Acts 17:22 - Forerunner Commentary

Acts 17:22

20 For you are bringing some strange things to our ears. Therefore we want to know what these things mean.”

21 For all the Athenians and the foreigners who were there spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing.

Addressing the Areopagus

22 Then Paul stood in the midst of the¹ Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious;

23 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:

24 ^a“God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is ^bLord of heaven and earth, ^cdoes not dwell in temples made with hands.

25 Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He ^agives to all life, breath, and all things.

26 And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and ^athe boundaries of their dwellings,

27 ^aso that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, ^bthough He is not far from each one of us;

28 for ^ain Him we live and move and have our being, ^bas also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’

29 Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, ^awe ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising.

30 Truly, ^athese times of ignorance God overlooked, but ^bnow commands all men everywhere to repent,

31 because He has appointed a day on which ^aHe will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by ^braising Him from the dead.”

32 And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others said, “We will hear you again on this matter.”

33 So Paul departed from among them.

Verse Comparison: Acts 17:22

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American Standard Version
And Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus, and said, Ye men of Athens, in all things, I perceive that ye are very religious.

Amplified® Bible
So Paul, standing in the center of the Areopagus [Mars Hill meeting place], said: Men of Athens, I perceive in every way [on every hand and with every turn I make] that you are most religious {or} very reverent to demons.

Contemporary English Version
So Paul stood up in front of the council and said: People of Athens, I see that you are very religious.

Darby English Version
And Paul standing in the midst of Areopagus said, Athenians, in every way I see you given up to demon worship;

Good News Bible
Paul stood up in front of the city council and said, "I see that in every way you Athenians are very religious.

International Standard Version
So Paul stood up in front of the Areopagus and said, "Men of Athens, I see that you are very religious in every way.

King James Version
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 American Standard Bible
So Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, "Men of Athens, I observe that you are very religious in all respects.

New International Version
Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: "Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious.

New King James Version
Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, "Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious;

N.A.S.B. in E-Prime
So Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, "Men of Athens, I observe that you show yourself very religious in all respects.

Young's Literal Translation
And Paul, having stood in the midst of the Areopagus, said, `Men, Athenians, in all things I perceive you as over-religious;

New English Translation
So Paul stood¹ before the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I see that you are very religious² in all respects.³

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