Acts 17:21-22

17:21 (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there used to spend their time ¹  in nothing else than telling ²  or listening to something new.) ³ 

17:22 So Paul stood ⁴  before the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I see that you are very religious ⁵  in all respects. ⁶ 

[17:21]  ¹ tn The imperfect verb ηὐκαίρουν (hukairoun) has been translated as a customary or habitual imperfect.

[17:21]  ² tn BDAG 406-7 s.v. εὐκαιρέω has “used to spend their time in nothing else than telling Ac 17:21.”

[17:21]  ³ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author. The reference to newness may be pejorative.

[17:22]  ⁴ tn Grk “standing…said.” The participle ζηλώσαντες (zhlwsante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[17:22]  ⁵ tn The term δεισιδαιμονεστέρους (deisidaimonesterou") is difficult. On the one hand it can have the positive sense of “devout,” but on the other hand it can have the negative sense of “superstitious” (BDAG 216 s.v. δεισιδαίμων). As part of a laudatory introduction (the technical rhetorical term for this introduction was capatatio), the term is probably positive here. It may well be a “backhanded” compliment, playing on the ambiguity.

[17:22]  ⁶ tn BDAG 513 s.v. κατά B.6 translates the phrase κατὰ πάντα (kata panta) as “in all respects.”