16 Now G1161 while Paul G3972 waited for G1551 them G846 at G1722 Athens, G116 his G846 spirit G4151 was stirred G3947 in G1722 him, G846 when he saw G2334 the city G4172 wholly given G5607 to idolatry. G2712
And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh H7126 unto the camp, H4264 that he saw H7200 the calf, H5695 and the dancing: H4246 and Moses' H4872 anger H639 waxed hot, H2734 and he cast H7993 the tables H3871 out of his hands, H3027 and brake H7665 them beneath H8478 the mount. H2022 And he took H3947 the calf H5695 which they had made, H6213 and burnt H8313 it in the fire, H784 and ground H2912 it to powder, H1854 and strawed H2219 it upon H6440 the water, H4325 and made the children H1121 of Israel H3478 drink H8248 of it.
And, behold, one H376 of the children H1121 of Israel H3478 came H935 and brought H7126 unto his brethren H251 a Midianitish woman H4084 in the sight H5869 of Moses, H4872 and in the sight H5869 of all the congregation H5712 of the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 who were weeping H1058 before the door H6607 of the tabernacle H168 of the congregation. H4150 And when Phinehas, H6372 the son H1121 of Eleazar, H499 the son H1121 of Aaron H175 the priest, H3548 saw H7200 it, he rose up H6965 from among H8432 the congregation, H5712 and took H3947 a javelin H7420 in his hand; H3027 And he went H935 after H310 the man H376 of Israel H3478 into the tent, H6898 and thrust H1856 both H8147 of them through, the man H376 of Israel, H3478 and the woman H802 through H413 her belly. H6897 So the plague H4046 was stayed H6113 from the children H1121 of Israel. H3478 And those that died H4191 in the plague H4046 were twenty H6242 and four H702 thousand. H505 And the LORD H3068 spake H1696 unto Moses, H4872 saying, H559 Phinehas, H6372 the son H1121 of Eleazar, H499 the son H1121 of Aaron H175 the priest, H3548 hath turned H7725 my wrath H2534 away H7725 from the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 while he was zealous H7065 for my sake H7068 among H8432 them, that I consumed H3615 not the children H1121 of Israel H3478 in my jealousy. H7068
And he said, H559 I have been very H7065 jealous H7065 for the LORD H3068 God H430 of hosts: H6635 for the children H1121 of Israel H3478 have forsaken H5800 thy covenant, H1285 thrown down H2040 thine altars, H4196 and slain H2026 thy prophets H5030 with the sword; H2719 and I, even I only, am left; H3498 and they seek H1245 my life, H5315 to take it away. H3947
And he said, H559 I have been very H7065 jealous H7065 for the LORD H3068 God H430 of hosts: H6635 because the children H1121 of Israel H3478 have forsaken H5800 thy covenant, H1285 thrown down H2040 thine altars, H4196 and slain H2026 thy prophets H5030 with the sword; H2719 and I, even I only, am left; H3498 and they seek H1245 my life, H5315 to take it away. H3947
Then was kindled H2734 the wrath H639 of Elihu H453 the son H1121 of Barachel H1292 the Buzite, H940 of the kindred H4940 of Ram: H7410 against Job H347 was his wrath H639 kindled, H2734 because he justified H6663 himself H5315 rather than God. H430 Also against his three H7969 friends H7453 was his wrath H639 kindled, H2734 because they had found H4672 no answer, H4617 and yet had condemned H7561 Job. H347
For I am full H4390 of matter, H4405 the spirit H7307 within H990 me constraineth H6693 me. Behold, my belly H990 is as wine H3196 which hath no vent; H6605 it is ready to burst H1234 like new H2319 bottles. H178 I will speak, H1696 that I may be refreshed: H7304 I will open H6605 my lips H8193 and answer. H6030
For the zeal H7068 of thine house H1004 hath eaten me up; H398 and the reproaches H2781 of them that reproached H2778 thee are fallen H5307 upon me.
Then I said, H559 I will not make mention H2142 of him, nor speak H1696 any more in his name. H8034 But his word was in mine heart H3820 as a burning H1197 fire H784 shut up H6113 in my bones, H6106 and I was weary H3811 with forbearing, H3557 and I could H3201 not stay.
But truly H199 I am full H4390 of power H3581 by the spirit H7307 of the LORD, H3068 and of judgment, H4941 and of might, H1369 to declare H5046 unto Jacob H3290 his transgression, H6588 and to Israel H3478 his sin. H2403
And G2532 when he had looked round about G4017 on them G846 with G3326 anger, G3709 being grieved G4818 for G1909 the hardness G4457 of their G846 hearts, G2588 he saith G3004 unto the man, G444 Stretch forth G1614 thine G4675 hand. G5495 And G2532 he stretched it out: G1614 and G2532 his G846 hand G5495 was restored G600 whole G5199 as G5613 the other. G243
And G2532 the Jews' G2453 passover G3957 was G2258 at hand, G1451 and G2532 Jesus G2424 went up G305 to G1519 Jerusalem, G2414
For G1063 as I passed by, G1330 and G2532 beheld G333 your G5216 devotions, G4574 G2532 I found G2147 an altar G1041 with this G1722 G3739 inscription, G1924 TO THE UNKNOWN G57 GOD. G2316 Whom G3739 therefore G3767 ye ignorantly G50 worship, G2151 him G5126 declare G2605 I G1473 unto you. G5213
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Acts 17
Commentary on Acts 17 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 17
We have here a further account of the travels of Paul, and his services and sufferings for Christ. He was not like a candle upon a table, that gives light only to one room, but like the sun that goes its circuit to give light to many. He was called into Macedonia, a large kingdom, ch. 16:9. He began with Philippi, because it was the first city he came to; but he must not confine himself to this. We have him here,
Act 17:1-9
Paul's two epistles to the Thessalonians, the first two he wrote by inspiration, give such a shining character of that church, that we cannot but be glad here in the history to meet with an account of the first founding of the church there.
Act 17:10-15
In these verses we have,
Act 17:16-21
A scholar that has acquaintance, and is in love, with the learning of the ancients, would think he should be very happy if he were where Paul now was, at Athens, in the midst of the various sects of philosophers, and would have a great many curious questions to ask them, for the explication of the remains we have of the Athenian learning; but Paul, though bred a scholar, and an ingenious active man, does not make this any of his business at Athens. He has other work to mind: it is not the improving of himself in their philosophy that he aims at, he has learned to call it a vain thing, and is above it (Col. 2:8); his business is, in God's name, to correct their disorders in religion, and to turn them from the service of idols, and of Satan in them, to the service of the true and living God in Christ.
Act 17:22-31
We have here St. Paul's sermon at Athens. Divers sermons we have had, which the apostles preached to the Jews, or such Gentiles as had an acquaintance with and veneration for the Old Testament, and were worshippers of the true and living God; and all they had to do with them was to open and allege that Jesus is the Christ; but here we have a sermon to heathens, that worshipped false gods, and were without the true God in the world, and to them the scope of their discourse was quite different from what it was to the other. In the former case their business was to lead their hearers by prophecies and miracles to the knowledge of the Redeemer, and faith in him; in the latter it was to lead them by the common works of providence to the knowledge of the Creator, and the worship of him. One discourse of this kind we had before to the rude idolaters of Lystra that deified the apostles (ch. 14:15); this recorded here is to the more polite and refined idolaters at Athens, and an admirable discourse it is, and every way suited to his auditory and the design he had upon them.
Act 17:32-34
We have here a short account of the issue of Paul's preaching at Athens.