Acts 17:22

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.

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;

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.

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.

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 Paul stood up in front of the city council and said, "I see that in every way you Athenians are very religious. ²³ For as I walked through your city and looked at the places where you worship, I found an altar on which is written, ‘To an Unknown God.' That which you worship, then, even though you do not know it, is what I now proclaim to you. ²⁴ God, who made the world and everything in it, is Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples made by human hands. ²⁵ Nor does he need anything that we can supply by working for him, since it is he himself who gives life and breath and everything else to everyone. ²⁶ From one human being he created all races of people and made them live throughout the whole earth. He himself fixed beforehand the exact times and the limits of the places where they would live. ²⁷ He did this so that they would look for him, and perhaps find him as they felt around for him. Yet God is actually not far from any one of us; ²⁸ as someone has said, ‘In him we live and move and exist.' It is as some of your poets have said, ‘We too are his children.' ²⁹ Since we are God's children, we should not suppose that his nature is anything like an image of gold or silver or stone, shaped by human art and skill. ³⁰ God has overlooked the times when people did not know him, but now he commands all of them everywhere to turn away from their evil ways. ³¹ For he has fixed a day in which he will judge the whole world with justice by means of a man he has chosen. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising that man 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
Abram bowed down with his face touching the ground, and God said,

Genesis 17:6
I will give you many descendants, and some of them will be kings. You will have so many descendants that they will become nations.

Genesis 17:8
I will give to you and to your descendants this land in which you are now a foreigner. The whole land of Canaan will belong to your descendants forever, and I will be their God."

Genesis 17:9
God said to Abraham, "You also must agree to keep the covenant with me, both you and your descendants in future generations.

Genesis 17:15
God said to Abraham, "You must no longer call your wife Sarai; from now on her name is Sarah.

Genesis 18:33
After he had finished speaking with Abraham, the Lord went away, and Abraham returned home.

Exodus 20:22
The Lord commanded Moses to tell the Israelites: "You have seen how I, the Lord , have spoken to you from heaven.

Deuteronomy 5:4
There on the mountain the Lord spoke to you face-to-face from the fire.

Judges 6:21
Then the Lord 's angel reached out and touched the meat and the bread with the end of the stick he was holding. Fire came out of the rock and burned up the meat and the bread. Then the angel disappeared.

Judges 13:20
While the flames were going up from the altar, Manoah and his wife saw the Lord 's angel go up toward heaven in the flames. Manoah realized then that the man had been the Lord 's angel, and he and his wife threw themselves face downward on the ground. They never saw the angel again.

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- :