Acts 17:18
King James Version (1769)
Other translations
| Verse | KJV | BSB | ASV |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection. | Some Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others said, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was proclaiming the good news of Jesus and the resurrection. | And certain also of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered him. And some said, What would this babbler say? others, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached Jesus and the resurrection. |
In context
Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.
Original Greek words
| English | Greek | Say it | Strong's | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Some | τινὲς | tines | G5100 | oneτις (tis) τις, neut., τι, genitive, τινός, enclitic indefinite pron., related to interrog. τίς as πού, πως, ποτέ to ποῦ, πῶς, πότε. I. As subst., 1. one, a certain one: Luk.9:49, Jhn.11:1, Act.5:25, al.; pl., τίνες, certain, some: Luk.13:1, Act.15:1, Rom.3:8, al. 2. someone, anyone, something, anything: Mat.12:29, Mrk.9:30, Luk.8:46, Jhn.2:25, Act.17:25, Rom.5:7, al.; = indef., one (French on), Mrk.8:4, Jhn.2:25, Rom.8:24, al.; pl., τινες, some, Mrk.14:4, al. II. II. As adj., … |
| then | δὲ | de | G1161 | thenδέ (de) δέ (before vowels δ᾽; on the general neglect of the elision in NT, see WH, App., 146; Tdf., Pr., 96), post-positive conjunctive particle; 1. copulative, but, in the next place, and, now (Abbott, JG, 104): Mat.1:2ff., 2Co.6:15, 16, 2Pe.1:5-7; in repetition for emphasis, Rom.3:21, 22, 9:30, 1Co.2:6, Gal.2:2, Php.2:8; in transition to something new, Mat.1:18, 2:19, Luk.13:1, Jhn.7:14, Act.6:1, Rom.8:28, 1Co.7:1 8:1, al.; in explanatory parenthesis or addition, Jhn.3:19, Rom.5:8, 1Co.1:12, Eph.2:4, 5:32, al.; ὡς δέ, Jhn.2:9; καὶ . . . δέ, but also, Mat.10:18, Luk.1:76, Jhn.6:51, Rom.11:23, al.; … |
| also | καὶ | kai | G2532 | andκαί (kai) καί, conj., and I. Copulative. 1. Connecting single words; (a) in general: Mat.2:18, 16:1, Mrk.2:15, Luk.8:15, Heb.1:1, al. mult.; repeated before each of the terms in a series, Mat.23:23, Luk.14:21, Rom.7:12, 9:4, al. (b) connecting numerals (WM, §37, 4): Jhn.2:20, Act.13:20; (with) joining terms which are not mutually exclusive, as the part with the whole: Mat.8:33, 26:59, Mrk.16:17, Act.5:29, al. 2. Connecting clauses and sentences: Mat.3:12, Act.5:21, al. mult.; esp. … |
| Epicureans | Ἐπικουρείων | Epikoureiōn | G1946 | EpicureanἘπικούρειος (Epikoureios) Ἐπικούριος (Rec. -ειος), -ου, ὁ an Epicurean, a follower of Epicurus: Act.17:18.† (AS) |
| and | καὶ | kai | G2532 | andκαί (kai) καί, conj., and I. Copulative. 1. Connecting single words; (a) in general: Mat.2:18, 16:1, Mrk.2:15, Luk.8:15, Heb.1:1, al. mult.; repeated before each of the terms in a series, Mat.23:23, Luk.14:21, Rom.7:12, 9:4, al. (b) connecting numerals (WM, §37, 4): Jhn.2:20, Act.13:20; (with) joining terms which are not mutually exclusive, as the part with the whole: Mat.8:33, 26:59, Mrk.16:17, Act.5:29, al. 2. Connecting clauses and sentences: Mat.3:12, Act.5:21, al. mult.; esp. … |
| Stoics | Στοϊκῶν | Stoikōn | G4770 | StoicΣτωϊκός (Stōikos) Στωικός (Rec. -ϊκός, T, Στοϊκός), -ή, -όν, Stoic: Act.17:18.† (AS) |
| philosophers | φιλοσόφων | philosophōn | G5386 | philosopherφιλόσοφος (philosophos) φιλό-σοφος, -ου, ὁ [in LXX: Dan LXX 1:20 (אַשָּׁף), 4Ma.1:1 4Mac 5:35 4Mac 7:7 * ;] a philosopher: Act.17:18.† (AS) |
| were encountering | συνέβαλλον | suneballon | G4820 | to ponder/conferσυμβάλλω (sumballō) συν-βάλλω (Rec. συμ-), [in LXX: 2Ch.25:19 (גָּרָה hith.), Isa.46:6 (זוּל), Jer.43:3 (סוּת hi.), Wis.5:8, al. ;] to throw together, hence, (a) of speech (before λόγους, Eur., al.), to discuss, confer (sc. λόγους): with dative of person(s), Luk.11:53, WH, mg., Act.17:18; before πρὸς ἀλλήλους, Act.4:15; (b) to reflect, consider, ponder: ἐν τ. καρδίᾳ, Luk.2:19; (with) to meet with, fall in with: Act.20:14; in hostile sense, εἰς πόλεμον, with dative (εἰς μάχην, Polyb.), Luk.14:31; (d) mid., to contribute (Polyb., al.; cf. MM, xxiv): Act.18:27.† (AS) |
| him; | αὐτῷ· | autō | G0846 | it/s/heαὐτός (autos) αὐτός, -ή, -ό, determinative pron., in late Gk. much more frequently than in cl. (WM, 178f.; Jannaris, HGG, §1399). 1. Emphatic (so always in nom. exc. when preceded by the art., see infr., iii); (1) self (ipse), expressing opposition, distinction, exclusion, etc., αὐ. ἐκχυθήσεται, Luk.5:37; αὐ. ἐγινώσκεν, Jhn.2:25; αὐ.ὑμεῖς, Jhn.3:28; καὶ αὐ. ἐγώ, Rom.15:14; αὐ. Ἰησοῦς, Jhn.2:24; αὐ. καὶ οἱ μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ, Mrk.2:25; ὑμεῖς αὐ., Mrk.6:31; esp. (as freq in cl.) αὐ. ὁ, Mat.3:4, Mrk.6:17, Jhn.16:27, 1Th.3:11, al.; in late Gk., sometimes weakened, ἐν αὐτῇ τ. ὥρᾳ, in that hour, Luk.10:21 (M, Pr., 91; … |
| And | καί | kai | G2532 | andκαί (kai) καί, conj., and I. Copulative. 1. Connecting single words; (a) in general: Mat.2:18, 16:1, Mrk.2:15, Luk.8:15, Heb.1:1, al. mult.; repeated before each of the terms in a series, Mat.23:23, Luk.14:21, Rom.7:12, 9:4, al. (b) connecting numerals (WM, §37, 4): Jhn.2:20, Act.13:20; (with) joining terms which are not mutually exclusive, as the part with the whole: Mat.8:33, 26:59, Mrk.16:17, Act.5:29, al. 2. Connecting clauses and sentences: Mat.3:12, Act.5:21, al. mult.; esp. … |
| some | τινες | tines | G5100 | oneτις (tis) τις, neut., τι, genitive, τινός, enclitic indefinite pron., related to interrog. τίς as πού, πως, ποτέ to ποῦ, πῶς, πότε. I. As subst., 1. one, a certain one: Luk.9:49, Jhn.11:1, Act.5:25, al.; pl., τίνες, certain, some: Luk.13:1, Act.15:1, Rom.3:8, al. 2. someone, anyone, something, anything: Mat.12:29, Mrk.9:30, Luk.8:46, Jhn.2:25, Act.17:25, Rom.5:7, al.; = indef., one (French on), Mrk.8:4, Jhn.2:25, Rom.8:24, al.; pl., τινες, some, Mrk.14:4, al. II. II. As adj., … |
| were saying; | ἔλεγον· | elegon | G3004G | to sayλέγω (legō) λέγω, [in LXX very freq., chiefly for אמר; λέγει for נְאֻם, Gen.22:16, al. ;] 1. in Hom., to pick out, gather, reckon, recount. 2. In Hdt. and Att., to say, speak, affirm, declare: absol., Act.13:15, 24:10; before orat. dir., Mat.9:34, Mrk.3:11, Jhn.1:29, al.; before ὅτι recit., Mrk.3:21, Luk.1:24, Jhn.6:14, al.; accusative and inf., Luk.11:18, Jhn.12:29, al.; after another verb of speaking, προσφωνεῖν κ. λέγειν, Mat.11:17, al.; ἀπεκρίθη (ἐλάλησεν) λέγων (καὶ λέγει; Dalman, Words, 24 ff.), Mat.25:9, Mrk.3:33, 7:28, Luk.24:6, 7, al.; of unspoken thought, λ. ἐν ἑαυτῷ, Mat.3:9, Luk.3:8, al.; of … |
| What | τί | ti | G5101 | which?τίς (tis) τίς, neut., τί, genitive, τίνος, interrog. pron., [in LXX for מָה ,מִי ;] in masc. and fem., who, which, what?; in neut., which, what?, used both in direct and in indirect questions. I. I. As subst., 1. 1. masc., fem.: τίς; who, what?, Mat.3:7 26:68; Mrk.11:28, Luk.9:9, al. mult.; with genitive partit., Act.7:52, Heb.1:5, al; before ἐκ (= genitive partit.), Mat.6:27, Luk.14:28, Jhn.8:46; = ποῖος, Mrk.4:41 6:2, Luk.19:3, Act.17:19, al.; = πότερος (M, Pr., 77), Mat.21:31 27:17, Luk.22:27, al.; = ὅς or ὅστις (rare in cl.; cf. Bl., §50, 5; M, Pr., 93), Act.13:25. … |
| maybe | ἂν | an | G0302 | ifἄν (an) ἄν, conditional particle, which cannot usually be separately translated in English, its force depending on the constructions which contain it (see further, LS, see word; WM, §xlii; M, Pr., 165 ff.; MM, VGT, see word). 1. In apodosis, … |
| would intend | θέλοι | theloi | G2309 | to will/desireθέλω (thelō) θέλω (the strengthened form ἐθέλω is found in Hom., and is the more frequently in Attic; see Rutherford, NPhr., 415f.), [in LXX for חפץ ,אבה; with neg., מאן pi., etc. ;] to will, be willing, wish, desire (more frequently than βούλομαι, which see, in vernac. and late Gk., also in MGr.; for various views as to its relation to β., see Thayer, 286; but see also BL, §24, see word): absol., Rom.9:16, 1Co.4:19 12:18, Jas.4:15; τ. θεοῦ θέλοντος, Act.18:21; with accusative of thing(s), Mat.20:21, Mrk.14:36, Jhn.15:7, Rom.7:15, 16 1Co.4:21 7:36, Gal.5:17; with inf., Mat.5:40, Mrk.10:43, Jhn.6:21, 67 R … |
| babbler | σπερμολόγος | spermologos | G4691 | babblerσπερμολόγος (spermologos) σπερμολόγος, -ον (σπέρμα, λέγω) a seed picker; (a) prop., of birds (Arist., Aristoph, al.); (b) in Attic slang, of an idler who lives on scraps picked up in the agora; hence, as subst., ὁ σ., an idle babbler: Act.17:18.† (AS) |
| this | οὗτος | houtos | G3778 | this/he/she/itοὗτος (ohutos) οὗτος, αὕτη, τοῦτο, genitive, τούτου, ταύτης, τούτου, [in LXX chiefly for זֹאת ,זֶה ;] demonstr. pron. (related to ἐκεῖνος as hic to ille), this; 1. as subst., this one, he; (a) absol.: Mat.3:17, Mrk.9:7, Luk.7:44, 45, Jhn.1:15, Act.2:15, al.; expressing contempt (cl.), Mat.13:55, 56, Mrk.6:2, 3, Jhn.6:42, al.; εἰς τοῦτο, Mrk.1:38, Rom.14:9; μετὰ τοῦτο (ταῦτα; V. Westc. on Jhn.5:1), Jhn.2:12 11:7, al.; (b) epanaleptic (referring to what precedes): Mat.5:19, Mrk.3:35, Luk.9:48, Jhn.6:46, Rom.7:10, al.; … |
| to say? | λέγειν; | legein | G3004G | to sayλέγω (legō) λέγω, [in LXX very freq., chiefly for אמר; λέγει for נְאֻם, Gen.22:16, al. ;] 1. in Hom., to pick out, gather, reckon, recount. 2. In Hdt. and Att., to say, speak, affirm, declare: absol., Act.13:15, 24:10; before orat. dir., Mat.9:34, Mrk.3:11, Jhn.1:29, al.; before ὅτι recit., Mrk.3:21, Luk.1:24, Jhn.6:14, al.; accusative and inf., Luk.11:18, Jhn.12:29, al.; after another verb of speaking, προσφωνεῖν κ. λέγειν, Mat.11:17, al.; ἀπεκρίθη (ἐλάλησεν) λέγων (καὶ λέγει; Dalman, Words, 24 ff.), Mat.25:9, Mrk.3:33, 7:28, Luk.24:6, 7, al.; of unspoken thought, λ. ἐν ἑαυτῷ, Mat.3:9, Luk.3:8, al.; of … |
| however; | δέ· | de | G1161 | thenδέ (de) δέ (before vowels δ᾽; on the general neglect of the elision in NT, see WH, App., 146; Tdf., Pr., 96), post-positive conjunctive particle; 1. copulative, but, in the next place, and, now (Abbott, JG, 104): Mat.1:2ff., 2Co.6:15, 16, 2Pe.1:5-7; in repetition for emphasis, Rom.3:21, 22, 9:30, 1Co.2:6, Gal.2:2, Php.2:8; in transition to something new, Mat.1:18, 2:19, Luk.13:1, Jhn.7:14, Act.6:1, Rom.8:28, 1Co.7:1 8:1, al.; in explanatory parenthesis or addition, Jhn.3:19, Rom.5:8, 1Co.1:12, Eph.2:4, 5:32, al.; ὡς δέ, Jhn.2:9; καὶ . . . δέ, but also, Mat.10:18, Luk.1:76, Jhn.6:51, Rom.11:23, al.; … |
| Of foreign | ξένων | xenōn | G3581 | foreignξένος (xenos) ξένος, -η, -ον [in LXX chiefly for נׇכְרִי ;] (a) foreign, alien: δαιμόνια, Act.17:18; διδαχαί Heb.13:9; (b) with genitive of thing(s), strange to, estranged from, ignorant of: Eph.2:12; (with) strange, unusual: 1Pe.4:12. As subst., ὁ ξ., (a) a foreigner, stranger: Mat.25:35, 38 25:43-44 27:7, Act.17:21, 3Jn.5; ξέίνοι κ. τάροικοι (opposite to συμπολῖται, οίκεῖοι), Eph.2:19; ξ. καὶ παρεπίδημοι, Heb.11:13; (b) one of the parties bound by ties of hospitality; α the guest; β the host (= ξενοδόκος, Hom., Ii, xv, 532) : Rom.16:23.† (AS) |
| gods | δαιμονίων | daimoniōn | G1140 | demonδαιμόνιον (daimonion) δαιμόνιον, -ου, τό (neut. of δαιμόνιος, -α, -ον, divine), [in LXX (so also in π; see MM, Exp., x) for שֵׁד, אֱלִיל, (frequently in To) ;] 1. as in cl.; (a) the Divine power, Deity (Hdt., Plat., al.); (b) an inferior divinity, deity or demon (as in magical π, Deiss., BS, 281; MM, Exp., x): ξένα δ., Act.17:18. 2. (a) in OT, heathen deities, false gods (e.g. Deu.32:17, Psa.95 (96):5); … |
| he seems | δοκεῖ | dokei | G1380 | to thinkδοκέω (dokeō) δοκέω, -ῶ (δόκος, opinion, δέκομαι, Ion, form of δέχ-), [in LXX for טוֹב, נָדַב, etc. ;] 1. to be of opinion, suppose: Mat.24:44, Luk.12:40, Heb.10:29; with inf., Mat.3:9, Luk.8:18 24:37, Jhn.5:39 16:2, Act.12:9 27:13, 1Co.3:18 7:40 8:2 10:12 14:37, Gal.6:3, Php.3:4, Jas.1:26; with accusative and inf., 1Co.12:23, 2Co.11:16; before ὅτι, Mat.6:7 26:53, Mrk.6:49, Luk.12:51 13:2, 4 19:11, Jhn.5:45 11:13, 31 13:29 20:15, 1Co.4:9, 2Co.12:19, Jas.4:5. … |
| a proclaimer | καταγγελεὺς | katangeleus | G2604 | proclaimerκαταγγελεύς (katangeleus) καταγγελεύς, -έως, ὁ a proclaimer, herald (in Inscr., κ. ἀγώνων, Deiss., LAE, 97): with genitive obj., Act.17:18.† (AS) |
| to be; | εἶναι· | einai | G1511 | to existεἶναι (einai) εἰμί, with various uses and significations, like the English verb to be. I. As substantive verb. 1. Of persons and things, to be, exist: Act.17:28, Jhn.1:1, 8:58, 17:5, al; ὁ ὢν καὶ ὁ ἦν (for past ptcp.), Rev.1:4, 8, 4:8, 11:17, 16:5 (see Swete, Ap., 5; M, Pr., 228); τὰ (μὴ) ὄντα, Rom.4:17, 1Co.1:28. 2. Of times, events, etc., to be, happen, take place: Mat.24:3, Mrk.14:2, 15:42, Luk.21:23, Jhn.4:6, 23, 5:10, al. … |
| because | ὅτι | hoti | G3754H | that/since: thatὅτι (hoti) ὅτι, conjc. (prop. neut. of ὅστις). I. As conjc, introducing an objective clause, that; 1. after verbs of seeing, knowing, thinking, saying, feeling: Mat.3:9 6:32 11:25, Mrk.3:28, Luk.2:49, Jhn.2:22, Act.4:13, Rom.1:13 8:38 10:9, Php.4:15, Jas.2:24, al.; elliptically, Jhn.6:46, Php.3:12, al. 2. After εἶναι (γίνεσθαι): defining a demonstr. or of person(s) pron., Jhn.3:19 16:19, Rom.9:6, 1Jn.3:16 al.; with pron. interrog., Mat.8:27, Mrk.4:41, Luk.4:36, Jhn.4:22 al.; id. elliptically, Luk.2:49, Act.5:4, 9, al.; … |
| Jesus | Ἰησοῦν | Iēsoun | G2424G | JesusἸησοῦς (Iēsous) Ἰησοῦς, -οῦ, dative, voc. -οῦ, accusative, -οῦν (Heb. יֵשׁוּעַ ,יְהֹשֻׁעַ ,יְהוֹשׁוּעַ), 1. JESUS: Mat.1:21, al.; ὁ Ἰ, ib. 3:13, al.; Ἰ. Χριστός, ib. 1:1, Mrk.1:1, al.; Χρ. Ἰ., Rom.2:26, al.; κύριος Ἰ., Act.28:31, al.; Ἰησοῦ, voc., Mrk.1:24, al. 2. Joshua: Act.7:45, Heb.4:8. 3. Jesus, son of Eliezer: Luk.3:28. 4. Jesus, surnamed Justus: Col.4:11. 5. see: βαραββᾶς. (AS) |
| and | καὶ | kai | G2532 | andκαί (kai) καί, conj., and I. Copulative. 1. Connecting single words; (a) in general: Mat.2:18, 16:1, Mrk.2:15, Luk.8:15, Heb.1:1, al. mult.; repeated before each of the terms in a series, Mat.23:23, Luk.14:21, Rom.7:12, 9:4, al. (b) connecting numerals (WM, §37, 4): Jhn.2:20, Act.13:20; (with) joining terms which are not mutually exclusive, as the part with the whole: Mat.8:33, 26:59, Mrk.16:17, Act.5:29, al. 2. Connecting clauses and sentences: Mat.3:12, Act.5:21, al. mult.; esp. … |
| resurrection | ἀνάστασιν | anastasin | G0386 | resurrectionἀνάστασις (anastasis) ἀνά-στασις, -εως, ή (ἀνίστημι), [in LXX: Zep.3:8 (קוּם), La 3:63 (קִימָה), קִימָה), Psa.66:1-20 title., Dan LXX 11:20, 2Ma.7:14 2Mac 12:43 * ;] 1. a raising up, awakening, rising (in Inscr. of the erection of a monument, see MM, VGT, see word): Luk.2:34. 2. a rising from the dead (see DCG, ii, 605b); (a) of Christ: Act.1:22 2:31 4:33 Rom.6:5, Php.3:10, 1Pe.3:21; ἐξ ἀ. νεκρῶν, Rom.1:4 (ICC, in l); ἐκ νεκρῶν, 1Pe.1:3; (b) of persons in OT hist. (e.g. 3Ki.17:17 ff.): Heb.11:35; … |
| to them | αὐτοῖς | autois | G0846 | it/s/heαὐτός (autos) αὐτός, -ή, -ό, determinative pron., in late Gk. much more frequently than in cl. (WM, 178f.; Jannaris, HGG, §1399). 1. Emphatic (so always in nom. exc. when preceded by the art., see infr., iii); (1) self (ipse), expressing opposition, distinction, exclusion, etc., αὐ. ἐκχυθήσεται, Luk.5:37; αὐ. ἐγινώσκεν, Jhn.2:25; αὐ.ὑμεῖς, Jhn.3:28; καὶ αὐ. ἐγώ, Rom.15:14; αὐ. Ἰησοῦς, Jhn.2:24; αὐ. καὶ οἱ μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ, Mrk.2:25; ὑμεῖς αὐ., Mrk.6:31; esp. (as freq in cl.) αὐ. ὁ, Mat.3:4, Mrk.6:17, Jhn.16:27, 1Th.3:11, al.; in late Gk., sometimes weakened, ἐν αὐτῇ τ. ὥρᾳ, in that hour, Luk.10:21 (M, Pr., 91; … |
| he was evangelising. | εὐηγγελίζετο.¶ | euēngelizeto | G2097 | to speak good newsεὐαγγελίζομαι (euangelizomai) εὐαγγελίζω [in LXX for בָּשַׂר pi., hith.; for good news in general: 1Ki.31:9, al.; of God's loving kindness, Psa.40:10 96:2, and esp. of Messianic blessings, Isa.40:9 60:6, al. ;] to bring or announce glad tidings; 1. act. (only in late writers): with accusative of person(s), Rev.10:7; before ἐπί, with accusative of person(s), Rev.14:6; pass., of things, to be proclaimed as glad tidings: Luk.16:16, Gal.1:11, 1Pe.1:25; impers., 1Pe.4:6; of persons, to have glad tidings proclaimed to one: Mat.11:5, Luk.7:22, Heb.4:2, 6 … |
Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.