the Week of Proper 19 / Ordinary 24
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Acts 17:23
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As I walked, I saw many statues and idols that y'all worship. There was even an altar with an inscription that said, 'To the Unknown God.' Y'all don't even know the God you worship, but I'm fixing to introduce you to him. He has a name.
"For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, 'TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.' Therefore what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you.
For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.' Therefore what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you.
For when I came by, I was looking at the things to which you give worship, and I saw an altar with this writing on it, TO THE GOD OF WHOM THERE IS NO KNOWLEDGE. Now, what you, without knowledge, give worship to, I make clear to you.
for, passing through and beholding your shrines, I found also an altar on which was inscribed, To the unknown God. Whom therefore ye reverence, not knowing [him], him I announce to you.
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:
For as I was passing through and observing the objects of your worship, I even found an altar on which was inscribed: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you.
For as I passed along, and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: 'TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.' What therefore you worship in ignorance, this I announce to you.
For as I passed along and beheld the objects of your worship, I found an altar, on which was inscribed, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD: him therefore whom ye worship without knowing him, I proclaim unto you.
For as I passed along and observed the things you worship, I found also an altar bearing the inscription, `TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.' "The Being, therefore, whom you, without knowing Him, revere, Him I now proclaim to you.
For as I passed by, and beheld your deuotions, I found an Altar with this inscription, TO THE VNKNOWEN GOD. Whom therefore yee ignorantly worship, him declare I vnto you.
for passing through and looking up at the objects of your worship, I also found an altar on which had been written, TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Not knowing, then, whom you worship, I make Him known to you.
I haue gone thorow, & sene youre gods seruyce, and founde an altare, where vpo was wrytten: To the vnknowne God. Now shewe I vnto you ye same, whom ye worshippe ignorauntly.
for considering, as I pass'd along, the deitys, which you adore, I met with an altar that had this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. now that GOD whom you worship without knowing him, is the same that I denounce to you.
"Now as I was going along and carefully looking at your objects of worship, I came to an altar with this inscription: 'TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.' Therefore what you already worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.
For as I passed along, and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, To an Unknown God . What therefore ye worship in ignorance, this I set forth unto you.
For as I passed along, and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, 'To an unknown god.' What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.
For as I passed by and behelde the maner how ye worship youre goddes I founde an aultre wher in was written: vnto ye vnknowen god. Whom ye then ignoratly worship him shewe I vnto you.
For as I passed along, and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. What therefore you worship in ignorance, this I set forth to you.
For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I to you.
for passing through and contemplating your objects of worship, I found also an erection on which had been inscribed: To God -- unknown; whom, therefore -- not knowing -- ye do worship, this One I announce to you.
As I was going through your city, I saw the objects you worship. I found an altar that had these words written on it: to a god who is not known . You worship a god that you don't know, and this is the God I am telling you about!
For as I went around and observed closely your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: ‘To an unknown god.' Therefore what you worship without knowing it, this I proclaim to you.
As I was going through your city and looking at the things you worship, I found an altar with the words, "To an Unknown God." You worship this God, but you don't really know him. So I want to tell you about him.
For as I was walking around, looking at your shrines, I even found an altar which had been inscribed, ‘To An Unknown God.' So, the one whom you are already worshipping in ignorance — this is the one I proclaim to you.
For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘To the unknown god.' What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.
For as I passed by, and behelde your deuotions, I founde an altar wherein was written, Vnto The Vnknowen God. Whome yee then ignorantly worship, him shewe I vnto you.
For as I walked about, and viewed the house of your idols, I found an altar with this inscription, THIS IS THE ALTAR OF THE UNKNOWN GOD, whom therefore, while you know him not but yet worship, is the very one I am preaching to you.
For as I passed along, and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: 'TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.' What therefore you worship in ignorance, this I announce to you.
For as I was walking around and looking closely at the objects you worship, I even found an altar with this written on it: 'To an unknown god.' So I am telling you about the unknown object you worship.
As I walked about and saw the place of your worship, I found a certain altar on which was inscribed, To GOD THE HIDDEN: him then whom while not known you worship, This I declare to you.
For, as I was rambling about, and viewing the temples of your worship, I met with an altar, on which was inscribed, TO THE HIDDEN GOD. Him, therefore, whom ye worship while ye know him not, the very same I announce to you.
for as I was walking along I saw your many shrines. And one of your altars had this inscription on it: ‘To an Unknown God.' This God, whom you worship without knowing, is the one I'm telling you about.
As I was walking around and looking at the things you worship, I found an altar where you worship with the words written on it, TO THE GOD WHO IS NOT KNOWN. You are worshiping Him without knowing Him. He is the One I will tell you about.
For as I passed along, and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. What therefore ye worship in ignorance, this set I forth unto you.
For as I went through the city and looked carefully at the objects of your worship, I found among them an altar with the inscription, ‘To an unknown god.' What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.
For, passing through, and carefully observing your objects of devotion, I found an altar also, in which was inscribed - Unto an Unknown God. What, therefore, not knowing, ye reverence, the same, do, I, declare unto you.
For passing by and seeing your idols, I found an altar also, on which was written: To the Unknown God. What therefore you worship without knowing it, that I preach to you:
For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, To The Unknown God . Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.
For as I was passing through and observing carefully your objects of worship, I even found an altar on which was inscribed, ‘To an unknown God.' Therefore what you worship without knowing it, this I proclaim to you—
For as I passed by, and behelde the maner howe ye worship your gods, I founde an aulter, wherin was written, vnto the vnknowe god. Whom ye then ignorauntly worship, him shewe I vnto you.
I was going through your city and I saw the things you worship. I found an altar that had these words written on it: ‘ to an unknown god .' You worship a god that you don't know. This is the God I want to tell you about.
"For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, 'TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.' Therefore, what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you.
For as I walked through your city and looked at the places where you worship, I found an altar on which is written, ‘To an Unknown God.' That which you worship, then, even though you do not know it, is what I now proclaim to you.
For Y passide, and siy youre maumetis, and foond an auter, in which was writun, To the vnknowun God. Therfor which thing ye vnknowynge worschipen, this thing Y schew to you.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
devotions: or, gods that ye worship, Romans 1:23-25, 1 Corinthians 8:5, 2 Thessalonians 2:4
To: Psalms 147:20, John 17:3, John 17:25, Romans 1:20-22, Romans 1:28, 1 Corinthians 1:21, 2 Corinthians 4:4-6, Galatians 4:8, Galatians 4:9, Ephesians 2:12, 1 Timothy 1:17, 1 John 5:20
ignorantly: Acts 17:30, Psalms 50:21, Matthew 15:9, John 4:22, John 8:54
Reciprocal: 1 Chronicles 28:9 - know thou 2 Chronicles 28:24 - he made Psalms 76:1 - In Judah Psalms 79:6 - not known Psalms 100:3 - Know Isaiah 44:8 - ye are Isaiah 45:4 - though Isaiah 60:2 - the darkness Jeremiah 10:25 - that know Hosea 2:8 - she Jonah 1:9 - which John 7:28 - whom John 8:55 - ye have not John 15:21 - because Acts 17:16 - wholly given to idolatry Acts 25:19 - superstition Romans 1:19 - that which 1 Thessalonians 4:5 - know Revelation 10:5 - lifted Revelation 14:7 - worship
Cross-References
I will establish My covenant between Me and you, and I will multiply you exceedingly."
God also said to Abraham, "As for you, you must keep My covenant, you and your descendants for the generations to come.
This is My covenant with you and your descendants after you, which you are to keep: Every male among you must be circumcised.
Generation after generation, every male must be circumcised when he is eight days old, including those born in your household and those purchased from a foreigner-even those who are not your offspring.
But if any male is not circumcised, he will be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant."
And Abraham said to God, "O that Ishmael might live under Your blessing!"
But God replied, "Your wife Sarah will indeed bear you a son, and you are to name him Isaac. I will establish My covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.
and his son Ishmael was thirteen;
Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised on the same day.
And all the men of Abraham's household-both servants born in his household and those purchased from foreigners-were circumcised with him.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
For as I passed by,.... Or "through"; that is, through the city of Athens:
and beheld your devotions; not so much their acts of worship and religion, as the gods which they worshipped; in which sense this word is used in 2 Thessalonians 2:4 and the altars which were erected to them, and the temples in which they were worshipped; and so the Syriac and Arabic versions render it, "the houses", and "places of your worship"; and the Ethiopic version, "your images", or "deities",
I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Pausanias p speaks in the plural number of altars of gods, that were named unknown, at Athens; and so says Apollonius Tyanaeus to Timasion q it is wisest to speak well of all the gods, especially at Athens, where there are altars to unknown gods: it may be, there were altars that had the inscription in the plural number; and there was one which Paul took particular notice of, in the singular number; or the above writers may speak of altars to unknown gods, because there might be many altars with this inscription: the whole of the inscription, according to Theophylact, was this;
"to the gods of Asia, Europe, and Lybia (or Africa), to the unknown and strange god;''
though Jerom r makes this to be in the plural number: certain it is, that Lucian s swears by the unknown god that was at Athens, and says, we finding the unknown god at Athens, and worshipping with hands stretched out towards heaven, gave thanks unto him: the reason why they erected an altar with such an inscription might be, for fear when they took in the gods of other nations, there might be some one which they knew not; wherefore, to omit none, they erect an altar to him; and which proves what the apostle says, that they were more religious and superstitious than others: or it may be they might have a regard to the God of the Jews, whose name Jehovah with them was not to be pronounced, and who, by the Gentiles, was called "Deus incertus" t; and here, in the Syriac version, it is rendered, "the hidden God", as the God of Israel is called, Isaiah 45:15 and that he is here designed seems manifest from what follows,
whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you; which could not be said by him of any other deity. God is an unknown God to those who have only the light of nature to guide them; for though it may be known by it that there is a God, and that there is but one, and somewhat of him may be discerned thereby; yet the nature of his essence, and the perfections of his nature, and the unity of his being, are very little, and not truly and commonly understood, and the persons in the Godhead not at all, and still less God in Christ, whom to know is life eternal: hence the Gentiles are described as such who know not God; wherefore, if he is worshipped by them at all, it must be ignorantly: and that they are ignorant worshippers of him, appears by worshipping others more than him, and besides him, or him in others, and these idols of gold, silver, brass, wood, and stone; and by their indecencies and inhumanity used in the performance of their worship: wherefore a revelation became necessary, by which men might be acquainted with the nature of the divine Being, and the true manner of worshipping him; in which a declaration is made of the nature and perfections of God, and of the persons in the Godhead, the object of worship; of the counsels, purposes, and decrees of God; of his covenant transactions with his Son respecting the salvation of his chosen people; of his love, grace, and mercy, displayed in the mission and gift of Christ to be the Saviour and Redeemer of them; of the glory of his attributes in their salvation; and of his whole mind and will, both with respect to doctrine and practice; and which every faithful minister of the Gospel, as the Apostle Paul, shuns not, according to his ability, truly and fully to declare.
p Attica, p. 2. q Philostrat. Vita Apollonii, l. 6. c. 2. r In Titum 1. 12. s In Dialog. Philopatris. t Lucan. Pharsalia, l. 2.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
For as I passed by - Greek: “For I, coming through, and seeing, etc.”
And beheld - Diligently contemplated; attentively considered ἀναθεωρῶν anatheōrōn. The worship of an idolatrous people will be an object of intense and painful interest to a Christian.
Your devotions - τὰ σεβάσματα ta sebasmata. Our word devotions refers to the “act of worship” - to prayers, praises, etc. The Greek word used here means properly any sacred thing; any object which is worshipped, or which is connected with the place or rites of worship. Thus, it is applied either to the gods themselves, or to the temples, altars, shrines, sacrifices, statues, etc., connected with the worship of the gods. This is its meaning here. It does not denote that Paul saw them engaged in the act of worship, but that he was struck with the numerous temples, altars, statues, etc., which were reared to the gods, and which indicated the state of the people. Syriac, “the temple of your gods.” Vulgate, “your images.” Margin, “gods that ye worship.”
I found an altar - An altar usually denotes “a place for sacrifice.” Here, however, it does not appear that any sacrifice was offered; but it was probably a monument of stone, reared to commemorate a certain event, and dedicated to the unknown God.
To the unknown God - ἀγνώστῳ Θεῷ agnōstō Theō. Where this altar was reared, or on what occasion, has been a subject of much debate with expositors. That there was such an altar in Athens, though it may not have been specifically mentioned by the Greek writers, is rendered probable by the following circumstances:
(1) It was customary to rear such altars. Minutius Felix says of the Romans, “They build altars to unknown divinities.”
(2) The term “unknown God” was used in relation to the worship of the Athenians. Lucian, in his Philopatris, uses this form of an oath: “I swear by the unknown God at Athens,” the very expression used by the apostle. And again he says (chapter xxix. 180), “We have found out the unknown God at Athens, and worshipped him with our hands stretched up to heaven, etc.”
(3) There were altars at Athens inscribed to the unknown gods. Philostratus says (in Vita Apol., Romans 6:3), “And this at Athens, where there are even altars to the unknown gods.” Thus, Pausanius (in Attic., chapter i.) says, that “at Athens there are altars of gods which are called the unknown ones.” Jerome, in his commentary Titus 1:12, says that the whole inscription was, “To the gods of Asia, Europe, and Africa; to the unknown and strange gods.”
(4) There was a remarkable altar raised in Athens in a time of pestilence, in honor of the unknown god which had granted them deliverance. Diogenes Laertius says that Epimenides restrained the pestilence in the following manner: “Taking white and black sheep, he led them to the Areopagus, and there permitted them to go where they would, commanding those who followed them to sacrifice τῶ προσήχοντι θεῷ tō prosēkonti theōto the god to whom these things pertained or who had the power of averting the plague, whoever he might be, without adding the name and thus to allay the pestilence. From which it has arisen that at this day, through the villages of the Athenians, altars are found without any name” (Diog. Laert., book i, section 10). This took place about 600 years before Christ, and it is not improbable that one or more of those altars remained until the time of Paul. It should be added that the natural inscription on those altars would be, “To the unknown God.” None of the gods to whom they usually sacrificed could deliver them from the pestilence. They therefore reared them to some unknown Being who had the power to free them from the plague.
Whom therefore - The true God, who had really delivered them from the plague.
Ye ignorantly worship - Or worship without knowing his name. You have expressed your homage for him by rearing to him an altar.
Him declare I unto you - I make known to you his name, attributes, etc. There is remarkable tact in Paul’s seizing on this circumstance; and yet it was perfectly fair and honest. Only the true God could deliver in the time of the pestilence. This altar had, therefore, been really reared to him, though his name was unknown. The same Being who had interposed at that time, and whose interposition was recorded by the building of this altar, was He who had made the heavens; who ruled over all; and whom Paul was now about to make known to them. There is another feature of skill in the allusion to this altar. In other circumstances it might seem to be presumptuous for an unknown Jew to at tempt to instruct the sages of Athens. But here they had confessed and proclaimed their ignorance. By rearing this altar they acknowledged their need of instruction. The way was, therefore, fairly open for Paul to address even these philosophers, and to discourse to them on a point on which they acknowledged their ignorance.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Acts 17:23. Beheld your devotions — σεβασματα, The objects of your worship; the different images of their gods which they held in religious veneration, sacrificial instruments, altars, c., c.
TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. — ΑΓΝΩΣΤΩ ΘΕΩ. That there was an altar at Athens thus inscribed, we cannot doubt after such a testimony though St. Jerome questions it in part for he says St. Paul found the inscription in the plural number, but, because he would not appear to acknowledge a plurality of gods, he quoted it in the singular: Verum, quia Paulus non pluribus Diis indigebat ignotis, sed uno tantum ignoto Deo, singulari verbo usus est. Epist. ad Magn. This is a most foolish saying: had Paul done so, how much would such a begging of the question have prejudiced his defence in the minds of his intelligent judges! OEcumenius intimates that St. Paul does not give the whole of the inscription which this famous altar bore; and which he says was the following: Θεοις Ασιας και Ευρωπης και Λιβυης, Θεῳ αγνωϚῳ και ξενῳ, To the gods of Asia, and Europe, and Africa: TO THE UNKNOWN and strange GOD. Several eminent men suppose that this unknown god was the God of the Jews; and, as his name יהוה was considered by the Jews as ineffable, the Θεος αγνωϚος may be considered as the anonymous god; the god whose name was not known, and must not be pronounced. That there was such a god acknowledged at Athens we have full proof. Lucian in his Philopatris, cap. xiii. p. 769, uses this form of an oath: νη τον αγνωϚον τον εν Αθηναις, I swear by the UNKNOWN GOD at ATHENS. And again, cap. xxix. 180: ἡμεις δε τον εν Αθηναις αγνωϚον εφευροντες και προσκυνησαντες, χειρας εις ουρανον εκτειναντες, τουτῳ ευχαριϚησομεν ὡς καταξιωθεντες, c. We have found out the UNKNOWN god at ATHENS-and worshipped him with our hands stretched up to heaven and we will gave thanks unto him, as being thought worthy to be subject to this power. Bp. Pearce properly asks, Is it likely that Lucian, speaking thus, (whether in jest or in earnest,) should not have had some notion of there being at Athens an altar inscribed to the unknown God? Philostratus, in vit. Apollon. vi. 3, notices the same thing, though he appears to refer to several altars thus inscribed: και ταυτα Αθηνῃσι, οὑ και αγνωϚων Θεων βωμοι ἱδρυνται, And this at ATHENS, where there are ALTARS even to the UNKNOWN GODS. Pausanias, in Attic. cap. 1. p. 4, edit. Kuhn., says that at Athens there are βωμοι Θεων των ονομαζομενων αγνωϚων, altars of gods which are called, The UNKNOWN ones. Minutius Felix says of the Romans, Aras extruunt etiam ignotis numinibus. "They even build altars to UNKNOWN DIVINITIES." And Tertullian, contra Marcion, says, Invenio plane Diis ignotis aras prostitutas: sed Attica idolatria est. "I find altars allotted to the worship of unknown gods: but this is an Attic idolatry." Now, though in these last passages, both gods and altars are spoken of in the plural number; yet it is reasonable to suppose that, on each, or upon some one of them, the inscription αγνωϚῳ Θεῳ, To the unknown god, was actually found. The thing had subsisted long and had got from Athens to Rome in the days of Tertullian and Minutius Felix. See Bp. Pearce and Dr. Cudworth, to whose researches this note is much indebted.
Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship — There is here a fine paronomasia, or play on the words. The apostle tells them that (on their system) they were a very religious people-that they had an altar inscribed, αγνωϚῳ Θεῳ, to the unknown God: him therefore, says he, whom, αγνουντες, ye unknowingly worship, I proclaim to you. Assuming it as a truth, that, as the true God was not known by them, and that there was an altar dedicated to the unknown god, his God was that god whose nature and operations he now proceeded to declare. By this fine turn he eluded the force of that law which made it a capital offense to introduce any new god into the state, and of the breach of which he was charged, Acts 17:18; and thus he showed that he was bringing neither new god nor new worship among them; but only explaining the worship of one already acknowledged by the state, though not as yet known.
