Acts 19:37

 Acts 19:37 

For ye have brought hither these men, which are neither robbers of churches, nor yet blasphemers of your goddess.

a. NLT: You have brought these men here, but they have stolen nothing from the temple and have not spoken against our goddess. [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: For ye have brought hither these men, who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of our goddess. [Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.]

c. YLT: 'For ye brought these men, who are neither temple-robbers nor speaking evil of your goddess; [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: For you have brought these men here, who are [guilty of] neither temple robberies nor blasphemous speech about our goddess. [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

e. NIV: You have brought these men here, though they have neither robbed temples nor blasphemed our goddess. [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. “For ye have brought hither these men, which are neither robbers of churches…”

a. For [Strong: 1063. gar gar a primary particle; properly, assigning a reason (used in argument, explanation or intensification; often with other particles):--and, as, because (that), but, even, for, indeed, no doubt, seeing, then, therefore, verily, what, why, yet.]

b. [ye have] brought hither [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.]

c. these [Strong: 5128. toutous too'-tooce accusative case plural masculine of 3778; these (persons, as objective of verb or preposition):--such, them, these, this.]

d. [Strong: 3588. [tous] 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: [tous] 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, tais, tō, tōn, tou, hé  hē, hai.]

e. men [Strong: 435. aner an'-ayr a primary word (compare 444); a man (properly as an individual male):--fellow, husband, man, sir.]

f. [which are] neither [Strong: 3777. oute oo'-teh from 3756 and 5037; not too, i.e. neither or nor; by analogy, not even:--neither, none, nor (yet), (no, yet) not, nothing.]

g. robbers of churches [Strong: 2417. hierosulos hee-er-os'-oo-los from 2411 and 4813; a temple-despoiler:--robber of churches.]

2. “...nor yet blasphemers of your goddess.”

a. nor yet [Strong: 3777. oute oo'-teh from 3756 and 5037; not too, i.e. neither or nor; by analogy, not even:--neither, none, nor (yet), (no, yet) not, nothing.]

b. blasphemers [Strong: 987. blasphemeo blas-fay-meh'-o from 989; to vilify; specially, to speak impiously:--(speak) blaspheme(-er, -mously, -my), defame, rail on, revile, speak evil.]

c. [of] your [Strong: 5216. humon hoo-mone' genitive case of 5210; of (from or concerning) you:--ye, you, your (own, -selves).]

d. [Strong: 3588. [tēn] 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: [tēn] 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, tais, tō, tōn, tou, hé  hē, hai.]

e. goddess [Strong: 2299. thea theh-ah' feminine of 2316; a female deity:--goddess.]

1). Nor yet blasphemers of your goddess - They had not used harsh or reproachful language of Diana. This had not been charged on them, nor is there the least evidence that they had done it. They had opposed idolatry; had reasoned against it; and had endeavored to turn the people from it. But there is not the least evidence that they had ever done it in harsh or reproachful language. This shows that people should employ reason, and not harsh or reproachful language against a pervading evil; and that the way to remove it is to enlighten the minds of people, and to convince them of the error of their ways.