Now when they had passed through Amphipolls A city of Macedonia, where it is placed by Pliny [[15]]; according to Ptolomy [[16]], it was in that part of Macedonia, which is called Edonis, and was near Philippi, and lay in the way from thence to Thessalonica; Harpocratian [[17]] says, it was a city…

And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them To the Jews in their synagogue; for though the Jews had put away the Gospel from them, and the apostle had turned to the Gentiles; yet he still retained a great affection for his countrymen the Jews, and as often as he had opportunity, attended their…

Opening That is, the Scriptures of the Old Testament, explaining and expounding them, giving the true sense of them; so this word is frequently used in Jewish writings [[4]], as that such a Rabbi (פתח) , “opened”, such a Scripture: and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again…

And some of them believed That is, some of the Jews, power went along with the word, and faith came by it, and they believed that Jesus of Nazareth was the true Messiah, and that what the apostle preached concerning him was the truth; and this they received in the love of it, and cordially embraced…

But the Jews which believed not The Alexandrian copy, the Vulgate Latin, and Syriac versions leave out the words, “which believed not”; but whether this character is expressed or not, it is certain that the unbelieving Jews are here intended: moved with envy; at the success of the apostles, many of…

And when they found them not In Jason’s house, as they expected: they drew Jason, and certain brethren: the Syriac version adds, “who were there”: in Jason’s house, who either came along with the apostle, and lodged with him there; or they were some of the inhabitants of Thessalonica, who were…

Whom Jason hath received Into his house in a private manner, and has entertained, contrary to law, which forbids men to receive and entertain persons of seditious principles, and practices, for this is mentioned as a charge against Jason: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar; both the…

And they troubled the people, and the rulers of the city, &c.] Fearing some revolution would be made, and some new king, or rather tyrant, would start up, and usurp a power over them; or that they should come under some suspicion or charge with the Roman government, and should be called to an…

And when they had taken security of Jason, and of the other, &c.] That is, received satisfaction from them, by the defence which they made for themselves, and the apostles, by the account that they gave of them and of their doctrines; whereby it plainly appeared to the full satisfaction of the…

And the brethren The believers in Thessalonica, the young converts there, who were full of love and affection to their spiritual fathers: immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea; another city in Macedonia: and so it is placed by Pliny [[10]] in the north part of it; and, according…

These were more noble than those in Thessalonica That is, the Jews at Berea were more noble than the Jews in Thessalonica, as the Syriac version expresses it; for the comparison is not between the native inhabitants of Berea and Thessalonica, but between the Jews that dwelt in these places: and the…

Therefore many of them believed What the apostle preached, and in Jesus of Nazareth, as the true Messiah, and professed their faith in him, upon finding, through reading and searching the Scriptures, that the characters of the Messiah agreed in him, and that what the apostle delivered were entirely…

But when the Jews of Thessalonica The unbelieving Jews there, had knowledge that the word of God was preached of Paul at Berea; which they came at, either by persons that came from thence to Thessalonica, or by letters sent them: they came thither also; as the Jews from Antioch and Iconium came to…

And then immediately the brethren That were at Berea, the new converts there: sent away Paul, whom they knew the Jews mostly sought after, and were offended with: to go as it were to the sea; the Aegean sea, or Archipelago, near to which Berea was: this seems to have been done, in order to make the…

And they that conducted Paul From Berea to the sea side: brought him unto Athens; a famous city in Attica, where both [[15]] Pliny and Ptolomy [[16]] place it, well known for the learning and wisdom of the ancient philosophers, who had their schools and universities in it; the former of these calls…

Now while Paul waited for them at Athens. &c.] That is, for Silas and Timotheus: his spirit was stirred in him; not only his soul was troubled and his heart was grieved, but he was exasperated and provoked to the last degree: he was in a paroxysm; his heart was hot within him; he had a burning fire…

Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews There being a synagogue of the Jews here, and there being many Jews settled in this place, hence we read in Jewish writings [[2]] of men going from Jerusalem to Athens, and from Athens to Jerusalem; and hence it may be accounted for, how many of…

Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans These were so called from Epicurus, the son of Neocles, who was born 342 years before Christ, and taught philosophy at Athens, in his garden; the principal tenets of which were, that the world was not made by any deity, or with any design, but came into…

And they took him Not that they laid hands on him, and carried him away by violence, as a derider of their gods, and an introducer of new ones, in order to punish him; but they invited him to go with them, and they took him along with them in a friendly manner, and had him to a more convenient…

For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears Strange doctrines and strange deities, such as they had never heard of before: we would know therefore what these things mean; they desire he would explain these things to them, and let them know the rise, and ground, and nature, and end, and…

For all the Athenians The natives of Athens, who were born and lived there, and were inhabitants of the city, and free of it: and strangers which were there; who came there from several parts of the world, to get wisdom and knowledge, to learn the several arts and sciences, and to attend the…

Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill Or of Areopagus, as it is better rendered in 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…

For as I passed by Or “through”; that is, through the city of Athens: and beheld your devotions; not so much their acts of worship and religion, as the gods which they worshipped; in which sense this word is used in and the altars which were erected to them, and the temples in which they were…

God that made the world, and all things therein In this account of the divine Being, as the Creator of the world, and all things in it, as the apostle agrees with Moses, and the rest of the sacred Scriptures; so he condemns both the notion of the Epicurean philosophers, who denied that the world…

Neither is worshipped with men’s hands Or “served” with them; or “ministered unto” by them, as the Syriac version renders it: and the sense is, that men by worshipping God do not give anything to him, that can be of any use or service to him; he, being God all sufficient, stands in need of nothing;…

And hath made of one blood That is, of one man’s blood; the Vulgate Latin version reads, “of one”; and the Arabic version of De Dieu reads, “of one man”; of Adam, the first parent of all mankind, and who had the blood of all men in his veins: hence the Jews [[19]] say, “the first man was (דמו של…

That they should seek the Lord Or “God”, as the Alexandrian copy and others, and the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Ethiopic versions read; their Creator, and kind Benefactor, and who has appointed their time of life, and their habitations for them; and this should engage them to seek to know him, who…

For in him we live, and move, and have our being The natural life which men live is from God; and they are supported in it by him; and from him they have all the comforts and blessings of life; and all motions, whether external or internal, of body or of mind, are of God, and none of them are…

Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God In the sense before given; for the apostle is not here speaking of himself, and other saints, as being the children of God, by adoption, and by regenerating grace, and faith in Christ Jesus, but as men in common with others, and with these Athenians: we…

And the times of this ignorance God winked at Not that he approved of, or encouraged such blindness and folly, as appeared among the Gentiles, when they worshipped idols of gold, silver, and stone, taking them for deities; but rather the sense is, he despised this, and them for it, and was…

Because he hath appointed a day The day of judgment is fixed by God in his eternal purposes, and is sure and certain, and will come, though it is not known by men or angels; and this is a reason why God will have the doctrine of repentance everywhere published, both to Jews and Gentiles, since all…

When they heard of the resurrection of the dead Of a certain man that the apostle said God had raised from the dead, though they knew not who he was: some mocked; at him, and at the doctrine he preached: these very likely were of the Epicurean sect, who disbelieved a future state; though, as…

So Paul departed from among them. ] As it was high time, when they fell to deriding and scoffing at him; for hereby they judged themselves unworthy of the Gospel ministry: the Ethiopic version adds, “from Athens”; but it does not appear that the apostle went directly out of the city; we read…

Howbeit, certain men clave unto him, and believed There were some who were ordained to eternal life, to whom the Gospel came in power, and they received the love of the truth, and their hearts and affections were knit unto the apostle; and they followed him, and kept to him, and privately conversed…