. But those who escorted Paul brought him as far as Athens. Receiving a commandment to Silas and Timothy that they should come to him very quickly, they departed.

16. Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw the city full of idols.

So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who met him. 18. Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also were conversing with him. Some said, “What does this babbler want to say?” Others said, “He seems to be advocating foreign deities,” because he preached Jesus and the resurrection. (Acts 17:14-18, WEB)

KJV

14. And then immediately the brethren sent away Paul to go as it were to the sea: but Silas and Timotheus abode there still. 15. And they that conducted Paul brought him unto Athens: and receiving a commandment unto Silas and Timotheus for to come to him with all speed, they departed.

16. Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry. ^{wholly: or, full of idols}

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. 18. Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection. ^{babbler: or, base fellow} (Acts 17:14-18, KJV)

YLT

14. and then immediately the brethren sent forth Paul, to go on as it were to the sea, but both Silas and Timothy were remaining there. 15. And those conducting Paul, brought him unto Athens, and having received a command unto Silas and Timotheus that with all speed they may come unto him, they departed;

16. and Paul waiting for them in Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, beholding the city wholly given to idolatry,

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. 18. And certain of the Epicurean and of the Stoic philosophers, were meeting together to see him, and some were saying, 'What would this seed picker wish to say?' and others, 'Of strange demons he doth seem to be an announcer;' because Jesus and the rising again he did proclaim to them as good news, (Acts 17:14-18, YLT)

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Setting

Speaker: the narrator of Acts, traditionally Luke
Audience: Theophilus (Acts 1:1) and the reader
Location: Athens, in the Roman province of Achaia, still the most famous seat of Greek philosophy
Time period: c. AD 50, on Paul's second missionary journey, shortly before his eighteen months in Corinth (Acts 18:11)

Theological reading

"Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he beheld the city full of idols." This is the verse that sets the Areopagus speech in motion.

"Full of idols." One Greek word (Strong's G2712), used nowhere else in the New Testament, describes the city. The KJV renders it "wholly given to idolatry" and gives "full of idols" in the margin. Athens was famous for its temples and statues. Visitors came to admire them; Paul "beheld" them (G2334, to look at attentively) and saw a city crowded with gods.

"Provoked." The verb (G3947) means to be stirred to sharp distress or indignation; the only other New Testament use is 1 Corinthians 13:5, where love "is not provoked." What stirs Paul is not bad art or foreign custom but worship given to things made. Isaiah's mockery of the image-maker is in the background of the whole chapter: "To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?" (Isaiah 40:18), and Paul will make the same argument before the council: "we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and device of man" (17:29).

Provocation that turns to persuasion. The next word is "So": he reasoned with Jews and God-fearers in the synagogue and with anyone in the marketplace (17:17). The verse shows the motive behind Paul's apologetics. He argues because he cares that people are worshipping what cannot save them, and the speech that follows, for all its courtesy toward his hearers, ends with a command to repent (17:30). See Idolatry and Polytheism.

Key words

Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word.

G4151 - pneuma, pneuma, Strong's G4151

Quoted in

Arguments and defeaters:

Concepts:

Apologetics, via Acts 17.16-34
Apologist, via Acts 17.16-34
Lesson 1.2, The Biblical Charge, via Acts 17.16-34
Lesson 5.1, The Apologist-to-Evangelist Transition, via Acts 17.16-34
Polytheism, via Acts 17.16-34
Preaching to Non-Believers

Guides:

01 Foundations, via Acts 17.16-34

Passages:

Acts 17.14-15

Notes

Your annotations.

Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the most literal English translations available (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the public domain in the United States, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

ASV (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
YLT (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See Bibles for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.