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Acts 17:18
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Some of the Epicurean and some of the Stoic philosophers argued with him. Some of them said, "This man doesn't really know what he is talking about. What is he trying to say?" Paul was telling them the Good News about Jesus and the resurrection. So they said, "He seems to be telling us about some other gods."
Certayne philosophers of ye Epicures and of ye stoyckes disputed with him. And some ther were which sayde: what will this babler saye. Other sayd: he semeth to be a tydynges bringer of newe devyls because he preached vnto them Iesus and the resurreccion.
Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also encountered him. Some said, "What does this babbler want to say?" Others said, "He seems to be advocating foreign demons," because he preached Yeshua and the resurrection.
Some Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also debated with him. Some asked, "What is this blabbermouth trying to say?" while others said, "He seems to be preaching about foreign gods." This was because he was telling the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.
And some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers as well were conversing with him. Some were saying, "What could this scavenger of tidbits want to say?" Others, "He seems to be a proclaimer of strange deities,"—because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection.
Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers argued with him, saying, "This man doesn't know what he is talking about. What is he trying to say?" Others said, "He seems to be telling us about some other gods," because Paul was telling them about Jesus and his rising from the dead.
And certain also of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered him. And some said, What would this babbler say? others, He seems to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached Jesus and the resurrection.
Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoics, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? some others, He seemeth to be a setter-forth of strange gods: because he preached to them Jesus, and the resurrection.
Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said, "What does this babbler wish to say?" Others said, "He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities"—because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection.
Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also encountered him. Some said, "What does this babbler want to say?" Others said, "He seems to be advocating foreign demons," because he preached Jesus and the resurrection.
Then some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers incountered him: and some said, What would this babler say? Others, he seemeth to be a proclaimer of strange gods; because he preached to them Jesus, and the resurrection.
A few of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also encountered him. Some of them asked, "What has this beggarly babbler to say?" "His business," said others, "seems to be to cry up some foreign gods." This was because he had been telling the Good News of Jesus and the Resurrection.
And summe Epeicureis, and Stoisens, and filosofris disputiden with hym. And summe seiden, What wole this sowere of wordis seie? And othere seiden, He semeth to be a tellere of newe fendis; for he telde to hem Jhesu, and the ayenrisyng.
And certain also of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered him. And some said, What would this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached Jesus and the resurrection.
Some of them were Epicureans and some were Stoics, and they started arguing with him. People were asking, "What is this know-it-all trying to say?" Some even said, "Paul must be preaching about foreign gods! That's what he means when he talks about Jesus and about people rising from death."
And some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to engage in conversation with him. And some said, "What could this idle babbler [with his eclectic, scrap-heap learning] have in mind to say?" Others said, "He seems to be a proclaimer of strange deities"—because he was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.
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.
And some of those who were supporters of the theories of the Epicureans and the Stoics, had a meeting with him. And some said, What is this talker of foolish words saying? And others, He seems to be a preacher of strange gods: because he was preaching of Jesus and his coming back from the dead.
Also a group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers started meeting with him. Some asked, "What is this babbler trying to say?" Others, because he proclaimed the Good News about Yeshua and the resurrection, said, "He sounds like a propagandist for foreign gods."
But some also of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers attacked him. And some said, What would this chatterer say? and some, He seems to be an announcer of foreign demons, because he announced the glad tidings of Jesus and the resurrection [to them].
and the philosophers also who were of the doctrine of Epikuros, and others who were called Estoiku, disputed with him. And some of them said, What willeth this accumulator of words ? And others said, He preaches foreign gods; because Jeshu and his resurrection he preached unto them.
And also philosophers of the sect of Epicureans, and others who were called Stoics, disputed with him. And one and another of them said: What doth this word-monger mean? Others said: He announceth foreign deities; because he preached to them Jesus and his resurrection.
Then certaine Philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoikes, encountred him: and some said, What will this babbler say? Othersome, He seemeth to be a setter foorth of strange gods: because hee preached vnto them Iesus, and the resurrection.
He also had a debate with some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. When he told them about Jesus and his resurrection, they said, "What's this babbler trying to say with these strange ideas he's picked up?" Others said, "He seems to be preaching about some foreign gods."
Some men from two different groups were arguing with Paul. The one group thought that men might as well get all the fun out of life that they can. The other group thought that wisdom alone makes men happy. Some of them said, "This man has lots of little things to talk about. They are not important. What is he trying to say?" Others said, "He preaches about strange gods." It was because he preached of Jesus and of His being raised from the dead.
Also some Epicurean and Stoic philosophers debated with him. Some said, "What does this babbler want to say?" Others said, "He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign divinities." (This was because he was telling the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.)
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.)
Philosophers, also, who were of the teaching of Ep''i-cu-rus, and others, who were called Sto''ics, argued with him. And some of them said, What does this babbler want? And others said, He preaches foreign gods: because he preached to them Jesus and his resurrection.
But, certain both of the Epicurean and of the Stoic philosophers, were encountering him; and some were saying - What might this picker-up-of-scraps wish to be saying? And, others - Of foreign demons, he seemeth to be a declarer: because, of Jesus and the Resurrection, he was announcing the joyful tidings.
And certain philosophers of the Epicureans and of the Stoics disputed with him. And some said: What is it that this word sower would say? But others: He seemeth to be a setter forth of new gods. Because he preached to them Jesus and the resurrection.
Some also of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers met him. And some said, "What would this babbler say?" Others said, "He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities" --because he preached Jesus and the resurrection.
Then certaine philosophers of the Epicures, and of the Stoickes disputed with hym. And some saide: What wyll this babler say? Other some, he seemeth to be a setter foorth of newe gods: because he preached vnto them Iesus, and the resurrection.
Certain Epicurean and Stoic teachers also debated with him. Some of them asked, "What is this ignorant show-off trying to say?" Others answered, "He seems to be talking about foreign gods." They said this because Paul was preaching about Jesus and the resurrection.
Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also debated with him. Some said, “What is this ignorant show-off trying to say?”
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.
And even some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were conversing with him, and some were saying, "What does this babbler want to say?" But others said, "He appears to be a proclaimer of foreign deities," because he was proclaiming the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.
And some of the Epicureans and of the Stoics, philosophers, fell in with him. And some said, What may this seed-picker wish to say? And these others , He seems to be an announcer of foreign demons(because he announced Jesus and theresurrection to them).
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,
But certayne Philosophers of ye Epicurees and Stoikes disputed with him. And some sayde: What will this babler saye? But some sayde: He semeth to be a tidinges brynger of new goddes (That was, because he had preached vnto the the Gospell of Iesus, & of the resurreccion.)
there certain Epicurean and Stoick philosophers encountred him: "what does this mountebank mean?" said some: "he seems to proclaim some strange deitys," said others: because he talk'd to them of Jesus and the resurrection.
Also some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were conversing with him, and some were asking, "What does this foolish babbler want to say?" Others said, "He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods." (They said this because he was proclaiming the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.)
Then [fn] certain Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered him. And some said, "What does this babbler want to say?" Others said, "He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods," because he preached to them Jesus and the resurrection.
Now Greece was known for its philosophers, and Paul talked at length with them; ones who followed the Epicurean style as well as the Stoic ones. Some of them rolled their eyes at him, and others acted all high and mighty, saying, "Let us listen to him. He is teaching us about some foreign gods."
And also some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were conversing with him. Some were saying, "What would this idle babbler wish to say?" Others, "He seems to be a proclaimer of strange deities,"—because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection.
And also some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were conversing with him. Some were saying, "What would this idle babbler wish to say?" Others, "He seems to be a proclaimer of strange deities,"—because he was proclaiming the good news of Jesus and the resurrection.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
philosophers: Romans 1:22, 1 Corinthians 1:20, 1 Corinthians 1:21, Colossians 2:8
encountered: Acts 6:9, Mark 9:14, Luke 11:53
babbler: or, base fellow, Proverbs 23:9, Proverbs 26:12, 1 Corinthians 3:18
Jesus: Acts 17:31, Acts 26:23, Romans 14:9, Romans 14:10, 1 Corinthians 15:3, 1 Corinthians 15:4
Reciprocal: Genesis 41:8 - the magicians of Egypt 2 Kings 9:11 - this mad fellow Job 11:2 - the multitude Jeremiah 20:7 - I am Ezekiel 20:49 - Doth Matthew 5:22 - Whosoever Matthew 26:61 - This Mark 4:15 - these Mark 9:10 - what Acts 4:2 - preached Acts 8:35 - preached Acts 11:20 - preaching Acts 17:32 - some 1 Corinthians 1:18 - foolishness 1 Corinthians 1:22 - the Greeks 1 Corinthians 1:27 - General 1 Corinthians 2:14 - they 1 Corinthians 4:10 - are fools 2 Corinthians 6:9 - unknown Colossians 1:28 - Whom 1 Thessalonians 2:13 - because 1 Timothy 4:1 - and doctrines 1 Timothy 6:20 - oppositions Hebrews 6:2 - resurrection
Cross-References
When you till the ground, it will no longer yield its produce to you. You will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth."
Behold, this day You have driven me from the face of the earth, and from Your face I will be hidden; I will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me."
Many ask, "Who can show us the good?" Shine the light of Your face upon us, O LORD.
In my integrity You uphold me and set me in Your presence forever.
But your iniquities have built barriers between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.
I will give them one heart and one way, so that they will always fear Me for their own good and for the good of their children after them.
This promise belongs to you and to your children and to all who are far off, to all whom the Lord our God will call to Himself."
Gill's Notes on the Bible
Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans,.... These were so called from Epicurus, the son of Neocles, who was born 342 years before Christ, and taught philosophy at Athens, in his garden; the principal tenets of which were, that the world was not made by any deity, or with any design, but came into its being and form, through a fortuitous concourse of atoms, of various sizes and magnitude, which met, and jumbled, and cemented together, and so formed the world; and that the world is not governed by the providence of God; for though he did not deny the being of God, yet he thought it below his notice, and beneath his majesty to concern himself with its affairs; and also, that the chief happiness of men lies in pleasure. His followers were called "Epicureans"; of which there have been two sorts; the one were called the strict or rigid "Epicureans", who placed all happiness in the pleasure of the mind, arising from the practice of moral virtue, and which is thought by some to be the true principle of "Epicureans"; the other were called the loose, or the remiss Epicureans, who understood their master in the gross sense, and placed all their happiness in the pleasure of the body, in brutal and sensual pleasure, in living a voluptuous life, in eating and drinking, c. and this is the common notion imbibed of an Epicurean.
And of the Stoics: the author of this sect was Zeno, whose followers were so called from the Greek word "Stoa", which signifies a portico, or piazza, under which Zeno used to walk, and teach his philosophy, and where great numbers of disciples attended him, who from hence were called "Stoics": their chief tenets were, that there is but one God, and that the world was made by him, and is governed by fate that happiness lies in virtue, and virtue has its own reward in itself; that all virtues are linked together, and all vices are equal; that a wise and good man is destitute of all passion, and uneasiness of mind, is always the same, and always joyful, and ever happy in the greatest torture, pain being no real evil; that the soul lives after the body, and that the world will be destroyed by fire. Now the philosophers of these two sects
encountered him; the Apostle Paul; they attacked him, and disputed with him upon some points, which were contrary to their philosophy:
and some said, what will this babbler say? this talking, prating fellow? though the word here used does not signify, as some have thought, a sower of words; as if they meant, that the apostle was a dealer is many words, a verbose man, and full of words, but not matter; but it properly signifies a gatherer of seeds; and the allusion is either to a set of idle people, that used to go to markets and fairs, and pick up seeds of corn, that were shook out of sacks, upon which they lived; and so the word came to be used for an idle good for nothing fellow, and for one that picked up tales and fables, and carried them about for a livelihood. So Demosthenes, in a way of reproach, called Aeschincs by this name; and such an one was the apostle reckoned: or the metaphor is taken from little birds, as the sparrow, c. that pick up seeds, and live upon them, and are of no value and use. Harpocratian says d, there is a certain little bird, of the jay or jackdaw kind, which is called "Spermologos" (the word here used), from its picking up of seeds, of which Aristophanes makes mention and that from this a base and contemptible man, and one that lives by others, is called by this name: from whence we may learn in what a contemptuous manner the apostle was used in this polite city, by these men of learning.
Other some, he seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods; other than those worshipped in the city of Athens: this was the charge which Melitus brought against Socrates;
"Socrates (says he e) has acted an unrighteous part; the gods, whom the city reckons such, he does not, introducing other and new gods.''
Aelianus f represents him as censured by Aristophanes, as one that introduced Î¾ÎµÎ½Î±Ï Î´Î±Î¹Î¼Î¿Î½Î±Ï, "strange gods", though he neither knew them, nor honoured them. The reason why they thought the apostle was for bringing in other gods, than which nothing was more foreign from him, was,
because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection: the Syriac version reads, "and his resurrection"; that is, the resurrection of Christ; the Arabic version renders it, "the resurrection from the dead"; the general resurrection; both doubtless were preached by him, see Acts 17:32 Jesus they took for one strange and new God, they had never heard of before, and "Anastasis", or "the resurrection", for another; which need not be wondered at, when they had altars erected for Mercy, Fame, Shame, and Desire, Acts 17:32- :.
d Lexicon, p. 271, 272. e Laertius in Vita Socratis. f Var. Hist. l. 2. c. 13.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Then certain philosophers - Athens was distinguished, among all the cities of Greece and the world, for the cultivation of a subtle and refined philosophy. This was their boast, and the object of their constant search and study, 1 Corinthians 1:22.
Of the Epicureans - This sect of philosophers was so named from Epicurus, who lived about 300 years before the Christian era. They denied that the world was created by God, and that the gods exercised any care or providence over human affairs, and also the immortality of the soul. Against these positions of the sect Paul directed his main argument in proving that the world was created and governed by God. One of the distinguishing doctrines of Epicurus was that pleasure was the summum bonum, or chief good, and that virtue was to be practiced only as it contributed to pleasure. By pleasure, however, Epicurus did not mean sensual and groveling appetites and degraded vices, but rational pleasure, properly regulated and governed. See Goodâs âBook of Nature.â But whatever his views were, it is certain that his followers had embraced the doctrine that the pleasures of sense were to be practiced without restraint. Both in principle and practice, therefore, they devoted themselves to a life of gaiety and sensuality, and sought happiness only in indolence, effeminacy, and voluptuousness. Confident in the belief that the world was not under the administration of a God of justice, they gave themselves up to the indulgence of every passion the infidels of their time, and the exact example of the frivolous and fashionable multitudes of all times, that live without God, and that seek pleasure as their chief good.
And of the Stoics - This was a sect of philosophers, so named from the Greek ÏÏÎ¿Î±Ì stoa, a porch or portico, because Zeno, the founder of the sect, held his school and taught in a porch, in the city of Athens. Zeno was born in the island of Cyprus, but the greater part of his life was spent at Athens in teaching philosophy. After having taught publicly 48 years, he died at the age of 96, that is, 264 years before Christ. The doctrines of the sect were, that the universe was created by God; that all things were fixed by Fate; that even God was under the dominion of fatal necessity; that the Fates were to be submitted to; that the passions and affections were to be suppressed and restrained; that happiness consisted in the insensibility of the soul to pain; and that a man should gain an absolute mastery over all the passions and affections of his nature. They were stern in their views of virtue, and, like the Pharisees, prided themselves on their own righteousness. They supposed that matter was eternal, and that God was either the animating principle or soul of the world, or that all things were a part of God. They fluctuated much in their views of a future state; some of them holding that the soul would exist only until the destruction of the universe, and others that it would finally be absorbed into the divine essence and become a part of God. It will be readily seen, therefore, with what pertinency Paul discoursed to them. The leading doctrines of both sects were met by him.
Encountered him - Contended with him; opposed themselves to him.
And some said - This was said in scorn and contempt. He had excited attention; but they scorned such doctrines as they supposed would be delivered by an unknown foreigner from Judea.
What will this babbler say? - Margin, âbase fellow.â Greek: ÏÏεÏμολοÌÎ³Î¿Ï spermologos. The word occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. It properly means âone who collects seeds,â and was applied by the Greeks to the poor persons who collected the scattered grain in the fields after harvest, or to gleaners; and also to the poor who obtained a precarious subsistence around the markets and in the streets. It was also applied to birds that picked up the scattered seeds of grain in the field or in the markets. The word came hence to have a twofold signification:
(1) It denoted the poor, the needy, and the vile the refuse and offscouring of society; and,
(2) From the birds which were thus employed, and which were troublesome by their continual unmusical sounds, it came to denote those who were talkative, garrulous, and opinionated those who collected the opinions of others, or scraps of knowledge, and retailed them fluently, without order or method. It was a word, therefore, expressive of their contempt for an unknown foreigner who should pretend to instruct the learned men and philosophers of Greece. Doddridge renders it âretailer of scraps.â Syriac, âcollector of words.â
Other some - Others.
He seemeth to be a setter forth - He announces or declares the existence of strange gods. The reason why they supposed this was, that he made the capital points of his preaching to be Jesus and the resurrection, which they mistook for the names of divinities.
Of strange gods - Of foreign gods, or demons. They worshipped many gods themselves, and as they believed that every country had its own special divinities, they supposed that Paul had come to announce the existence of some such foreign, and to them unknown gods. The word translated âgodsâ (δαιμονιÌÏν daimonioÌn) denotes properly âthe genii, or spirits who were superior to human beings, but inferior to the gods.â It is, however, often employed to denote the gods themselves, and is evidently so used here. The gods among the Greeks were such as were supposed to have that rank by nature. The demons were such as had been exalted to divinity from being heroes and distinguished men.
He preached unto them Jesus - He proclaimed him as the Messiah. The mistake which they made by supposing that Jesus was a foreign divinity was one which was perfectly natural for minds degraded like theirs by idolatry. They had no idea of a pure God; they knew nothing of the doctrine of the Messiah; and they naturally supposed, therefore, that he of whom Paul spoke so much must be a god of some other nation, of a rank similar to their own divinities.
And the resurrection - The resurrection of Jesus, and through him the resurrection of the dead. It is evident, I think, that by the resurrection ÏηÌν αÌναÌÏÏαÏιν teÌn anastasin they understood him to refer to the name of some goddess. Such was the interpretation of Chrysostom. The Greeks had erected altars to Shame, and Famine, and Desire (Paus., i. 17), and it is probable that they supposed âthe resurrection,â or the Anastasis, to be the name also of some unknown goddess who presided over the resurrection. Thus, they regarded him as a setter forth of two foreign or strange gods, Jesus, and the Anastasis, or resurrection.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Acts 17:18. Certain philosophers of the Epicureans — These were the followers of Epicurus, who acknowledged no gods except in name, and absolutely denied that they exercised any government over the world or its inhabitants; and that the chief good consisted in the gratification of the appetites of sense. These points the Epicureans certainly held; but it is not clear that Epicurus himself maintained such doctrines.
And of the Stoics — These did not deny the existence of the gods; but they held that all human affairs were governed by fate. They did not believe that any good was received from the hands of their gods; and considered, as Seneca asserts, that any good and wise man was equal to Jupiter himself. Both these sects agreed in denying the resurrection of the body; and the former did not believe in the immortality of the soul.
EPICURUS, the founder of the Epicurean sect, was born at Athens, about A.M. 3663, before Christ 341.
ZENO, the founder of the Stoic sect, was born in the isle of Cyprus, about thirty years before Christ. His disciples were called Stoics from the ÏÏοα, a famous portico at Athens, where they studied. Besides these two sects, there were two others which were famous at this time; viz. the Academics and the Peripatetics. The founder of the first was the celebrated PLATO; and the founder of the second, the no less famous ARISTOTLE. These sects professed a much purer doctrine than the Epicureans and Stoics; and it does not appear that they opposed the apostles, nor did they enter into public disputations with them. Against the doctrines taught by the Epicureans and Stoics, several parts of St. Paul's discourse, in the following verses, are directly pointed.
What will this babbler say? — The word ÏÏεÏμολογοÏ, which we translate babbler, signifies, literally, a collector of seeds, and is the "name of a small bird the lives by picking up seeds on the road." The epithet became applied to persons who collected the sayings of others, without order or method, and detailed them among their companions in the same way. The application of the term to prating, empty, impertinent persons, was natural and easy, and hence it was considered a term of reproach and contempt, and was sometimes used to signify the vilest sort of men.
A setter forth of strange gods — ξενÏνδαιμονιÏν, Of strange or foreign demons. That this was strictly forbidden, both at Rome and Athens, Acts 16:21.
There was a difference, in the heathen theology, between θεοÏ, god, and δαιμÏν, demon: the θεοι, were such as were gods by nature: the δαιμονια, were men who were deified. This distinction seems to be in the mind of these philosophers when they said that the apostles seemed to be setters forth of strange demons, because they preached unto them Jesus, whom they showed to be a man, suffering and dying, but afterwards raised to the throne of God. This would appear to them tantamount with the deification of heroes, &c., who had been thus honoured for their especial services to mankind. Horace expresses this in two lines, 2 Epist. i. 5:-
Romulus, et Liber pater, et cum Castore Pollux,
Post ingentia facta, deorum in templa recepti.
"Romulus, father Bacchus, with Castor and Pollux, for their eminent services, have been received into the temples of the gods."
