Acts 17:22

Easy-to-Read Version

Then Paul stood up before the meeting of the Areopagus council and said, "Men of Athens, everything I see here tells me you are very religious.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Paul stood in the middle of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that you are extremely religious in every respect.

King James Version (1611)
Then Paul stood in the mids of Mars-hill, and said, Yee men of Athens, I perceiue that in all things yee are too superstitious.

King James Version
Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.

English Standard Version
So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: "Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious.

New American Standard Bible
So Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, "Men of Athens, I see that you are very religious in all respects.

New Century Version
Then Paul stood before the meeting of the Areopagus and said, "People of Athens, I can see you are very religious in all things.

Amplified Bible
So Paul, standing in the center of the Areopagus, said: "Men of Athens, I observe [with every turn I make throughout the city] that you are very religious and devout in all respects.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
So Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, "Men of Athens, I observe that you are very religious in all respects.

Legacy Standard Bible
So Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, "Men of Athens, I observe that you are very religious in all respects.

Berean Standard Bible
Then Paul stood up before the Areopagus and said, "Men of Athens, I see that in every way you are very religious.

Contemporary English Version
So Paul stood up in front of the council and said: People of Athens, I see that you are very religious.

Complete Jewish Bible
Sha'ul stood up in the Council meeting and said, "Men of Athens: I see how very religious you are in every way!

Darby Translation
And Paul standing in the midst of Areopagus said, Athenians, in every way I see you given up to demon worship;

Geneva Bible (1587)
Then Paul stoode in the mids of Mars streete, and sayde, Yee men of Athens, I perceiue that in all things yee are too superstitious.

George Lamsa Translation
When Paul stood in the court at Ar-eop''a- gus, he said, Men of Athens, I see that above all things you are extravagant in the worship of idols.

Good News Translation
Paul stood up in front of the city council and said, "I see that in every way you Athenians are very religious.

Lexham English Bible
So Paul stood there in the middle of the Areopagus and said, "Men of Athens, I see you are very religious in every respect.

Literal Translation
And standing in the middle of the Areopagus, Paul said, Men, Athenians, I see in everything how god-fearing you are ;

American Standard Version
And Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus, and said, Ye men of Athens, in all things I perceive that ye are very religious.

Bible in Basic English
And Paul got to his feet on Mars' Hill and said, O men of Athens, I see that you are overmuch given to fear of the gods.

Hebrew Names Version
Sha'ul stood in the midst of the Areopagus, and said, "You men of Athens, I perceive that you are very religious in all things.

International Standard Version
So Paul stood up in front of the Areopagus[fn] and said, "Men of Athens, I see that you are very religious in every way.

Etheridge Translation
AND as Paulos stood on Arios-pagos he said, Men of Athinos, I observe you that in all (things) you exceed in the worship of demons.

Murdock Translation
And as Paul stood in the Areopagus, he said: Men, Athenians, I perceive that in all things ye are excessive in the worship of demons.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Then Paul stoode in the myddes of Marce streate, and sayde: ye men of Athens, I perceaue that in all thynges ye are to superstitious.

English Revised Version
And Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus, and said, Ye men of Athens, in all things I perceive that ye are somewhat superstitious.

World English Bible
Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus, and said, "You men of Athens, I perceive that you are very religious in all things.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Then Paul standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that ye are greatly addicted to the worship of invisible powers.

Weymouth's New Testament
So Paul, taking his stand in the centre of the Areopagus, spoke as follows: "Men of Athens, I perceive that you are in every respect remarkably religious.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Poul stood in the myddil of Ariopage, and seide, Men of Athenys, bi alle thingis Y se you as veyn worschipers.

Update Bible Version
And Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus, and said, You men of Athens, in all things, I perceive that you are very religious.

Webster's Bible Translation
Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars-hill, and said, [Ye] men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.

New English Translation
So Paul stood before the Areopagus and said, "Men of Athens, I see that you are very religious in all respects.

New King James Version
Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, "Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious;

New Living Translation
So Paul, standing before the council, addressed them as follows: "Men of Athens, I notice that you are very religious in every way,

New Life Bible
Then Paul stood up on Mars' Hill and said, "Men of Athens, I see how very religious you are in every way.

New Revised Standard
Then Paul stood in front of the Areopagus and said, "Athenians, I see how extremely religious you are in every way.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And Paul taking his stand in the midst of the Hill of Mars, said - Ye men of Athens! In every way, how unusually reverent of the demons ye are, I perceive.

Douay-Rheims Bible
But Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are too superstitious.

Revised Standard Version
So Paul, standing in the middle of the Are-op'agus, said: "Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Paul stode in the myddes of Marse strete and sayde: ye men of Attens I perceave that in all thinges ye are to supersticious.

Young's Literal Translation
And Paul, having stood in the midst of the Areopagus, said, `Men, Athenians, in all things I perceive you as over-religious;

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Paul stode on the myddes of the comon place, and sayde: Ye me of Athens, I se that in all thinges ye are to supersticious.

Mace New Testament (1729)
Then Paul being plac'd in the middle of the Areopagus, said thus, "I observe, O Athenians, that you are in a manner too devout.

THE MESSAGE
So Paul took his stand in the open space at the Areopagus and laid it out for them. "It is plain to see that you Athenians take your religion seriously. When I arrived here the other day, I was fascinated with all the shrines I came across. And then I found one inscribed, to the god nobody knows . I'm here to introduce you to this God so you can worship intelligently, know who you're dealing with.

Simplified Cowboy Version
Paul stood up and said, "People of Athens, I have walked through your city, and I can see you are a very religious bunch.

Contextual Overview

²² Then Paul stood up before the meeting of the Areopagus council and said, "Men of Athens, everything I see here tells me you are very religious. ²³ I was going through your city and I saw the things you worship. I found an altar that had these words written on it: ‘ to an unknown god .' You worship a god that you don't know. This is the God I want to tell you about. ²⁴ "He is the God who made the whole world and everything in it. He is the Lord of the land and the sky. He does not live in temples built by human hands. ²⁵ He is the one who gives people life, breath, and everything else they need. He does not need any help from them. He has everything he needs. ²⁶ God began by making one man, and from him he made all the different people who live everywhere in the world. He decided exactly when and where they would live. ²⁷ "God wanted people to look for him, and perhaps in searching all around for him, they would find him. But he is not far from any of us. ²⁸ It is through him that we are able to live, to do what we do, and to be who we are. As your own poets have said, ‘We all come from him.' ²⁹ "That's right. We all come from God. So you must not think that he is like something people imagine or make. He is not made of gold, silver, or stone. ³⁰ In the past people did not understand God, and he overlooked this. But now he is telling everyone in the world to change and turn to him. ³¹ He has decided on a day when he will judge all the people in the world in a way that is fair. To do this he will use a man he chose long ago. And he has proved to everyone that this is the man to do it. He proved it by raising him from death!"

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Mars' hill: or, the court of the Areopagites, Acts 17:19

I perceive: Acts 17:16, Acts 19:35, Acts 25:19, Jeremiah 10:2, Jeremiah 10:3, Jeremiah 50:38

Reciprocal: Acts 19:30 - Paul

Cross-References

Genesis 17:3
Then Abram bowed down before God. God said to him,

Genesis 17:6
I will give you many descendants. New nations and kings will come from you.

Genesis 17:8
And I will give this land to you and to all your descendants. I will give you the land you are traveling through—the land of Canaan. I will give you this land forever, and I will be your God."

Genesis 17:9
Then God said to Abraham, "Now, this is your part of the agreement: You and all your descendants will obey my agreement.

Genesis 17:15
God said to Abraham, "I will give Sarai, your wife, a new name. Her new name will be Sarah.

Genesis 18:33
The Lord finished speaking to Abraham and left. Then Abraham went back home.

Exodus 20:22
Then the Lord told Moses to say this to the Israelites: "You people have seen that I talked with you from heaven.

Deuteronomy 5:4
The Lord spoke with you face to face at that mountain. He spoke to you from the fire.

Judges 6:21
The angel of the Lord had a walking stick in his hand. He touched the meat and the bread with the end of the stick, and fire jumped up out of the rock and burned up the meat and the bread. Then the angel of the Lord disappeared.

Judges 13:20
Manoah and his wife were watching what happened. As the flames went up to the sky from the altar, the angel of the Lord went up to heaven in the fire. When Manoah and his wife saw that, they bowed down with their faces to the ground.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill,.... Or of Areopagus, as it is better rendered in Acts 17:19 for it is the same place, and it is the same word that is here used: Paul stood in the midst of that court of judicature, amidst the Areopagites, the judges of that court, and the wise and learned philosophers of the different sects that were assembled together:

and said, ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious; or "more religious", than any other persons, in other places, which has been observed before on Acts 17:16 they had more gods, and more altars, and more festivals, and were more diligent and studious in the worship of the gods, than others. And this manner of addressing them, both as citizens of Athens, and as very religious persons, and who, as such, greatly exceeded all others, must greatly tend to engage their attention to him.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Then Paul - This commences Paul’s explanation of the doctrines which he had stated. It is evident that Luke has recorded but a mere summary or outline of the discourse; but it is such as to enable us to see clearly his course of thought, and the manner in which he met the two principal sects of their philosophers.

In the midst of Mars’ hill - Greek: Areopagus. This should have been retained in the translation.

Ye men of Athens - This language was perfectly respectful, notwithstanding his heart had been deeply affected by their idolatry. Everything about this discourse is calm, grave, cool, argumentative. Paul understood the character of his auditors, and did not commence his discourse by denouncing them, nor did he suppose that they would be convinced by mere dogmatical assertion. No happier instance can be found of cool, collected argumentation than is furnished in this discourse.

I perceive - He perceived this by his observations of their forms of worship in passing through their city, Acts 17:23.

In all things - In respect to all events.

Ye are too superstitious - δεισιδαιμονεστέρους deisidaimonesterous. This is a most unhappy translation. We use the word “superstitious” always in a bad sense, to denote being “over-scrupulous and rigid in religious observances, particularly in smaller matters, or a zealous devotion to rites and observances which are not commanded.” But the word here is designed to convey no such idea. It properly means “reverence for the gods.” It is used in the Classic writers in a good sense, to denote “piety toward the gods, or suitable fear and reverence for them”; and also in a bad sense, to denote “improper fear or excessive dread of their anger”; and in this sense it accords with our word “superstitious.” But it is altogether improbable that Paul would have used it in a bad sense. For:

(1) It was not his custom needlessly to blame or offend his auditors.

(2) It is not probable that he would commence his discourse in a manner that would only excite prejudice and opposition.

(3) In the thing which he specifies Acts 17:23 as proof on the subject, he does not introduce it as a matter of blame, but rather as a proof of their devotedness to the cause of religion and of their regard for God.

(4) The whole speech is calm, dignified, and argumentative - such as became such a place, such a speaker, and such an audience. The meaning of the expression is, therefore, “I perceive that you are greatly devoted to reverence for religion; that it is a characteristic of the people to honor the gods, to rear altars to them, and to recognize the divine agency in times of trial.” The proof of this was the altar reared to the unknown God; its bearing on his purpose was, that such a state of public sentiment must be favorable to an inquiry into the truth of what he was about to state.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Acts 17:22. Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill — That is, in the midst of the judges, who sat in the Areopagus.

Ye are too superstitious. — Κατα παντα ὡς δεισιδαιμονεϚερους ὑμας θεωρω; I perceive that in all respects ye are greatly addicted to religious practices; and, as a religious people, you will candidly hear what I have got to say in behalf of that worship which I practise and recommend. See farther observations at the end of the chapter. Acts 17:22- :