Mark 15:11

15:11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release Barabbas instead.

Acts 14:18-19

14:18 Even by saying these things, they scarcely persuaded the crowds not to offer sacrifice to them.

14:19 But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and after winning the crowds over, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, presuming him to be dead.

Acts 19:23-29

19:23 At that time a great disturbance 10  took place concerning the Way. 11  19:24 For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver shrines 12  of Artemis, 13  brought a great deal 14  of business 15  to the craftsmen. 19:25 He gathered 16  these 17  together, along with the workmen in similar trades, 18  and said, “Men, you know that our prosperity 19  comes from this business. 19:26 And you see and hear that this Paul has persuaded 20  and turned away 21  a large crowd, 22  not only in Ephesus 23  but in practically all of the province of Asia, 24  by saying 25  that gods made by hands are not gods at all. 26  19:27 There is danger not only that this business of ours will come into disrepute, 27  but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis 28  will be regarded as nothing, 29  and she whom all the province of Asia 30  and the world worship will suffer the loss of her greatness.” 31 

19:28 When 32  they heard 33  this they became enraged 34  and began to shout, 35  “Great is Artemis 36  of the Ephesians!” 19:29 The 37  city was filled with the uproar, 38  and the crowd 39  rushed to the theater 40  together, 41  dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, the Macedonians who were Paul’s traveling companions.


tn Grk “to have him release for them.”

tn The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is regarded as indicating means.

tn BDAG 524 s.v. καταπαύω 2.b gives both “restrain” and “dissuade someone fr. someth.,” but “they scarcely dissuaded the crowds from offering sacrifice,” while accurate, is less common in contemporary English than saying “they scarcely persuaded the crowds not to offer sacrifice.” Paganism is portrayed as a powerful reality that is hard to reverse.

sn Antioch was a city in Pisidia about 90 mi (145 km) west northwest of Lystra.

sn Iconium was a city in Lycaonia about 18 mi (30 km) north of Lystra. Note how Jews from other cities were chasing Paul (2 Cor 11:4-6; Gal 2:4-5; Acts 9:16).

tn The participle πείσαντες (peisante") is taken temporally (BDAG 791 s.v. πείθω 1.c).

tn Grk “stoning Paul they dragged him.” The participle λιθάσαντες (liqasante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

tn Grk “There happened at that time.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated. Instead the verb “took place” has been supplied in the translation.

tn BDAG 512 s.v. κατά B.2.a, “in definite indications of time…Of the past: κ. ἐκεῖνον τὸν καιρόν at that time, then…Ac 12:1; 19:23.”

10 tn Grk “no little disturbance” (an idiom; see BDAG 991 s.v. τάραχος 2).

11 sn The Way refers to the Christian movement (Christianity).

12 tn BDAG 665 s.v. ναός 1.a states, “Specif. of temples: of replicas of the temple of Artemis at Ephesus 19:24…but here, near ἱερόν vs. 27…ναός can be understood in the more restricted sense shrine, where the image of the goddess stood.”

13 sn Artemis was the name of a Greek goddess worshiped particularly in Asia Minor, whose temple, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, was located just outside the city of Ephesus.

14 tn Grk “brought not a little business” (an idiom).

15 sn A great deal of business. The charge that Christianity brought economic and/or social upheaval was made a number of times in Acts: 16:20-21; 17:6-7; 18:13.

16 tn Grk “gathering.” The participle συναθροίσας (sunaqroisa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

17 tn Grk “whom”; because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“whom”) has been replaced with a pronoun (“these”) and a new sentence begun in the translation.

18 sn Workmen in similar trades. In effect, Demetrius gathered the Ephesian chamber of commerce together to hear about the threat to their prosperity.

19 tn Another possible meaning is “that this business is an easy way for us to earn a living.”

20 tn Grk “persuading.” The participle πείσας (peisa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

21 tn Or “misled.”

22 tn BDAG 472 s.v. ἱκανός 3.a has “of pers. ὄχλος a large crowd…Ac 11:24, 26; 19:26.”

23 map For location see JP1-D2; JP2-D2; JP3-D2; JP4-D2.

24 tn Grk “Asia”; see the note on this word in v. 22.

25 tn The participle λέγων (legwn) has been regarded as indicating instrumentality.

26 tn The words “at all” are not in the Greek text but are implied.

27 tn Or “come under public criticism.” BDAG 101 s.v. ἀπελεγμός has “come into disrepute Ac 19:27.”

28 sn Artemis was the name of a Greek goddess worshiped particularly in Asia Minor, whose temple, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, was located just outside the city of Ephesus.

29 tn BDAG 597 s.v. λογίζομαι 1.b has “εἰς οὐθὲν λογισθῆναι be looked upon as nothing…Ac 19:27.”

30 tn Grk “Asia”; see the note on this word in v. 22.

31 tn Or “her magnificence.” BDAG 488 s.v. καθαιρέω 2.b has “καθαιρεῖσθαι τῆς μεγαλειότητος αὐτῆς suffer the loss of her magnificence Ac 19:27”; L&N 13.38 has “‘and to have her greatness done away with’ Ac 19:27.”

32 tn Grk “And when.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

33 tn Grk “And hearing.” The participle ἀκούσαντες (akousante") has been taken temporally.

34 tn Grk “they became filled with rage” (an idiom). The reaction of the Ephesians here is like that of the Jews earlier, though Luke referred to “zeal” or “jealousy” in the former case (Acts 7:54).

35 tn Grk “and began shouting, saying.” The imperfect verb ἔκραζον (ekrazon) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect. The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in English and has not been translated.

36 sn Artemis was a Greek goddess worshiped particularly in Asia Minor, whose temple, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, was located just outside the city of Ephesus.

37 tn Grk “And the.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

38 tn L&N 39.43 has “‘the uproar spread throughout the whole city’ (literally ‘the city was filled with uproar’) Ac 19:29.” BDAG 954 s.v. σύγχυσις has “confusion, tumult.”

39 tn Grk “they”; the referent (the crowd) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

40 sn To the theater. This location made the event a public spectacle. The Grand Theater in Ephesus (still standing today) stood facing down the main thoroughfare of the city toward the docks. It had a seating capacity of 25,000.

41 tn Grk “to the theater with one accord.”