Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Acts 17:20
For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean.
20. strange things ] The original is not an adjective, but a participle, and signifies “something which strikes a person as strange.” So that the effect is indicated which had been produced on the minds of the hearers. The words had filled them with surprise. In the middle voice the word is found 1Pe 4:4; 1Pe 4:12 = “to think anything strange.”
what these things mean ] See above on Act 17:18.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Certain strange things – Literally, something pertaining to a foreign country or people. Here it means something unusual or remarkable – something different from what they had been accustomed to hear from their philosophers.
What these things mean – We would understand more clearly what is affirmed respecting Jesus and the resurrection.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 20. Thou bringest – strange things to our ears] The doctrine of the apostles was different from any they had ever heard: it was wholly spiritual and divine; thus it was strange: it was contrary to their customs and manners; and thus it was strange also. As it spoke much of the exaltation and glory of Jesus Christ, they supposed him to be a setter forth of strange gods: and, therefore, on the authority of the laws, which forbade the introduction of any new deities, or modes of worship, he was called before the Areopagus.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The greatest objection which these men had against the gospel was, that it was strange and new. That it is not new was apparent, it having been in the Old Testament (as the ripe fruit is in the blossom) so long ago; and their own superstitions were but so many apish imitations of Gods worship. And if these things were strange unto them, they might thank themselves, who had not made due inquiring after them; and had, by their not improving the light of nature, provoked God to withhold further manifestations unto them, Rom 1:24,28.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
18-21. certain . . . of theEpicureansa well-known school of atheistic materialists,who taught that pleasure was the chief end of human existence; aprinciple which the more rational interpreted in a refined sense,while the sensual explained it in its coarser meaning.
and of the Stoicsacelebrated school of severe and lofty pantheists, whoseprinciple was that the universe was under the law of an ironnecessity, the spirit of which was what is called the Deity: and thata passionless conformity of the human will to this law, unmoved byall external circumstances and changes, is the perfection of virtue.While therefore the Stoical was in itself superior to the Epicureansystem, both were alike hostile to the Gospel. “The two enemiesit has ever had to contend with are the two ruling principles of theEpicureans and StoicsPleasure and Pride” [HOWSON].
What will this babblersay?The word, which means “a picker-up of seeds,”bird-like, is applied to a gatherer and retailer of scraps ofknowledge, a prater; a general term of contempt for any pretendedteacher.
a setter forth of strangegods“demons,” but in the Greek (not Jewish) sense of”objects of worship.”
because he preached Jesus andthe resurrectionNot as if they thought he made these to be twodivinities: the strange gods were Jehovah and the RisenSaviour, ordained to judge the world.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears,…. Strange doctrines and strange deities, such as they had never heard of before:
we would know therefore what these things mean; they desire he would explain these things to them, and let them know the rise, and ground, and nature, and end, and design of them.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
For thou bringest certain strange things ( ). The very verb used by Xenophon (Mem. I) about Socrates. is present active neuter plural participle of and from (verse 18), “things surprising or shocking us.”
We would know therefore ( ). Very polite still, we wish or desire, and repeating (the essential point).
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Strange [] . A participle : surprising. Compare 1Pe 4:4, 12.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: (ksenizonta gar tina eisphereis eis tas akoas hemon) “Because you bring some startling things to our ears,” foreign or alien things, surprising or shocking, arresting kind of things to our ears. The Gospel is strange to strangers and aliens from God, Joh 3:18; Eph 2:12. They had darkened (fuzzy, cobweb) minds, thru ignorance of God, (Eph 4:18) as well as hardened hearts and astigmatized vision, 2Co 4:3-4.
2) “We would know therefore,” (koulometha oun gnonai) “We are therefore minded, curious, or disposed to know;” They were by nature and culture, nosey news-mongers for the exciting, fleshly tale, a trait of the Athenians of the times. He who wills shall know, Joh 7:17.
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3) “What these things mean.” (tina thelei tauta einai) “What (you) wish or wishes these things to be?” or to mean, these strange, new things to us. You see the natural man, unaided by the Word and the Spirit can not discern the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is why he must be told, preached the message, 1Co 2:14; 1Co 1:8; Pro 1:22-29.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(20) Thou bringest certain strange things.The adjective stands for a Greek participle, things that startle, or leave an impression of strangeness.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
20. Strange things A new form of religion from the East! Something from Syria that even the Jews of Athens do not recognise!
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
20 For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean.
Ver. 20. For thou bringest certain strange things ] Or, new, never heard of, . Yet now so new neither as they thought for; seeRom 11:2-4Rom 11:2-4 ; Rom 16:25-26 . Papists upbraid us with the novelty of our religion, and ask us where it was till Luther’s time? We answer (as one once did), “In the Bible, where their religion never was.” See Catalog. Test. verit., and Mr Bernard’s Look beyond Luther, Dr Featlie’s Conference with Fisher, &c. They boast much of antiquity, as once the Gibeonites did of old shoes and mouldy bread. We refer them to Alex. Cook’s Abatement of Popish Brags, and Guild’s Popish Boasting of Antiquity; besides abundance of other good authors.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Act 17:20 . : rather perhaps startling or bewildering than strange so too in Polyb., cf. 1Pe 4:12 , but see Grimm-Thayer, sub v. Ramsay renders “some things of foreign fashion” as if the words were connected with the opinion that the Apostle was an announcer of foreign gods, cf. also 2Ma 9:6 , Diod. Sic., xii., 53. : the rhetorical use of the indefinite here strengthening the participle, cf. Act 8:9 , Act 5:6 , Heb 10:27 . . : Blass suggests a Hebraism, but on the life of Greeks we must look no further than the parallel which the same writer adduces, Soph., Ajax , 147, cf. also Wetstein. The verb is only used here in this sense in N.T. , see critical note and Simcox, Language of the N. T. , p. 112: “de rebus in aliquem exitum tendentibus,” Grimm; cf. Act 2:12 ; so Bethge.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
strange. Greek. xenizo, to treat as xenos (Act 17:18), hence to lodge. See Act 10:6, Act 10:18, Act 10:23, Act 10:32; 1Pe 4:4, 1Pe 4:12.
ears. Greek. akoe, hearing.
would = wish to. Greek. boulomai. App-102.
mean. Literally wish (Greek. thelo. App-102.) to be.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Act 17:20. , strange things) The same word occurs, 1Pe 4:4; 1Pe 4:12.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
strange: Hos 8:12, Mat 19:23-25, Mar 10:24-26, Joh 6:60, Joh 7:35, Joh 7:36, 1Co 1:18, 1Co 1:23, 1Co 2:14, Heb 5:11, 1Pe 4:4
what: Act 2:12, Act 10:17, Mar 9:10
Reciprocal: Gen 1:26 – have dominion Isa 21:12 – if Mat 11:20 – because Joh 18:38 – What Act 17:19 – May
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
STRANGE THINGS
Thou bringest certain strange things to our ears.
Act 17:20
When St. Paul was speaking to the bystanders in the agora, the learned men of the Stoics and Epicureans sects, observing the gathering, asked what it meant. What will this babbler say? was the question of some of them. He seems to be a setter forth of strange [foreign] gods, was the answer of others. And they answered thus because in listening they had heard St. Paul preaching Jesus and the Resurrection.
I. The message of the Apostle has guided countless lives, comforted countless sorrows, and crowned countless death-beds with a sure and certain hope. The philosophies have faded long ago like the dead leaves of autumn, and the roots of self-pleasing and pride of heart which they spring from have had to reproduce fresh theories in fresh forms, but the Gospel still advances with the same message in the same words, a growing power over the width of the world. Yet see how lightly, in the day of small things, it was taken up, looked at, and thrown aside as babble. What a lesson for the listener now! God has allowed us our day in which we weigh and judge His Word, but He has kept for Himself His own day, in which His Word will judge us.
II. The Athenians gave this word a hearingset it aside as absurd, and not worthy of consideration; some set it aside to be considered by-and-byWe will hear thee again of this matter. Corinth, the luxurious town; Thessalonica, the flourishing seaport; Philippi, the political centre of a provinceall these had their Churches, and to all Epistles were written: but what Luke can record of the success at learned Athens only amounts to, so St. Paul departed from among them. Howbeit certain men clave unto him, among them which was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them. This was the result; and yet Athens was so feverishly interested in all sorts of religious novelties, that the saying ran, It was more easy to find a god there than a man. It seems, then, that fussiness about religious controversies is not the frame of mind which most helps us to a real personal receiving of the Gospel.
III. The holy truth of God wants a quiet, modest soil to grow in.It was the character of the Saviour, not to strive or cry, or seek publicity; the waters of Siloam run softly, and the home of the Holy Spirit is a meek and contrite heart. If the temptation of fractious questionings assail usand few can hope to be quite exempt from itlet us humble human pride before the greatness of God; let us be content to be as our Divine Master was, and to be patient learners of our patient Teacher. Take my yoke upon you, He said, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart, and I will give you rest: rest from man, rest from self, rest from pride, rest from doubt, rest from the heavy burden of religious uncertainty and worldly care; rest from sorrows which have not found their true consolation, and anxieties which have not been set at rest by their true assurance; rest from the heavy, heavy yoke of self alone; rest for our souls in the docile service of Christ, Whose yoke alone is easy, and His burden light.
Rev. Canon F. T. Crosse.
Illustration
Athens was a great and celebrated city, full of clever, learned people interested in all questions of religion, tolerant of all forms of itfull of altars, full of idols; intellectual, artistic, dilettanti, controversial; ready and craving for any novelty, for all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing. Athens was, in fact, the mental metropolis of the world. All that mind could achieve had been achieved there; but this one thing they had not done, they had not achieved the discovery of religious truth. That door does not open to experiment or to logic: from the beginning of the world, to that time, and to this, the heart of man, unaided by grace, has failed to fathom the beginning, middle, or end of what God has prepared for them that love Him (Isa 64:4).
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary
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Act 17:20. Thus far there was nothing particularly objectionable to the Athenians in the teaching of Paul, but he had raised their curiosity by introducing a new subject, or one that was strange which means an outside or unknown (to them) matter. They told him they wished to know what it all meant.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
See notes on verse 19