Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Acts 19:32
Some therefore cried one thing, and some another: for the assembly was confused; and the more part knew not wherefore they were come together.
32. Some therefore, &c.] As the craftsmen had not secured St Paul there was no central object to which attention could at once be called, and one general cry raised.
for the assembly was confused ] The confusion in the city (Act 19:29) had become intensified by the rush to the theatre.
and the more part, &c.] All that would be heard by many would be the shouts of the mob, from which nothing could be gathered about St Paul as the offender. Amid cries of “Artemis for ever” or “Hurrah for Demetrius,” little would be learnt of how the tumult had begun.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Some therefore cried one thing … – This is an admirable description of a mob, assembled for what purpose they knew not; but agitated by passions, and strifes, and tumults.
And the more part knew not … – The greater part did not know. They had been drawn together by the noise and excitement, and but a small part would know the real cause of the commotion. This is usually the case in tumultuous meetings.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Act 19:32-41
Some therefore cried one thing, and some another.
The excitement at Ephesus
I. What produced it.
1. Self-interest endangered.
2. Superstitious feelings aroused.
3. The unpopularity of the gospel.
4. The persuasive eloquence of one man.
II. What it produced. A display of the spirit of–
1. Enemies of truth.
2. True friends.
3. Eminent Christians. (Stems and Twigs for Sermon Framework.)
The tumult at Ephesus
I. Its causes.
1. The preaching of Paul.
2. The speech of Demetrius.
II. The tumult itself.
1. Pauls courageous demeanour.
2. The conduct of the populace.
III. The tumult stilled. The speech of the town clerk.
1. A model of worldly prudence.
2. An example of great moral courage.
Application:
1. Be not dismayed in times of danger.
2. Unite prudence with courage and justice. (J. H. Tasson.)
Popular disorders–their cause and cure
A depraved commonalty is the teeming source of all moral and political disorder, and the fearful presage, if not speedily averted by an efficient system of Christian instruction, of a sweeping anarchy and great national overthrow. (T. Chalmers, D. D.)
And when the town clerk had appeased the people.—
The conduct of the town clerk
When the tumult had gone on for about two hours down comes the town clerk. At the appearance of a well-known Roman official order is quickly restored, just as we have seen a crowd in the streets of London, assembled to witness a fight, quietly disperse on the appearance of one policeman, whilst the two excited combatants saunter off calmly in the opposite direction with their hands in their pockets. This sudden quieting of the city was a great tribute to the genius of Rome for good government. The Roman officials, indeed, usually appear to advantage in the New Testament, especially in the Acts. Gallio knew his business at Corinth, and the town clerk knew his business at Ephesus. His speech was brief and admirable–quite as good as Gallios, in its way, and to the point. He said in effect–Good people, what is this noise about? Great is Diana! We all know Diana is great. If a wretched, wandering Jew, half off his head, comes here and says otherwise, what can it matter? Every one in this assembly is aware that the famous image we adore came straight down from Jupiter. Nobody doubts that, so theres an end of the matter. You are not so simple as to suppose that our temple, celebrated throughout the world, can be in any danger from the windy chatter of this half-blind Paulus and his crew? Then, after all, poor deluded troublesome creatures as we know all the Jews are, yet these particular ones have committed no robbery. (Cries of Demetrius and all of us are being robbed. Heres the month of May, the place is full of visitors, the temple festival at its height, and we cant sell our shrines; theres a lot of dead stock on hand.) Well, well, if Demetrius and his friends have any grievance, the law is open; let him get his solicitor to prepare his case; both sides will then be heard, and you know that in a Roman law court justice will be done. Ill see to that. But this is not the way to get your rights. Go home quietly, and your business shall be attended to in a lawful manner. Remember, an uproar like this is a serious matter. You have special privileges, and you are in danger of forfeiting them by your unseemly behaviour. You are not under martial law with a propraetor and a legion to rule you, but you are a senatorial province, with a proconsul, and your humble servant in office, who is likely to be called to account for this disturbance, and in what a ridiculous, if not criminal light will Demetrius and his followers have to appear then! I fear they, and not Paulus and Alexander, will have to stand as prisoners in the dock. And beneath this mixture of flattery, irony, and menace, the excited crowd melted away. (H. R. Haweis, M. A.)
The conduct of the town clerk as an example
Cotton Mather used to say that there was a gentleman mentioned in Act 19:1-41, to whom he was often and greatly indebted–viz., the town clerk of Ephesus, whose counsel was, Do nothing rashly. And on any proposal of consequence he would say, Let us consult a little with the town clerk of Ephesus.
The address of the town clerk
Observe here:–
I. Conciliation. As if he had said, These poor Jews cannot in any way weaken the authority, limit the influence, or dim the glory of Diana. You may as well be anxious about the radiance of the quenchless stars as about Diana (Act 19:36). As there is not the slightest occasion for all this tumult, be quiet; act as men, not as children.
II. Conscience. He speaks out the just as well as the politic (Act 19:37). There is a high testimony from a learned and dignified pagan to the conduct of the apostles as the promoters of a new faith. It shows–
1. That they exhibited a respectful deference to the feelings of the errorists.
2. That they set forth Gods truth rather than battled with mens opinions.
3. That their language was kind and not reproachful. Would that all promoters of truth had imitated the example of the apostles in this respect.
III. Counsel. He administers wise advice (Act 19:38). This assembly is an unlawful one. Let there be an assembly of men lawfully called together to settle the matter in dispute.
IV. Caution. In conclusion, he gives them a word of warning (Act 19:40). (D. Thomas, D. D.)
The speech of the town clerk
is the model of a popular harangue. Such excitement was–
I. Undignified, as they stood above all suspicion in religious matters (Act 19:35-36).
II. Unjustifiable, as they could establish nothing against the men (Act 19:37).
III. Unnecessary, as other means of redress were open to them (Act 19:38-39).
IV. Dangerous; if neither pride nor justice availed anything, fear of the Roman power should restrain them (Act 19:40). (W. Hackett.)
The image which fell down from Jupiter.—
The image of Diana
A many-breasted idol of wood, rude as an African fetich, was worshipped in its shrine, in some portion of which a meteoric stone may have been inserted, the token of its being the image that fell down from Jupiter. Similar superstitions belong to various countries, such as the Palladium of Troy, the Ceres of Sicily, the Minerva Polias of Athens, and the Diana of Tauris. Somewhat of the same nature were the shield of Mars at Rome, the black stone in the Caabah at Mecca, that in the temple of the Sun at Baalbec, and the Lia Fail, or stone of destiny, on which the Scottish kings were for many centuries crowned at Scone. Popularly supposed in those ancient times to be a portion of Jacobs pillar, it was thought to be so connected with the destiny of the kingdom, that wherever it happened to be, there should reign the Scottish race, and though it was removed by Edward to Westminster Abbey, where it now forms the support of the coronation chair of the British sovereign, the old prophecy was fondly believed to be verified when James VI ascended the English throne on the death of Elizabeth. (Prof. Eadie.)
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Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 32. Some – cried one thing, and some another] This is an admirable description of a tumultuous mob, gathered together without law or reason; getting their passions inflamed, and looking for an opportunity to commit outrages, without why or wherefore-principle or object.
For the assembly was confused] ; The same word which we translate church; and thus we find that it signifies any assembly, good or bad, lawful, or unlawful; and that only the circumstances of the case can determine the precise nature of the assembly to which this word is applied.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
An excellent description of a popular tumult. Whether this
assembly was afterwards made legal by the magistrates resorting thither, (though it was not called by their authority), and is therefore called here, , is not so useful to inquire.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
30-34. when Paul would have enteredinwith noble forgetfulness of self.
unto the peoplethedemos, that is, the people met in public assembly.
the disciples suffered himnotThe tense used implies only that they were usingtheir efforts to restrain him; which might have been unavailingbut for what follows.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Some therefore cried one thing, and some another,…. Not in the church at Ephesus among the disciples, and friends of the apostle, as if they were divided in their sentiments about his going into the theatre, some being for it, and others against it; but the people that were gathered together in the theatre, these were not agreed about the reason of this tumult, some said it was on account of one thing, and some another:
for the assembly was confused; the multitude of people that were gathered together were made up of different persons, of different employments and sentiments, and were in no manner of form or order:
and the more part knew not wherefore they were come together; there was a noise and a hubbub in the city; but what was the reason and meaning of it, they were ignorant of; they were got together into the theatre in great numbers, but what was to be done there they knew not. And this is too often the case in religious assemblies, that the majority, at least many, can give no account of the reason, end, and design of their assembling together.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Some therefore cried one thing and some another ( ). This classical use of (Robertson, Grammar, p. 747) appears also in Acts 2:12; Acts 21:34. Literally, “others cried another thing.” The imperfect shows the repetition (kept on crying) and confusion which is also distinctly stated.
For the assembly was in confusion ( ). The reason for the previous statement. Periphrastic past perfect passive of , (-), to pour together, to commingle as in verse 29 (). It was not an “assembly” (, , , to call out), but a wholly irregular, disorganized mob in a state (perfect tense) of confusion. There was “a lawful assembly” (verse 39), but this mob was not one. Luke shows his contempt for this mob (Furneaux).
Had come together (). Past perfect active of . It was an assembly only in one sense. For some reason Demetrius who was responsible for the mob preferred now to keep in the background, though he was known to be the ring-leader of the gathering (verse 38). It was just a mob that shouted because others did.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
1) “Some therefore cried one thing “ (men ekrazon ti) “Some indeed cried out something, one thing,” “and some another,” (alloi oun allo to) “Therefore indeed others (of the mob) cried out something totally different;” without agreement or accord; The idea is that they were repeatedly, continuously babbling, in the theatre, conflicting rumors, tales about Paul, his helpers, the church at Ephesus, and their influence throughout their country of Asia Minor.
2) “For the assembly was confused; (hen gar he ekklesia sugkechmene) “For the assembly was in a state of near riotous frustration,” The term “ekklesia” rendered church,” was used to describe this unruly, rioting mob. Their united hate had become their religion, their church.
3) “And the more part knew not,” (kai hoi pleious ouk edeisan) “And the majority of the confused assembled mob did not perceive, realize, understand, or comprehend,”
4) “Wherefore they were come together.” (tinos heneka sunelelutheisan) “What had caused them to come together,” into such an howling, scowling mob. They, in ignorance, not knowing, not comprehending what they were doing, sinned in the deriding, worldly assembly, unscriptural church mob; As Paul ignorantly persecuted the church, and as the wicked Jews stoned Stephen and derided Christ, not knowing the gravity of their idle, wicked words and deeds, even in like manner they riotously and in tumult, shouted against Paul, Mat 12:36; 1Ti 1:13; Act 8:3; 1Co 15:9; Luk 23:34; Act 7:60.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(32) Some therefore cried one thing, and some another.Better, kept on crying. The graphic character of the whole narrative makes it almost certain that it must have come from an eye-witness, or possibly from more than one. Aristarchus or Gaius, who travelled to Jerusalem with St. Luke (Luk. 20:4), and were with him also at Rome, may have told him the whole tale of the scene in which they had borne so prominent a part. Possibly, also, following up the hint thrown out in the Note on Act. 19:12, we may think of Tyrannus as having written a report of the tumult to St. Luke. The two conjunctions translated therefore (better, then) seem to carry the narrative back to what was passing in the theatre, after the parenthetical account of what had been going on between the Apostle, the disciples, and the Asiarchs outside it.
For the assembly was confused.It is not without interest to note that the Greek word for assembly is the ecclesia, with which we are so familiar as applied to the Church of Christ. Strictly speaking, as the town-clerk is careful to point out (Act. 19:39), this mob gathering was not an ecclesia, but the word had come to be used vaguely.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
32. Cried one thing confused The embarrassment of the leaders against Paul was now complete. Could their mob have caught him in the street they could have easily murdered him. Had he entered the theatre, he might have been summarily dispatched. But as the crowd unconsciously moving into the theatre has assumed something of a deliberative form, then coolly to propose and debate any measure to make way with him would have brought the Roman government to say something about it. Nothing takes place now but incoherent and contradictory exclamations. At last a movement is made to put forth a single speaker, namely, Alexander.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘Some therefore cried one thing, and some another, for the assembly was in confusion, and the majority did not know why they were come together.’
But while the silversmiths and their employees knew exactly why they were there, the larger proportion who had been gathered by the commotion had no idea. They had only come because they had been hustled into it, or because they felt that it was their responsibility to do so when a situation like this arose. Thus the assembly became confused, and the majority were still asking what it was all about.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Act 19:32-33 . ] joins on, by way of inference, the description of the concourse (Act 19:29 ), interrupted by Act 19:30-31 .
] Comp. Charit. i. 5 : , Plat. Charm. p. 153 D: . The following might have been left out (Khner, 836, note 5), but it is only wanting in D (Bornemann).
] It was no ., Act 19:39 , and accordingly no legal popular assembly , neither an ordinary one ( ), nor an extraordinary ( ), but simply an assemblage of the people , who had flocked together of their own accord, a concio plebis exlex et abusiva .
.] confused , in an uproar. Comp. Act 19:29 . It lacked all order, guidance, self-restraint, discipline, etc.
. . . . . .] a vivid description of its tumultuary character. The Jews shoved (pushed) him forward from behind ( .), and others, standing in front, brought or drew him out of the crowd ( . .). Grotius, Wetstein, Heinrichs, Kuinoel, and others take as to propose (see Xen. Anab. vi. 1. 25, vi. 2. 6; Dem. 519. 16; Kypke, II. p. 101 f.), but this does not at all suffice for the lively picture of the tumult. Alexander, otherwise entirely unknown, was certainly a Christian , since only to such a one is the subsequent suitable, not a Jew (Beza, Grotius, Ewald, and others). He is commonly, but arbitrarily, especially considering the frequency of the name, considered as identical with the Alexander mentioned in 1Ti 1:20 , 2Ti 4:14 , in which case it is in its turn presupposed that the name occurring at those two passages denotes one person. Such completely indemonstrable assumptions cannot serve to prove the genuineness and time of the composition of the Epistles to Timothy (in opposition to Otto). The Alexander in our passage had, in the Christian interest, mixed among the crowd, and was pushed forward by the malicious Jews that he might make a public address and, if possible, become a sacrifice to the fury of the multitude. If we hold him to be a non-Christian Jew (which does not result from Act 19:34 ), it is to be supposed that the Jews would be afraid that, on this occasion, they also might be attacked, and therefore pushed forward Alexander, an eloquent man and hostile to Paul, that he might maintain the innocence of the Jews to the destruction of the Christians. But Luke must have called attention to such a connection, [102] and that the more as the simple , to make a defence , points quite naturally to the accusation of the Christians referred to.
. . .] moving his hand up and down [103] (for a sign that he wished to speak).
] before the people , Herod. vii. 161; Plat. Prot . p. 359 A; Lucian. Gall. 3. See Bernhardy, p. 79.
is as in Act 19:30 , and the , cannot therefore be meant to be a defence of the Jews (Bengel, Ewald) and of the (Otto).
[102] Otto, p. 108, makes up the scene more artificially, and that so as to make Alexander even the soul and secret spring of the whole uproar. According to Hausrath, the author gives designedly only a fragmentary account of the Jewish-Christian Alexander, because the conduct of the Jewish-Christians at that time did not suit the conciliatory object of his book.
[103] Comp. Act 12:17 , Act 13:16 , Act 21:40 , where, however, the verb is joined with the dative , which, therefore, also D, al. (Bornemann) have here.
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
32 Some therefore cried one thing, and some another: for the assembly was confused; and the more part knew not wherefore they were come together.
Ver. 32. Knew not wherefore, &c. ] No more do the most of our common hearers. They follow the drove, and believe as the Church believeth. They will say, they come to Church to serve God; but who that God is, how to be served, wherein, and in whom to be served, they know not. Si ventri bene sit, si lateri, as Epicurus in Horace, if the belly may be filled, the back fitted, it sufficeth them.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Act 19:32 . : probably as often in Acts without any opposition expressed, but see Rendall, App. , p. 162; the antithesis may be in of Act 19:33 . : “kept on crying,” imperfect. , see below on Act 19:39 ; here of an unlawful tumultuous assembly. ., see above Act 19:29 . : “sensu vere comparativo” Blass = major pars .
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
assembly. Greek. ekklesica App-186.
confused = confounded. Greek. sunchuno. See note on Act 2:6.
knew. Greek. oida. App-132.
wherefore = on account of what.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Act 19:32. , knew not) An apt and characteristic description of a people in a tumult. [This is a matter of usual occurrence to senseless zealots.-V. g.]
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
cried: Act 19:29, Act 21:34
and the: Act 19:40, Mat 11:7-9, Luk 7:24-26
Reciprocal: Act 21:22 – the multitude
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2
Act 19:32. This state of disorder made it impossible to discern just what the concourse was about or what the issue was.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Act 19:32. Some cried one thing and some another. Evidently this is a memory of some one who was present. A vast concourse of people had been gathered together, all moved by some vague sense of injury, but all uncertain what the injury was, or what they really desired to bring about. The trade of their city was suffering, the number of pilgrims to the shrine of the national goddess was falling off, and these pestilent foreign Jews in some way or other were the cause. The meeting was turbulent and the speeches pointless and angry. There seemed a high probability of the assembly resulting in a general riot. Now this, as we shall see, would have worked grave injury to the city in the eyes of the powerful rulers in Rome.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
32-34. Leaving the apostle, for a time, in the cloud of sorrow which we will find still enveloping him when we meet him again, we turn to witness the proceedings within the theater. (32) “Now some were crying one thing and some another; for the assembly was confused, and the greater part knew not on what account they had come together. (33) And they put forward Alexander out of the crowd, the Jews urging him forward. And Alexander, waving his hand, wished to make a defense to the people. (34) But knowing that he was a Jew, all with one voice, for about two hours, cried out, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.” There were two reasons why the Jews should feel some anxiety to defend themselves before this mob. First, It was well known in Ephesus that they were as much opposed to idols and idol worship as were the disciples. Second, The fact that the apostle and many of his brethren were Jews, naturally attracted toward all the Jews the hatred which had been aroused against them. A courageous and manly adherence to their own principles would have prompted them to share with the disciples the obloquy of their common position; but they were endeavoring to persuade the multitude that Paul and his party should not be identified with themselves. The cowardly trick was perceived by the multitude, as soon as they perceived that it was a Jew who was trying to address them, and they gave it the rebuke it deserved by refusing to hear him.
Fuente: McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries (New Testament)
We should probably understand Luke’s reference to the confusion of the crowd as pertaining to the exact grievance of the silversmiths. Most of the people did not understand the reason for the gathering; they just went along for the excitement. The Greek word translated "assembly" (cf. Act 19:39; Act 19:41) is ekklesia, the normal translation of which is "church." This use illustrates the basic meaning of the word, which is an assembly of people called out of the mass for a special purpose.