Acts 17:22
in Acts 17Then Paul stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I see that in every way you are very religious.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
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.
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.
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This verse in Acts 17
Commentary
11 notes on this versePaul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill - That is, in the midst of the judges, who sat in the Areopagus. Ye are too superstitious - Κατα παντα ὡς δεισιδαιμονεϚερους ὑμας θεωρω; 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.
This site's exposition
too superstitious
on Acts 17:22-23
Standing in the midst of Mars' hill, Paul opens with a genuine compliment rather than an insult, the Greek word rendered too superstitious meaning simply very devoted to religion, a fact Paul turns to his purpose rather than his mockery. He has found among their altars one inscribed to the unknown god, evidence a Roman writer of the period confirms Athens kept such altars against the risk of offending a deity by name, and Paul takes the very gap in their worship as his opening line. Whom therefore they worship in ignorance, him he declares, refusing to introduce a rival god and instead naming the one they already, unknowingly, reach toward. The bench across the centuries praises the address as the model of meeting an audience where its own devotion already points, without conceding an inch of the truth about who God actually is.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
"But Paul standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said," etc. Paul, set in the midst of the Areopagus, poured out the honey of heavenly philosophy, starting his speech beautifully with the fact that among their various idols he had found an inscription that read …
"Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I look upon you as being in all things" - he puts it by way of encomium: the word does not seem to mean anything offensive - "more religiously disposed." For the cities were full of gods: this is why he says "more religiously disposed." "For as I passed by and viewed the objects of your worship" - he does not say simply the demons or deities, but paves the way for his discourse.
A commentator
John ChrysostomCATENA ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 17.23 · Written in the 5th century.
proposed
Paul found an altar, on which the words "to an unknown god" were engraved: who was that unknown god but Christ? Do you see the wisdom in changing the name? Do you see the reason he released the inscription from captivity?… To save and benefit them. What else? Perhaps one might say that the Athenians wrote these words for Christ?… They certainly wrote that with a different meaning, but he was, nevertheless, able to change it.… Why did they write it? They had many gods, or rather many demons, "All the gods of the Gentiles are demons," and some of them were native, others were foreign.… They had received some of their gods from their fathers, others from the neighboring nations, such as the Scythians, the Thracians and the Egyptians.… What did they do then? They erected an altar and inscribed it with the words "to an unknown god" in order to signify through the inscription: If by any chance there is another god who is still unknown to us, we will worship him too. See their immoderate superstition! For this reason Paul said from the beginning, "I see how extremely religious you are in every way … you not only worship the gods who are known to you, but also those who are still unknown to you." Therefore they had written, "To an unknown god." … The unknown God is none other than Christ.
Paul, in the Acts of the Apostles, is recorded to have said to the Areopagites, "I perceive that ye are more than ordinarily religious. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with the inscription, To The Unknown God. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, Him declare I unto you.
The Medieval Church1 voice
It seems that the apostle is as if praising the Athenians, saying that "they are as if especially devout," instead of calling them pious.
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
The court of justice which sat here was famous for its equity, which drew appeals to it from all parts; if any denied a God, he was liable to the censure of this court. Diagoras was by them put to death, as a contemner of the gods; nor might any new God be admitted without their approbation.
Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
(The authorized translation would imply that only too much superstition was wrong, and represents the apostle as repelling his hearers in the very first sentence; whereas the whole discourse is studiously courteous).
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Then 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 perfectly respectful, notwithstanding his heart had been deeply affected by their idolatry. Everything about this discourse is calm, grave, cool, argumentative. Paul understood the character of his auditors, and did not commence his discourse by denouncing them, nor did he suppose that they would be convinced by mere dogmatical assertion. No happier instance can be found of cool, collected argumentation than is furnished in this discourse. I perceive - He perceived this by his observations of their forms of worship in passing through their city, Act 17:23. In all things - In respect to all events. Ye are too superstitious - δεισιδαιμονεστέρους deisidaimonesterous. This is a most unhappy translation. We use the word “superstitious” always in a bad sense, to denote being “over-scrupulous and rigid in religious observances, particularly in smaller matters, or a zealous devotion to rites and observances which are not commanded.” But the word here is designed to convey no such idea. It properly means “reverence for the gods.” It is used in the Classic writers in a good sense, to denote “piety toward the gods, or suitable fear and reverence for them”; and also in a bad sense, to denote “improper fear or excessive dread of their anger”; and in this sense it accords with our word “superstitious.” But it is altogether improbable that Paul would have used it in a bad sense. […]
The words behind it
18 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Σταθεὶς | statheis | Having stood | G2476 → | 153 times |
| δὲ | de | then | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| ὁ | ho | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Παῦλος | paulos | Paul | G3972 → | 158 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| μέσῳ | meso | [the] midst | G3319 → | 56 times |
| τοῦ | tou | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Ἀρείου | areiou | Ares | G697 → | 4 times |
| πάγου | pagou | Hill | G697 → | 4 times |
| ἔφη· | ephe | he was saying; | G5346 → | 66 times |
| ἄνδρες | andres | Men | G435 → | 216 times |
| Ἀθηναῖοι, | athenaioi | Athenians, | G117 → | |
| κατὰ | kata | in | G2596 → | 468 times |
| πάντα | panta | all things | G3956 → | 1235 times |
| ὡς | hos | as | G5613 → | 500 times |
| δεισιδαιμονεστέρους | deisidaimonesterous | very religious | G1174 → | |
| ὑμᾶς | humas | you | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| θεωρῶ· | theoro | I behold; | G2334 → | 58 times |
ΣταθεὶςHaving stood
statheisG2476 →153 times
δὲthen
deG1161 →2765 times
ὁ<the>
hoG3588 →19766 times
ΠαῦλοςPaul
paulosG3972 →158 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
μέσῳ[the] midst
mesoG3319 →56 times
τοῦof the
touG3588 →19766 times
ἈρείουAres
areiouG697 →4 times
πάγουHill
pagouG697 →4 times
ἔφη·he was saying;
epheG5346 →66 times
ἄνδρεςMen
andresG435 →216 times
Ἀθηναῖοι,Athenians,
athenaioiG117 →
κατὰin
kataG2596 →468 times
πάνταall things
pantaG3956 →1235 times
ὡςas
hosG5613 →500 times
δεισιδαιμονεστέρουςvery religious
deisidaimonesterousG1174 →
ὑμᾶςyou
humasG4771 →2973 times
θεωρῶ·I behold;
theoroG2334 →58 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Acts 17:16While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply disturbed in his spirit to see that the city was full of idols.
it leads to
- Psalms 119:158
I look on the faithless with loathing because they do not keep Your word.
- Psalms 119:136
My eyes shed streams of tears because Your law is not obeyed.
- Exodus 32:19–20
As Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, he burned with anger and threw the tablets out of his hands, shattering them at the base of the mountain.
- 2 Peter 2:7
and if He rescued Lot, a righteous man distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless
- Psalms 119:158
Through
Acts 25:19They only had some contentions with him regarding their own religion and a certain Jesus who had died, but whom Paul affirmed to be alive.
it leads to
- Acts 23:29
I found that the accusation involved questions about their own law, but there was no charge worthy of death or imprisonment.
- Acts 18:15
But since it is a dispute about words and names and your own law, settle it yourselves. I refuse to be a judge of such things.”
- 1 Corinthians 15:3–4
For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
- Acts 23:29
Through
Acts 19:35Finally the city clerk quieted the crowd and declared, “Men of Ephesus, doesn’t everyone know that the city of Ephesus is guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image, which…
it leads to
- 2 Thessalonians 2:10–11
and with every wicked deception directed against those who are perishing, because they refused the love of the truth that would have saved them.
- 2 Thessalonians 2:10–11
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies3
On this verse
On this chapter
About Acts
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Cassiodorus, Complexiones on the Acts of the Apostles; Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata Book 1; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Calvin, Commentary upon the Acts of the Apostles; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 38; John Chrysostom, CATENA ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 17.23; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts.