Acts 17:19
And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is?
a. NLT: Then they took him to the high council of the city. “Come and tell us about this new teaching,” they said. [Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.]
b. ASV: And they took hold of him, and brought him unto the Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new teaching is, which is spoken by thee? [Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.]
c. YLT: Having also taken him, unto the Areopagus they brought him, saying, 'Are we able to know what is this new teaching that is spoken by thee, [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]
d. Classic Amplified: And they took hold of him and brought him to the Areopagus [Mars Hill meeting place], saying, May we know what this novel (unheard of and unprecedented) teaching is which you are openly declaring? [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]
e. Peshitta Eastern Text: So they arrested him and brought him to the court house which is called Areopagus, and said to him, May we know what is this new doctrine which you preach? [HOLY BIBLE FROM THE ANCIENT EASTERN TEXT.Copyright Ⓒ 1933 by A.J. Holmon Co.; copyright Ⓒ renewed 1961 by A.J. Holmon Co.; Copyright Ⓒ 1939 by A.J. Holmon Co.; copyright Ⓒ renewed 1967 by A.J. Holmon Co.; Copyright Ⓒ 1940 by A.J. Holmon Co.; copyright Ⓒ renewed 1968 by A.J. Holmon Co.; Copyright Ⓒ 1957 by A.J. Holmon Co. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. HarperCollins Publishers, 195 Broadway, New York, NY 10007.]
f. NIV: Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? [THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by Permission of Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide.]
1. “And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus…”
a. And [Strong: 5037. te teh a primary particle (enclitic) of connection or addition; both or also (properly, as correlation of 2532):--also, and, both, even, then, whether. Often used in composition, usually as the latter participle.]
b. [they] took [Strong: 1949. epilambanomai ep-ee-lam-ban'-om-ahee middle voice from 1909 and 2983; to seize (for help, injury, attainment, or any other purpose; literally or figuratively):--catch, lay hold (up-)on, take (by, hold of, on).] [epilambano; epi-upon; lambano-to take hold of, apprehend, with the hand.] To lay hold of in order to hold or detain.]
c. him [Strong: 846. autos ow-tos' from the particle au (perhaps akin to the base of 109 through the idea of a baffling wind) (backward); the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative 1438) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons:--her, it(-self), one, the other, (mine) own, said, (self-), the) same, ((him-, my-, thy- )self, (your-)selves, she, that, their(-s), them(-selves), there(-at, - by, -in, -into, -of, -on, -with), they, (these) things, this (man), those, together, very, which.]
d. [and] brought him [Strong: 71. ago ag'-o a primary verb; properly, to lead; by implication, to bring, drive, (reflexively) go, (specially) pass (time), or (figuratively) induce:--be, bring (forth), carry, (let) go, keep, lead away, be open.]
e. unto [Strong: 1909. epi ep-ee' a primary preposition; properly, meaning superimposition (of time, place, order, etc.), as a relation of distribution (with the genitive case), i.e. over, upon, etc.; of rest (with the dative case) at, on, etc.; of direction (with the accusative case) towards, upon, etc.:--about (the times), above, after, against, among, as long as (touching), at, beside, X have charge of, (be-, (where-))fore, in (a place, as much as, the time of, -to), (because) of, (up-)on (behalf of), over, (by, for) the space of, through(-out), (un-)to(-ward), with. In compounds it retains essentially the same import, at, upon, etc. (literally or figuratively).]
f. [Strong: 3588. [ton] ὁ ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.] [Thayer: [ton] ὁ, ἡ, τό, originally τος, τῇ, τό (as is evident from the forms τοι, ται for οἱ, αἱ in Homer and the Ionic writings), corresponds to our definite article the (German der, die, das), which is properly a demonstrative pronoun, which we see in its full force in Homer, and of which we find certain indubitable traces also in all kinds of Greek prose, and hence also in the N. T.] [Additional variants: tē, hoi, oi, tēn,ta, tēs,tois, tō, tōn, hé hē, hai ]
g. Areopagus [Strong: 697. Areios Pagos ar'-i-os pag'-os from Ares (the name of the Greek deity of war) and a derivative of 4078; rock of Ares, a place in Athens:--Areopagus, Mars' Hill.] [Zodhiates: Areopagus or Mars Hill, a hill in Athens with an open place where the Court of the Areopagus sat. This was the supreme tribunal of justice instituted by Solon. Today the Supreme Court of Greece is called Areios Pagos.]
1). St. Paul, the Traveller and Roman Citizen, William Ramsay. “…the tone of the opinions expressed in v. 18 is not one of philosophic interest and careful discussion, but of contempt, dislike, and jealously…the language shows clearly that Paul was brought before the Council and not simply conducted to the Hill…”
a). 1 Corinthians 1:18-23 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
1:19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.
1:20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
1:21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
1:22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
1:23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
(1) wise [4680 * sophos] [Zodhiates: “In Classical Greek it not only described respected philosophers and other truly learned men but was also appropriated by vain quibblers and rhetoriticians…”]
(2) The use of the word “wise” here is not a compliment. Here the proponents of the wisdom of the world are described in the end as proponents of foolishness, when compared with the wisdom of God. When an individual describes the writer of 2/3 of the New Testament as a “babbler”, he has to be a fool.
2. “…saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is?”
a. saying [Strong: 3004. lego leg'-o a primary verb; properly, to "lay" forth, i.e. (figuratively) relate (in words (usually of systematic or set discourse; whereas 2036 and 5346 generally refer to an individual expression or speech respectively; while 4483 is properly to break silence merely, and 2980 means an extended or random harangue)); by implication, to mean:--ask, bid, boast, call, describe, give out, name, put forth, say(-ing, on), shew, speak, tell, utter.]
b. May [Strong: 410. dunamai doo'-nam-ahee of uncertain affinity; to be able or possible:--be able, can (do, + -not), could, may, might, be possible, be of power.]
c. [we] know [Strong: 1097. ginosko ghin-oce'-ko a prolonged form of a primary verb; to "know" (absolutely) in a great variety of applications and with many implications (as follow, with others not thus clearly expressed):--allow, be aware (of), feel, (have) know(-ledge), perceived, be resolved, can speak, be sure, understand.]
d. what [Strong: 5101. tis tis probably emphatic of 5100; an interrogative pronoun, who, which or what (in direct or indirect questions):--every man, how (much), + no(-ne, thing), what (manner, thing), where (-by, -fore, -of, -unto, - with, -withal), whether, which, who(-m, -se), why.]
e. this [Strong: 3778. houtos hoo'-tos, including nominative masculine plural houtoi hoo'-toy, nominative feminine singular haute how'-tay, and nominative feminine plural hautai how'-tahee from the article 3588 and 846; the he (she or it), i.e. this or that (often with article repeated):--he (it was that), hereof, it, she, such as, the same, these, they, this (man, same, woman), which, who.]
f. [Strong: 3588. [hē] ὁ ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.] [Thayer: [hē] ὁ, ἡ, τό, originally τος, τῇ, τό (as is evident from the forms τοι, ται for οἱ, αἱ in Homer and the Ionic writings), corresponds to our definite article the (German der, die, das), which is properly a demonstrative pronoun, which we see in its full force in Homer, and of which we find certain indubitable traces also in all kinds of Greek prose, and hence also in the N. T.] [Additional variants: tē, hoi, oi, tēn,ta, tēs,tois, tō, tōn, hé hē, hai ]
g. new [Strong: 2537. kainos kahee-nos' of uncertain affinity; new (especially in freshness; while 3501 is properly so with respect to age:--new.]
g. doctrine [Strong: 1322. didache did-akh-ay' from 1321; instruction (the act or the matter):--doctrine, hath been taught.]
h. [Strong: 3588. [hē] ὁ ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.] [Thayer: [hē] ὁ, ἡ, τό, originally τος, τῇ, τό (as is evident from the forms τοι, ται for οἱ, αἱ in Homer and the Ionic writings), corresponds to our definite article the (German der, die, das), which is properly a demonstrative pronoun, which we see in its full force in Homer, and of which we find certain indubitable traces also in all kinds of Greek prose, and hence also in the N. T.] [Additional variants: tē, hoi, oi, tēn,ta, tēs,tois, tō, tōn, hé hē, hai ]
i. whereof [Strong: 5259. hupo hoop-o' a primary preposition; under, i.e. (with the genitive case) of place (beneath), or with verbs (the agency or means, through); (with the accusative case) of place (whither (underneath) or where (below) or time (when (at)):--among, by, from, in, of, under, with. In the comparative, it retains the same general applications, especially of inferior position or condition, and specially, covertly or moderately.]
j. thou [Strong: 4675. sou soo genitive case of 4771; of thee, thy:--X home, thee, thine (own), thou, thy.]
k. speakest [is] [Strong: 2980. laleo lal-eh'-o a prolonged form of an otherwise obsolete verb; to talk, i.e. utter words:--preach, say, speak (after), talk, tell, utter.]
1). Zodhiates: “Although this tribunal did indeed take notice of religious matters, it does not appear that Paul was carried to the place of their assembly in order to undergo a formal trial, but only to satisfy the curiosity of those who wanted to inquire about that strange doctrine he taught.”
