Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Acts 19:28
And when they heard [these sayings,] they were full of wrath, and cried out, saying, Great [is] Diana of the Ephesians.
28. And when they heard these sayings ] The A.V. indicates that there is no Greek for the two last words. It is enough, with the Rev. Ver., to say “ this.”
they were full of wrath ] The verb in the original expresses that the anger grew as they listened. So better, filled with, as Rev. Ver. Demetrius had appealed to them in such wise as to excite them more by each fresh argument. Their self-interest first, and their pride and superstition afterwards.
and Diana of the Ephesians ] Here as before (Act 19:24) the Greek name is Artemis.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Were full of wrath – Were greatly enraged – probably at the prospect of losing their gains.
Great is Diana … – The term great was often applied by the Greeks to Diana. Thus, in Xenophon (Ephes. i.), he says, I adjure you by your own goddess, the great ( ten megalen) Diana of the Ephesians. The design of this clamor was doubtless to produce a persecution against Paul, and thus to secure a continuance of their employment. Often, when people have no arguments, they raise a clamor; when their employments are in danger of being ruined, they are filled with rage. We may learn, also, that when peoples pecuniary interests are affected, they often show great zeal for religion, and expect by clamor in behalf of some doctrine to maintain their own interest, and to secure their own gains.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
The argument from their profit wrought very much upon them, especially meeting with their prejudicate opinions, having pretended antiquity and universality to confirm them.
Saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians; to show their abhorrence of what Paul had taught; and desiring her glory might be perpetual, whom Paul thought not worthy to be honoured at all.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
28, 29. Great is Diana of theEphesiansthe civic cry of a populace so proud of their templethat they refused to inscribe on it the name of Alexander the Great,though he offered them the whole spoil of his Eastern campaign ifthey would do it [STRABOin HOWSON].
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And when they heard these sayings,…. Both the masters and the workmen;
they were full of wrath; against Paul and his doctrine:
and cried out, saying, great is Diana of the Ephesians; this goddess is frequently called in Heathen writers, Diana of the Ephesians, or the Ephesian Diana, because of her famous temple at Ephesus; and to distinguish her from all other Dianas: Pausanias makes mention of sixty Dianas at least, and yet seems not to have taken notice of them all; all of them had different epithets, by which they were distinguished from one another; the images were in different shapes, and they were worshipped with different rites: what seems most of all to distinguish the Ephesian Diana from others, is her having many paps; hence she is called, “multi mammia”; so Minutius Felix observes t, that Diana is sometimes girt about on high as an huntress, and the Ephesian Diana is “mammis multis uberibus extructa” Just as the Isis of the Egyptians, which, Macrobius u says, signifies the earth; hence the whole body of the deity is covered with paps, because the whole universe is nourished by it: the priest of Diana of the Ephesians was an eunuch, and was obliged to abstain from all company; neither bathed, nor ate, nor drank with others, nor might he enter into the house of a private person; there was a feast kept every year in honour of her, at which young men in the flower of their age, and virgins well dressed, used to go to the temple in great pomp, keep the feast, and marry with each other. The temple was a sort of an asylum, as Heathen temples commonly were; and it had this particular privilege, that those that fled to it were freed from servitude w. This goddess is called “great”, agreeably to her name, for, , “Diana”, signifies “great” and venerable; because of her birth, being the daughter of Jupiter; and because of her great service, she was supposed to be of in assisting at births; and because of her magnificent temple and worship; and because she was worshipped by great persons: and here greatness is ascribed unto her, and a loud cry made of it, to animate one another, to gather a mob together, and to incense them and stir them up against the apostle and his companion: in the Arabic version, instead of Diana, it is Venus, both here and elsewhere, but wrongly.
t In Octavia, p. 22. u Saturnal. l. 1. c. 20. w Pausauias in Arcadicis, sive, l. 8. p. 476. Alex. Genial. Dier. l. 3. c. 20. & l. 6. c. 2. & c. 12.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
They were filled with wrath ( ). Having become full of wrath.
Cried out (). Inchoative imperfect, began to cry out and kept it up continuously. Reiteration was characteristic of the orgiastic exercises. The Codex Bezae adds after (wrath): (running into the street), which they certainly did after the speech of Demetrius.
Great is Artemis of the Ephesians ( ). D (Codex Bezae) omits (the) and makes it read: “Great Artemis of the Ephesians.” This was the usual cry of the votaries in their orgies as the inscriptions show, an ejaculatory outcry or prayer instead of an argument as the other MSS. have it. That is vivid and natural (Ramsay, Church in the Roman Empire, pp. 135ff.). Yet on this occasion the artisans were making an argumentative protest and plea against Paul. An inscription at Dionysopolis has “Great is Apollo.”
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Cried out [] . The imperfect is graphic; they continued crying. This reiteration was a characteristic of the oriental orgiastic rites.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “And when they heard these sayings, they were full of wrath,” (akousantes de kai genomenoi plereis thurou) “Then when they had heard (the complaints of Demetrius) becoming full of anger,” incited to anger for fear of losing their false-god business and industry. Their false religion and covetous greed for wealth impulses inflamed their deranged carnal passions.
2) “And cried out, saying,” (ekrazon legontes) “They cried aloud, repeatedly saying,” in mass slogan, repeating rhythm, much as the patrons, deluded heathen worshippers of Baal had done, 1Ki 18:26-29.
3) “Great is Diana of the Ephesians.” (megale he Artemis Ephesion) “Great is (exists) the Artemis of the Ephesians,” the goddess Diana. False religions exercise a wondrous fascination over their clientele, thru emotional enthusiasm, which the natural, unregenerate mind and heart is prone to impulsively embrace, rather than Divine truth, 1Co 2:14. Our Lord warned of such as “wolves in sheep’s clothing,” Mat 7:15; Act 20:28. There is no true worship of God, thru media of idols, like Diana, or that of Statues and images of so-called saintized persons, of the Christian era, Joh 4:24.
Statues and images of Roman and Greek Catholicism, with a “Christian veneer,” are no more acceptable to God than the heathen goddess Diana.
Like the goddess Diana and other heathen idol gods, those statues, images, and idols, patronized and emulated by Roman and Greek Catholicism, have 1) “eyes but they see not,” 2) “mouths but they speak not,” 3) “ears but they hear not,” 4) “noses but they smell not,” 5) hands but they handle not,” 6) “feet but they walk not.” “They that make (manufacture, form or fabricate them) are like unto them,” “so is every one that trusteth in them.” Blind, deaf and dumb, spiritually, Psa 115:5-8.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(28) They were full of wrath, and cried out.Better, they went on crying out, the tense implying continued action.
Great is Diana of the Ephesians.The cry was probably the usual chorus of the festivals of Artemis. Stress was now laid on the distinctive adjective, Great she was, whoever might attack her greatness.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
28. Great There were in mythology the twelve Dii Majores, Greater Gods, and Artemis was not generally reckoned one of them. Nevertheless Great was the special title applied by her worshippers throughout “the world.” Here, as in many other cases, vociferation supplies the place of argument. Loud and well repeated utterance is sometimes the only effective support of a false cause.
They heard full of wrath The oratory of Demetrius takes full effect. Having a common interest, these pagan brethren have a common piety and a common wrath, and their wrath has a common object. Woe to our apostle if he is found in Ephesus!
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘And when they heard this they were filled with wrath, and cried out, saying, “Great is Artemis (Diana) of the Ephesians.”
When they heard the suggestion that Artemis would be humiliated they were filled with fervour and anger and began to cry out, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians”. This was a common formula of prayer and invocation and is found on inscriptions. And gradually they became incensed and the idea took over their actions. Note here at once how the emphasis is placed on the name, a name which they revere and hold dear, and this in contrast with those who have rather turned to the name of Jesus at which every knee will bow, and which every tongue will confess to the glory of God the Father (Php 2:10-11).
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
The effect of the speech:
v. 28. And when they heard these sayings, they were full of wrath and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians!
v. 29. the whole city was filled with confusion; and having caught Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul’s companions in travel, they rushed with one accord into the theater.
v. 30. And when Paul would have entered in unto the people, the disciples suffered him not.
v. 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.
v. 33. And they drew Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. And Alexander beckoned with the hand, and would have made his defense unto the people.
v. 34. But when they knew that he was a Jew, all with one voice, about the space of two hours, cried out, Great is Diana of the Ephesians!
If Demetrius intended to kindle a fire, he certainly was successful beyond his design. No sooner had he closed his speech than some member of the guild or some other person in the audience coined a catchy phrase which struck the popular fancy: Great is Artemis of the Ephesians! And, full of anger as they were, the others took up the cry and carried it out to the street. In less time than it takes to tell about it, the disturbance had spread to all quarters; it filled the city, and surged back and forth like various liquids that have been poured together and cannot become settled. The streets being far too narrow for a proper show of mob violence, agitators and rabble alike were struck by the idea at the same time and rushed into the large theater, probably the largest in the world, its diameter being 495 feet and its capacity 24,500 people. But on their way, in their mad rush, they managed to seize and to carry along with them two fellow-lodgers of Paul, the Macedonians Gaius and Aristarchus. The latter is mentioned also in other passages as a native of Macedonia, of the city of Thessalonica, chap. 20:4; 27:2. It is probable that these two men, here mentioned as attendants of Paul, were delegates of the Thessalonian congregation who were with Paul carrying the contribution to the congregation at Jerusalem. These faithful men being in danger of their lives, Paul firmly intended to go out and face the angry mob, in order to shield them with his own life; but this the members of the congregation would not permit. To the infuriated mob his appearance at that time would have been like a red rag, and, according to all possibility, could have accomplished nothing. And the disciples were seconded in their endeavors by some of the leading men of the city, the Asiarchs, the chief priests of the Roman Empire in the provinces, whose duties included also the providing of games for the people. Some of these influential men were decidedly friendly to Paul, as this act of kindness shows, since they took the trouble of sending to him and earnestly begging him not to venture forth into the theater. In the meantime, the members of the mob were working themselves into a fine frenzy, for they continued to shout, someone thing and some another. There was no unity of thought and of leadership: it was an unlawful, tumultuous assembly, poured together like liquids that will not mix properly. And, as usual, when a rabble, a mob, springs from the ground upon such occasions, the majority of the people had no idea why they had really come together. At this point the Jews of the city, fearing that the fury of the mob might turn against them also, since Paul was a Jew, and since they themselves were opposed to idolatry, made the attempt to have one of their own number, a man by the name of Alexander, explain the situation to the surging multitude. The man tried to follow the instructions which he had received as the Jews pushed him to the front. But no sooner did he raise his hand, indicating to the people that he wanted to speak, and, in this case, to hold a speech of defense, than the intelligence went the rounds that he was a Jew. Whether they could all see plainly enough to distinguish his dress and features, or whether those nearest to the arena or stage passed the word along, the entire multitude, the infuriated mob, with one voice from them all, like the bellowing of some enraged monster, took up the phrase which had caught their fancy as one of the silversmiths had shouted it: Great is Artemis of the Ephesians! It was a wild demonstration of a lawless mob, but a comparatively harmless enjoyment, at that: it satisfied their idea of worship without hurting anyone. The city authorities therefore did not interfere at this point, since any opposition would have inflamed the mob to acts of violence. They were evidently well versed in the psychology of the mob and bided their time.
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
Act 19:28. Great is Diana, &c. This epithet of great, was frequently given by the heathens to Jupiter, Diana, and others of their superior idol deities: the ascription of it to the true God, is in scripture called magnifying him.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Act 19:28-29 . . .] An enthusiastic outcry for the preservation of the endangered (and yet so lucrative!) majesty of the goddess.
namely, those who ran together along with Demetrius and his companions.
] here also: with one mind (in opposition to Deyling, Krebs, Loesner, and others, who think that, on account of Act 19:32 , it must be rendered simul ); for they were at one on the point, that in the theatre something in general must be determined on against Paul and his companions for the defence of the honour of the goddess (Act 19:34 ), although specially the most might not know (Act 19:32 ).
It is well known that the theatre was used for the despatch of public transactions and for popular assemblies (even for such as were tumultuary). See Wetstein in loc. ; Hermann, Staatsalterth . 128. 9. Consequently the more easy it is to understand, why the vehement crowd poured itself into the great theatre. [101]
.] First, they drew along with them the two fellow-travellers ( .) of the apostle, and then rushed into the theatre. But it may also be conceived as simultaneous; while they carried along with them, they rushed, etc. Whether they fetched these two men from their lodgings, or encountered them in the streets, cannot be determined.
Caius is otherwise unknown, and is not identical with the Caius mentioned in Act 20:4 (see in loc. ), or with the one mentioned in Rom 16:23 ; 1Co 1:15 .
.] See Act 20:4 , Act 27:2 ; Col 4:10 ; Phm 1:24 .
[101] It was one of the largest , as its ruins show. See Ottfr. Mller, Archol. d. Kunst , p. 391.
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
28 And when they heard these sayings , they were full of wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.
Ver. 28. They were full of wrath ] The Greek word signifieth the heating or heaving of the blood by the apprehension of the injury offered; hot and fiery anger, such as was that of Nebuchadnezzar, seven fold hotter than his fiery furnace, Dan 3:19 .
Great is Diana ] Papists boast and write much of the Romish greatness, as Lipsius and others. We grant them to be that great whore in the Revelation,Rev 17:18Rev 17:18 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Act 19:28 . : “they cried continuously,” imperfect, see addition in . .: omitting we have apparently the popular cry, or rather invocation: Great Artemis! as it was actually used in the cultus the cry was not an argument against Paul’s doctrine, but rather a prayer to the goddess and queen of Ephesus, and so regarded it gives a vividness and naturalness to the scene, Ramsay, Church in the Roman Empire , p. 135 ff., and “Diana,” u. s. , p. 105; see , critical note.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Act 19:28-41
28When they heard this and were filled with rage, they began crying out, saying, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” 29The city was filled with the confusion, and they rushed with one accord into the theater, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia. 30And when Paul wanted to go into the assembly, the disciples would not let him. 31Also some of the Asiarchs who were friends of his sent to him and repeatedly urged him not to venture into the theater. 32So then, some were shouting one thing and some another, for the assembly was in confusion and the majority did not know for what reason they had come together. 33Some of the crowd concluded it was Alexander, since the Jews had put him forward; and having motioned with his hand, Alexander was intending to make a defense to the assembly. 34But when they recognized that he was a Jew, a single outcry arose from them all as they shouted for about two hours, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” 35After quieting the crowd, the town clerk said, “Men of Ephesus, what man is there after all who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of the image which fell down from heaven? 36So, since these are undeniable facts, you ought to keep calm and to do nothing rash. 37For you have brought these men here who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of our goddess. 38So then, if Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a complaint against any man, the courts are in session and proconsuls are available; let them bring charges against one another. 39But if you want anything beyond this, it shall be settled in the lawful assembly. 40For indeed we are in danger of being accused of a riot in connection with today’s events, since there is no real cause for it, and in this connection we will be unable to account for this disorderly gathering.” 41After saying this he dismissed the assembly.
Act 19:28 This verse shows how closely the ancient world held religion and local traditions. Many people made their daily living in ways connected to the local pagan temples.
“Great is Artemis of the Ephesians” This fertility goddess was often called “the Great.” This may have been the temple’s worship slogan.
Act 19:29 “rushed. . .into the theater” The ruins of this very large Roman amphitheater still remain today. It held between 25 and 56 thousand people (estimates differ).
“with one accord” Acts often uses the phrase “one accord” to describe the unity and fellowship of believers (cf. Act 1:14; Act 2:1; Act 2:46; Act 4:24; Act 5:12; Act 8:6; Act 15:25), but also of how evil can unite (cf. Act 7:57; Act 12:20; Act 18:12). Unity itself is not the goal. It is the purpose of the unity which is crucial!
“Gaius” He was from Derbe (cf. Act 20:4). This was a very common name, so definite identification is difficult (cf. 1Co 1:14; 3Jn 1:3).
“Aristarchus” He was from Thessalonica (cf. Act 20:4; Act 27:2; Col 4:10-11; Php 2:4).
Act 19:30 “the disciples would not let him” Paul was a strong-willed man! However, he allowed other believers to influence some decisions (cf. Act 19:31).
Act 19:31 “some of the Asiarchs” This term means “local elected officials,” but was used in several senses. This is another technical term for local political officials used so accurately by Luke. Apparently they had become believers also, or at least friends of Paul. Again Luke shows that Christianity was not a threat to the local governmental authorities. It is verses like this one that cause some commentators to surmise that Acts was written to be read at Paul’s trial in Rome. Again and again the church came into conflict with Jews, but not with government!
Act 19:32 “the assembly” This is the same Greek word (ekklesia) used for the church. In Act 19:32; Act 19:39; Act 19:41 it refers to an assembly of townspeople.
The early church chose this term because of its use in the Septuagint for “the assembly of Israel.” See Special Topic: Church (ekklesia) at Act 5:11.
“the majority did not know for what reason they had come together” It was a typical mob scene.
Act 19:33 “Alexander” The local Jews wanted it to be understood that they were a separate group from these itinerant Christian missionaries, but it backfired on them. Whether this is the same man mentioned in 2Ti 4:14 is uncertain, but 1Ti 1:20 makes it doubtful.
“having motioned with his hand” This was a cultural way of seeking silence so that one could speak (cf. Act 12:17; Act 13:16; Act 19:33; Act 21:40).
“a defense” We get the English term “apology” from this Greek term, which referred to a legal defense. Luke used this verb often (cf. Luk 12:11; Luk 21:14; Act 19:32; Act 24:10; Act 25:8; Act 26:1-2; Act 26:24) and the noun in Act 22:1; Act 25:16.
Act 19:34 This shows either (1) the anti-Semitism of the Greco-Roman world or (2) this crowd’s anger at Paul’s ministry.
Act 19:35 “the town clerk” This was the chief civil official, who acted as liaison with the Roman government in these cities with famous temples. The term is grammateus. It is used most often in Acts for Jewish scribes (cf. Act 4:5; Act 6:12; Act 23:9). In the Septuagint it referred to Egyptian leaders who submitted records to higher authorities (cf. Exo 5:6) and to Jewish officers (cf. Deu 20:5).
“city of the Ephesians is guardian of the temple” The word for guardian is literally “temple sweeper” (nekos, temple warden). This had become an honorific title, although originally it referred to the lowest temple servants.
“the image which fell down from heaven” It was apparently a meteor shaped like a woman with many breasts. This was a perfect idol for a fertility cult. The term “heaven” is literally “which fell from Zeus (dios).”
Act 19:37 The cause of the riot had no true basis and, therefore, was liable for Roman judicial discipline (cf. Act 19:40).
Act 19:38-39 “let them bring charges against one another” Let them go through the proper channels provided for complaints. These two verses also have two first class conditional sentences.
Act 19:38 “proconsuls” There were two kinds of Roman provinces, those controlled by the Emperor and those controlled by the Senate (Augustus, Acts of Settlement, 27 B.C.). The Roman provinces were governed by
1. senatorial provinces governed by proconsuls or propraetors
2. imperial provinces governed by legatus pro proetors
3. other lesser or problem provinces governed by praefectus
4. free cities governed by local leaders, but under Roman guidelines
5. client states like Palestine governed by local leaders, but with limits and restrictions
Ephesus was in a Senatorial province and thereby had a “proconsul.” Proconsuls are mentioned three times:
1. Sergius Paulus, Cyprus, Act 13:7-8; Act 13:12
2. Annaeus Gallio, Achaia, Act 18:12
3. no specific name, but the category, Ephesus, Act 19:38
Act 19:39-41 “assembly” This is the word ekklesia, which was used by the Greek city-states for a town assembly. It came to be used for the gathered church because in the Septuagint it translated the Hebrew term for “assembly” (Qahal).
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
And when, &c = Moreover having heard and become full of wrath, they.
cried out = were crying out.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Act 19:28. , having heard this) viz. the artificers and workmen.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Diana
Gr. Artemis. Not anciently of the Greek pantheon, but an Eastern goddess. Cf. Jdg 2:13. (See Scofield “Jdg 2:13”).
But “Diana of the Ephesians” was rather a particular image of Artemis, reputed to have fallen from heaven; Act 19:35.
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
they: Act 7:54, Act 16:19-24, Act 21:28-31, Psa 2:2, Rev 12:12
and cried: Act 19:34, Act 19:35, 1Sa 5:3-5, 1Ki 18:26-29, Isa 41:5-7, Jer 50:38, Rev 13:4, Rev 17:13
Reciprocal: Psa 2:1 – rage Psa 83:2 – lo Act 16:22 – the multitude Act 19:24 – Diana Act 23:10 – fearing Act 26:17 – Delivering Eph 4:31 – clamour
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
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Act 19:28. The inflamatory speech of Demetrius aroused the mob spirit of these tradesmen, causing them to make a boistrous shout in behalf of the goddess.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Act 19:28. Great is Diana of the Ephesians Great () was a special title belonging to the Ephesian Artemis. The idol itself shrined in the magnificent temple, to which all this strange homage was paid during so many centuries, was very different to the fair form of the huntress Diana with which we are so familiar in Grecian arta rude, fourfold, many-breasted female figure ending below the breasts in a square pillar curiously carved with ancient symbols of bees, and corn, and flowers. Black with age, the venerated image was more like a Hindoo than a Greek idol. In common with other prized images, it was reputed to have fallen from heaven. The history of the idol is lost in remote antiquity. It evidently had survived the burning of the temple by Herostratus. Probably the early Greek colonists in Ionia found it, a relic of a bygone worship, and adopted by them as their national idol.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Act 19:28-29. And when they heard, &c., they were full of wrath The inflammatory speech of Demetrius, addressed to the superstition and avarice of the multitude, immediately produced the desired effect; the craftsmen, and all who were employed about the temple, were exasperated to the highest degree: and, enraged to think that both their trade and their religion were in danger, they ran about the city; and cried out, with great violence, Great is Diana of the Ephesians Elsner has shown how frequently this epithet of great was given by the heathen to Jupiter, Diana, and others of their superior deities. And the whole city was filled with confusion The common and natural effect of an intemperate zeal for a false religion; they rushed with one accord Demetrius and his company, with the multitude that was gathered about them; into the theatre
Where criminals were wont to be thrown to the wild beasts; dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus When they could not find Paul. Probably, they hoped to oblige them to fight with the wild beasts, as some think Paul had done before.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
28, 29. The prospect of pecuniary ruin enraged the artisans, while their veneration for the goddess suggested the best theme on which to give vent to their wrath before the people. (28) “And when they heard this they were full of wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians. (29) And the whole city was filled with confusion; and having caught Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians, Paul’s companions in travel, they rushed with one accord into the theater.” The outcry, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians,” awakened the old enthusiasm of all the idolaters who heard it, and the tone of rage with which it was uttered, suggesting some assault upon the honor of the goddess, threw the gathering mob into a frenzy. It was a kind of providence in reference to Paul, that he happened to be out of their reach. Not finding him, they seize his companions, and rushing into the theater, where criminals were sometimes exposed to wild beasts, they are about to take the part of the wild beasts themselves. What was the fate of Gaius and Aristarchus is not here stated, though both names occur afterward in the history, and probably designate the same individuals.
Fuente: McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries (New Testament)
The temple of Artemis was a source of civic pride to the Ephesians. In view of Ephesus’ commercial decline, it is easy to see how the silversmiths’ protest could have so quickly aroused popular opposition to the Christian missionaries. This was a case of mob violence; many of the protesters did not understand what the issue was. A major boulevard, the Arcadian Way, ran from the harbor to the theater, and it was probably this artery that the ringleaders used to collect citizens on their march to the theater.
Archaeologists have restored part of the Arcadian Way and the theater at Ephesus. This theater lay on the side of Mt. Pion in the town and seated 25,000 people in 66 rows. Its semi-circular design was typical of Roman outdoor theaters.
Gaius was a common Greek name. This Gaius seems to have been different from the men with the same name mentioned in Act 20:4, Rom 16:23, and 1Co 1:14, since this one was a Macedonian. Some Greek manuscripts, however, indicate that it was only Aristarchus who was a Macedonian, in which case this Gaius may have been the resident of Derbe mentioned in Act 20:4. Aristarchus does appear later in Acts (cf. Act 20:4; Act 27:2). He came from Thessalonica.