Acts 17:5-8

Context
17:5 But the Jews became jealous,¹ and gathering together some worthless men from the rabble in the marketplace,² they formed a mob³ and set the city in an uproar.⁴ They attacked Jason’s house,⁵ trying to find Paul and Silas⁶ to bring them out to the assembly.⁷ 17:6 When they did not find them, they dragged⁸ Jason and some of the brothers before the city officials,⁹ screaming, “These people who have stirred up trouble¹⁰ throughout the world¹¹ have come here too, 17:7 and¹² Jason has welcomed them as guests! They¹³ are all acting against Caesar’s¹⁴ decrees, saying there is another king named¹⁵ Jesus!”¹⁶ 17:8 They caused confusion among¹⁷ the crowd and the city officials¹⁸ who heard these things.

[17:5] ¹tn Grk “becoming jealous.” The participle ζηλώσαντες (zhlwsante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. So elsewhere in Acts (5:17; 7:9; 13:45).

[17:5] ²tn Literally ἀγοραῖος (agoraio") refers to the crowd in the marketplace, although BDAG 14-15 s.v. ἀγοραῖος 1 gives the meaning, by extension, as “rabble.” Such a description is certainly appropriate in this context. L&N 15.127 translates the phrase “worthless men from the streets.”

[17:5] ³tn On this term, which is a NT hapax legomenon, see BDAG 745 s.v. ὀχλοποιέω.

[17:5] ⁴tn BDAG 458 s.v. θορυβέω 1 has “set the city in an uproar, start a riot in the city” for the meaning of ἐθορύβουν (eqoruboun) in this verse.

[17:5] ⁵sn The attack took place at Jason’s house because this was probably the location of the new house church.

[17:5] ⁶tn Grk “them”; the referents (Paul and Silas) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[17:5] ⁷tn BDAG 223 s.v. δῆμος 2 has “in a Hellenistic city, a convocation of citizens called together for the purpose of transacting official business, popular assembly προάγειν εἰς τὸν δ. Ac 17:5.”

[17:6] ⁸tn See BDAG 977-78 s.v. σύρω on this verb. It was used in everyday speech of dragging in fish by a net, or dragging away someone’s (presumably) dead body (Paul in Acts 14:19).

[17:6] ⁹tn L&N 37.93 defines πολιτάρχης (politarch") as “a public official responsible for administrative matters within a town or city and a member of the ruling council of such a political unit – ‘city official’” (see also BDAG 845 s.v.).

[17:6] ¹⁰tn Or “rebellion.” BDAG 72 s.v. ἀναστατόω has “disturb, trouble, upset,” but in light of the references in the following verse to political insurrection, “stirred up rebellion” would also be appropriate.

[17:6] ¹¹tn Or “the empire.” This was a way of referring to the Roman empire (BDAG 699 s.v. οἰκουμένη 2.b).

[17:7] ¹²tn Grk “whom.” Because of the awkwardness in English of having two relative clauses follow one another (“who have stirred up trouble…whom Jason has welcomed”) the relative pronoun here (“whom”) has been replaced by the conjunction “and,” creating a clause that is grammatically coordinate but logically subordinate in the translation.

[17:7] ¹³tn Grk “and they.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun.

[17:7] ¹⁴tn Or “the emperor’s” (“Caesar” is a title for the Roman emperor).

[17:7] ¹⁵tn The word “named” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied for clarity.

[17:7] ¹⁶sn Acting…saying…Jesus. The charges are serious, involving sedition (Luke 23:2). If the political charges were true, Rome would have to react.

[17:8] ¹⁷tn Grk “They troubled the crowd and the city officials”; but this could be understood to mean “they bothered” or “they annoyed.” In reality the Jewish instigators managed to instill doubt and confusion into both the mob and the officials by their false charges of treason. Verse 8 suggests the charges raised again Paul, Silas, Jason, and the others were false.

[17:8] ¹⁸tn L&N 37.93 defines πολιτάρχης (politarch") as “a public official responsible for administrative matters within a town or city and a member of the ruling council of such a political unit – ‘city official.’”