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Acts 19:14-41

Context
19:14 (Now seven sons of a man named¹ Sceva, a Jewish high priest, were doing this.)² 19:15 But the evil spirit replied to them,³ “I know about Jesus⁴ and I am acquainted with⁵ Paul, but who are you?”⁶ 19:16 Then the man who was possessed by⁷ the evil spirit jumped on⁸ them and beat them all into submission.⁹ He prevailed¹⁰ against them so that they fled from that house naked and wounded. 19:17 This became known to all who lived in Ephesus,¹¹ both Jews and Greeks; fear came over¹² them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was praised.¹³ 19:18 Many of those who had believed came forward,¹⁴ confessing and making their deeds known.¹⁵ 19:19 Large numbers¹⁶ of those who had practiced magic¹⁷ collected their books¹⁸ and burned them up in the presence of everyone.¹⁹ When²⁰ the value of the books was added up, it was found to total fifty thousand silver coins.²¹ 19:20 In this way the word of the Lord²² continued to grow in power²³ and to prevail.²⁴

A Riot in Ephesus

19:21 Now after all these things had taken place,²⁵ Paul resolved²⁶ to go to Jerusalem,²⁷ passing through Macedonia²⁸ and Achaia.²⁹ He said,³⁰ “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.”³¹ 19:22 So after sending³² two of his assistants,³³ Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia,³⁴ he himself stayed on for a while in the province of Asia.³⁵

19:23 At³⁶ that time³⁷ a great disturbance³⁸ took place concerning the Way.³⁹ 19:24 For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver shrines⁴⁰ of Artemis,⁴¹ brought a great deal⁴² of business⁴³ to the craftsmen. 19:25 He gathered⁴⁴ these⁴⁵ together, along with the workmen in similar trades,⁴⁶ and said, “Men, you know that our prosperity⁴⁷ comes from this business. 19:26 And you see and hear that this Paul has persuaded⁴⁸ and turned away⁴⁹ a large crowd,⁵⁰ not only in Ephesus⁵¹ but in practically all of the province of Asia,⁵² by saying⁵³ that gods made by hands are not gods at all.⁵⁴ 19:27 There is danger not only that this business of ours will come into disrepute,⁵⁵ but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis⁵⁶ will be regarded as nothing,⁵⁷ and she whom all the province of Asia⁵⁸ and the world worship will suffer the loss of her greatness.”⁵⁹

19:28 When⁶⁰ they heard⁶¹ this they became enraged⁶² and began to shout,⁶³ “Great is Artemis⁶⁴ of the Ephesians!” 19:29 The⁶⁵ city was filled with the uproar,⁶⁶ and the crowd⁶⁷ rushed to the theater⁶⁸ together,⁶⁹ dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, the Macedonians who were Paul’s traveling companions. 19:30 But when Paul wanted to enter the public assembly,⁷⁰ the disciples would not let him. 19:31 Even some of the provincial authorities⁷¹ who were his friends sent⁷² a message⁷³ to him, urging him not to venture⁷⁴ into the theater. 19:32 So then some were shouting one thing, some another, for the assembly was in confusion, and most of them did not know why they had met together.⁷⁵ 19:33 Some of the crowd concluded⁷⁶ it was about⁷⁷ Alexander because the Jews had pushed him to the front.⁷⁸ Alexander, gesturing⁷⁹ with his hand, was wanting to make a defense⁸⁰ before the public assembly.⁸¹ 19:34 But when they recognized⁸² that he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison,⁸³ “Great is Artemis⁸⁴ of the Ephesians!” for about two hours.⁸⁵ 19:35 After the city secretary⁸⁶ quieted the crowd, he said, “Men of Ephesus, what person⁸⁷ is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is the keeper⁸⁸ of the temple of the great Artemis⁸⁹ and of her image that fell from heaven?⁹⁰ 19:36 So because these facts⁹¹ are indisputable,⁹² you must keep quiet⁹³ and not do anything reckless.⁹⁴ 19:37 For you have brought these men here who are neither temple robbers⁹⁵ nor blasphemers of our goddess.⁹⁶ 19:38 If then Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a complaint⁹⁷ against someone, the courts are open⁹⁸ and there are proconsuls; let them bring charges against one another there.⁹⁹ 19:39 But if you want anything in addition,¹⁰⁰ it will have to be settled¹⁰¹ in a legal assembly.¹⁰² 19:40 For¹⁰³ we are in danger of being charged with rioting¹⁰⁴ today, since there is no cause we can give to explain¹⁰⁵ this disorderly gathering.”¹⁰⁶ 19:41 After¹⁰⁷ he had said¹⁰⁸ this,¹⁰⁹ he dismissed the assembly.¹¹⁰

[19:14] ¹tn Grk “a certain Sceva.”

[19:14] ²sn Within the sequence of the narrative, this amounts to a parenthetical note by the author.

[19:15] ³tn Grk “answered and said to them.” The expression, redundant in English, has been simplified to “replied.”

[19:15] ⁴tn Grk “Jesus I know about.” Here ᾿Ιησοῦν (Ihsoun) is in emphatic position in Greek, but placing the object first is not normal in contemporary English style.

[19:15] ⁵tn BDAG 380 s.v. ἐπίσταμαι 2 has “know, be acquainted with τινά…τὸν Παῦλον Ac 19:15.” Here the translation “be acquainted with” was used to differentiate from the previous phrase which has γινώσκω (ginwskw).

[19:15] ⁶sn But who are you? This account shows how the power of Paul was so distinct that parallel claims to access that power were denied. In fact, such manipulation, by those who did not know Jesus, was judged (v. 16). The indirect way in which the exorcists made the appeal shows their distance from Jesus.

[19:16] ⁷tn Grk “in whom the evil spirit was.”

[19:16] ⁸tn Grk “the man in whom the evil spirit was, jumping on them.” The participle ἐφαλόμενος (efalomeno") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. L&N 15.239 has “ἐφαλόμενος ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐπ᾿ αὐτούς ‘the man jumped on them’ Ac 19:16.”

[19:16] ⁹tn Grk “and beating them all into submission.” The participle κατακυριεύσας (katakurieusa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. According to W. Foerster, TDNT 3:1098, the word means “the exercise of dominion against someone, i.e., to one’s own advantage.” These exorcists were shown to be powerless in comparison to Jesus who was working through Paul.

[19:16] ¹⁰tn BDAG 484 s.v. ἰσχύω 3 has “win out, prevail…κατά τινος over, against someone Ac 19:16.”

[19:17] ¹¹map For location see JP1 D2; JP2 D2; JP3 D2; JP4 D2.

[19:17] ¹²tn Grk “fell on.” BDAG 377 s.v. ἐπιπίπτω 2 has “φόβος ἐ. ἐπί τινα fear came upon someone…Ac 19:17.”

[19:17] ¹³tn Or “exalted.”

[19:18] ¹⁴tn Grk “came”; the word “forward” is supplied in the translation to clarify the meaning and to conform to the contemporary English idiom.

[19:18] ¹⁵tn Or “confessing and disclosing their deeds.” BDAG 59 s.v. ἀναγγέλλω 2 has “W. ἐξομολογεῖσθαι: ἀ. τὰς πράξεις αὐτο'ν make their deeds known Ac 19:18.”

[19:19] ¹⁶tn BDAG 472 s.v. ἱκανός 4.a has “many, quite a few” for ἱκανοί (Jikanoi) in this verse.

[19:19] ¹⁷tn On this term see BDAG 800 s.v. περίεργος 2.

[19:19] ¹⁸tn Or “scrolls.”

[19:19] ¹⁹tn Or “burned them up publicly.” L&N 14.66 has “‘they brought their books together and burned them up in the presence of everyone’ Ac 19:19.”

[19:19] ²⁰tn Grk “and when.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun.

[19:19] ²¹tn Or “fifty thousand silver drachmas” (about $10,000 US dollars). BDAG 128 s.v. ἀργύριον 2.c states, “ἀργυρίου μυριάδας πέντε 50,000 (Attic silver) drachmas Ac 19:19.” Another way to express the value would be in sheep: One drachma could buy one sheep. So this many drachmas could purchase a huge flock of sheep. A drachma also equals a denarius, or a day’s wage for the average worker. So this amount would be equal to 50,000 work days or in excess of 8,300 weeks of labor (the weeks are calculated at six working days because of the Jewish cultural context). The impact of Christianity on the Ephesian economy was considerable (note in regard to this the concerns expressed in 19:26-27).

[19:20] ²²sn The word of the Lord is a technical expression in OT literature, often referring to a divine prophetic utterance (e.g., Gen 15:1, Isa 1:10, Jonah 1:1). In the NT it occurs 15 times: 3 times as ῥῆμα τοῦ κυρίου (rJhma tou kuriou; Luke 22:61, Acts 11:16, 1 Pet 1:25) and 12 times as λόγος τοῦ κυρίου (logo" tou kuriou; here and in Acts 8:25; 13:44, 48, 49; 15:35, 36; 16:32; 19:10; 1 Thess 1:8, 4:15; 2 Thess 3:1). As in the OT, this phrase focuses on the prophetic nature and divine origin of what has been said.

[19:20] ²³tn The imperfect verb ηὔξανεν (huxanen) has been translated as a progressive imperfect, as has the following verb ἴσχυεν (iscuen).

[19:20] ²⁴sn The word of the Lord…to prevail. Luke portrays the impact of Christianity in terms of the Lord’s transforming power in the lives of individuals.

[19:21] ²⁵tn Grk “all these things had been fulfilled.”

[19:21] ²⁶tn Grk “Paul purposed in [his] spirit” (an idiom). According to BDAG 1003 s.v. τίθημι 1.b.ε the entire idiom means “to resolve” (or “decide”): “ἔθετο ὁ Παῦλος ἐν τῷ πνεύματι w. inf. foll. Paul resolved 19:21.”

[19:21] ²⁷map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[19:21] ²⁸sn Macedonia was the Roman province of Macedonia in Greece.

[19:21] ²⁹sn Achaia was the Roman province of Achaia located across the Aegean Sea from Ephesus. Its principal city was Corinth.

[19:21] ³⁰tn Grk “Achaia, saying.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence and the awkwardness in English of having two participial clauses following one another (“passing through…saying”), the participle εἰπών (eipwn) has been translated as a finite verb and a new sentence begun here in the translation.

[19:21] ³¹sn This is the first time Paul mentions Rome. He realized the message of Christianity could impact that society even at its heights.

[19:22] ³²tn The aorist participle ἀποστείλας (aposteila") has been taken temporally reflecting action antecedent to that of the main verb (ἐπέσχεν, epescen).

[19:22] ³³tn Grk “two of those who ministered to him.”

[19:22] ³⁴sn Macedonia was the Roman province of Macedonia in Greece.

[19:22] ³⁵tn Grk “Asia”; in the NT this always refers to the Roman province of Asia, made up of about one-third of the west and southwest end of modern Asia Minor. Asia lay to the west of the region of Phrygia and Galatia. The words “the province of” are supplied to indicate to the modern reader that this does not refer to the continent of Asia.

[19:23] ³⁶tn 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.

[19:23] ³⁷tn 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.”

[19:23] ³⁸tn Grk “no little disturbance” (an idiom; see BDAG 991 s.v. τάραχος 2).

[19:23] ³⁹sn The Way refers to the Christian movement (Christianity).

[19:24] ⁴⁰tn 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.”

[19:24] ⁴¹sn 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.

[19:24] ⁴²tn Grk “brought not a little business” (an idiom).

[19:24] ⁴³sn 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.

[19:25] ⁴⁴tn Grk “gathering.” The participle συναθροίσας (sunaqroisa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[19:25] ⁴⁵tn 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.

[19:25] ⁴⁶sn Workmen in similar trades. In effect, Demetrius gathered the Ephesian chamber of commerce together to hear about the threat to their prosperity.

[19:25] ⁴⁷tn Another possible meaning is “that this business is an easy way for us to earn a living.”

[19:26] ⁴⁸tn Grk “persuading.” The participle πείσας (peisa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[19:26] ⁴⁹tn Or “misled.”

[19:26] ⁵⁰tn BDAG 472 s.v. ἱκανός 3.a has “of pers. ὄχλος a large crowd…Ac 11:24, 26; 19:26.”

[19:26] ⁵¹map For location see JP1 D2; JP2 D2; JP3 D2; JP4 D2.

[19:26] ⁵²tn Grk “Asia”; see the note on this word in v. 22.

[19:26] ⁵³tn The participle λέγων (legwn) has been regarded as indicating instrumentality.

[19:26] ⁵⁴tn The words “at all” are not in the Greek text but are implied.

[19:27] ⁵⁵tn Or “come under public criticism.” BDAG 101 s.v. ἀπελεγμός has “come into disrepute Ac 19:27.”

[19:27] ⁵⁶sn 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.

[19:27] ⁵⁷tn BDAG 597 s.v. λογίζομαι 1.b has “εἰς οὐθὲν λογισθῆναι be looked upon as nothing…Ac 19:27.”

[19:27] ⁵⁸tn Grk “Asia”; see the note on this word in v. 22.

[19:27] ⁵⁹tn 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.”

[19:28] ⁶⁰tn 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.

[19:28] ⁶¹tn Grk “And hearing.” The participle ἀκούσαντες (akousante") has been taken temporally.

[19:28] ⁶²tn 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).

[19:28] ⁶³tn 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.

[19:28] ⁶⁴sn 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.

[19:29] ⁶⁵tn 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.

[19:29] ⁶⁶tn 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.”

[19:29] ⁶⁷tn Grk “they”; the referent (the crowd) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[19:29] ⁶⁸sn 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.

[19:29] ⁶⁹tn Grk “to the theater with one accord.”

[19:30] ⁷⁰tn Or “enter the crowd.” According to BDAG 223 s.v. δῆμος 2, “in a Hellenistic city, a convocation of citizens called together for the purpose of transacting official business, popular assembly…εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὸν δ. go into the assembly 19:30.”

[19:31] ⁷¹tn Grk “Asiarchs” (high-ranking officials of the province of Asia).

[19:31] ⁷²tn Grk “sending”; the participle πέμψαντες (pemyante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[19:31] ⁷³tn The words “a message” are not in the Greek text but are implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

[19:31] ⁷⁴tn BDAG 242-43 s.v. δίδωμι 11 has “to cause (oneself) to go, go, venture somewhere (cp. our older ‘betake oneself’)…Ac 19:31.” The desire of these sympathetic authorities was surely to protect Paul’s life. The detail indicates how dangerous things had become.

[19:32] ⁷⁵tn Or “had assembled.”

[19:33] ⁷⁶tn Or “Some of the crowd gave instructions to.”

[19:33] ⁷⁷tn The words “it was about” are not in the Greek text but are implied; ᾿Αλέξανδρον (Alexandron) is taken to be an accusative of general reference.

[19:33] ⁷⁸tn BDAG 865 s.v. προβάλλω 1 has “to cause to come forward, put forward…τινά someone…push someone forward to speak in the theater…Ac 19:33.”

[19:33] ⁷⁹tn Or “motioning.”

[19:33] ⁸⁰sn The nature of Alexander’s defense is not clear. It appears he was going to explain, as a Jew, that the problem was not caused by Jews, but by those of “the Way.” However, he never got a chance to speak.

[19:33] ⁸¹tn Or “before the crowd.” According to BDAG 223 s.v. δῆμος 2, “in a Hellenistic city, a convocation of citizens called together for the purpose of transacting official business, popular assembly…ἀπολογεῖσθαι τῷ δ. make a defense before the assembly vs. 33.”

[19:34] ⁸²tn Grk “But recognizing.” The participle ἐπιγνόντες (epignonte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[19:34] ⁸³tn Grk “[they shouted] with one voice from all of them” (an idiom).

[19:34] ⁸⁴sn 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, 1.25 mi (2 km) northeast of the Grand Theater. Dimensions were 418 ft by 239 ft (125 m by 72 m) for the platform; the temple proper was 377 ft by 180 ft (113 m by 54 m). The roof was supported by 117 columns, each 60 ft (18 m) high by 6 ft (1.8 m) in diameter. The Emperor Justinian of Byzantium later took these columns for use in construction of the Hagia Sophia, where they still exist (in modern day Istanbul).

[19:34] ⁸⁵sn They all shouted…for about two hours. The extent of the tumult shows the racial and social tensions of a cosmopolitan city like Ephesus, indicating what the Christians in such locations had to face.

[19:35] ⁸⁶tn Or “clerk.” The “scribe” (γραμματεύς, grammateu") was the keeper of the city’s records.

[19:35] ⁸⁷tn This is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo").

[19:35] ⁸⁸tn See BDAG 670 s.v. νεωκόρος. The city is described as the “warden” or “guardian” of the goddess and her temple.

[19:35] ⁸⁹sn 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.

[19:35] ⁹⁰tn Or “from the sky” (the same Greek word means both “heaven” and “sky”).

[19:36] ⁹¹tn Grk “these things.”

[19:36] ⁹²tn The genitive absolute construction with the participle ὄντων (ontwn) has been translated as a causal adverbial participle. On the term translated “indisputable” see BDAG 68-69 s.v. ἀναντίρρητος which has “not to be contradicted, undeniable.”

[19:36] ⁹³tn Grk “it is necessary that you be quiet.”

[19:36] ⁹⁴tn L&N 88.98 has “pertaining to impetuous and reckless behavior – ‘reckless, impetuous.’…‘so then, you must calm down and not do anything reckless’ Ac 19:36.” The city secretary was asking that order be restored.

[19:37] ⁹⁵tn Or perhaps, “desecrators of temples.”

[19:37] ⁹⁶sn Nor blasphemers of our goddess. There was no formal crime with which Paul could be charged. He had the right to his religion as long as he did not act physically against the temple. Since no overt act had taken place, the official wanted the community to maintain the status quo on these religious matters. The remarks suggest Paul was innocent of any civil crime.

[19:38] ⁹⁷tn BDAG 600 s.v. λόγος 1.a.ε has “ἔχειν πρός τινα λόγον have a complaint against someone…19:38.”

[19:38] ⁹⁸tn L&N 56.1 has ‘if Demetrius and his workers have an accusation against someone, the courts are open’ Ac 19:38.”

[19:38] ⁹⁹tn The word “there” is not in the Greek text but is implied. The official’s request is that the legal system be respected.

[19:39] ¹⁰⁰tn Or “anything more than this.”

[19:39] ¹⁰¹tn Or “resolved.”

[19:39] ¹⁰²tn Or “in a legal meeting of the citizens.” L&N 30.81 has “ἐν τῇ ἐννόμῳ ἐκκλησίᾳ ἐπιλυθήσεται ‘it will have to be settled in a legal meeting of the citizens’ Ac 19:39.” This meeting took place three times a year.

[19:40] ¹⁰³tn Grk “For indeed.” The ascensive force of καί (kai) would be awkward to translate here.

[19:40] ¹⁰⁴tn The term translated “rioting” refers to a revolt or uprising (BDAG 940 s.v. στάσις 2, 3). This would threaten Roman rule and invite Roman intervention.

[19:40] ¹⁰⁵tn Or “to account for.” Grk “since there is no cause concerning which we can give account concerning this disorderly gathering.” The complexity of the Greek relative clause (“which”) and the multiple prepositions (“concerning”) have been simplified in the translation consistent with contemporary English style.

[19:40] ¹⁰⁶tn Or “commotion.” BDAG 979 s.v. συστροφή 1 gives the meaning “a tumultuous gathering of people, disorderly/seditious gathering or commotion…Ac 19:40.”

[19:41] ¹⁰⁷tn Grk “And after.” 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.

[19:41] ¹⁰⁸tn Grk “And saying.” The participle εἰπών (eipwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[19:41] ¹⁰⁹tn Grk “these things.”

[19:41] ¹¹⁰sn Verse 41 in the English text is included as part of verse 40 in the standard critical editions of the Greek NT.