Acts 19:25

19:25 He gathered ¹  these ²  together, along with the workmen in similar trades, ³  and said, “Men, you know that our prosperity ⁴  comes from this business.

Acts 19:24

19:24 For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver shrines ⁵  of Artemis, ⁶  brought a great deal ⁷  of business ⁸  to the craftsmen.

Acts 19:38

19:38 If then Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a complaint ⁹  against someone, the courts are open ¹⁰  and there are proconsuls; let them bring charges against one another there. ¹¹ 

[19:25]  ¹ tn Grk “gathering.” The participle συναθροίσας (sunaqroisa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[19:25]  ² 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.

[19:25]  ³ sn Workmen in similar trades. In effect, Demetrius gathered the Ephesian chamber of commerce together to hear about the threat to their prosperity.

[19:25]  ⁴ tn Another possible meaning is “that this business is an easy way for us to earn a living.”

[19:24]  ⁵ 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.”

[19:24]  ⁶ 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.

[19:24]  ⁷ tn Grk “brought not a little business” (an idiom).

[19:24]  ⁸ 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.

[19:38]  ⁹ tn BDAG 600 s.v. λόγος 1.a.ε has “ἔχειν πρός τινα λόγον have a complaint against someone…19:38.”

[19:38]  ¹⁰ tn L&N 56.1 has ‘if Demetrius and his workers have an accusation against someone, the courts are open’ Ac 19:38.”

[19:38]  ¹¹ tn The word “there” is not in the Greek text but is implied. The official’s request is that the legal system be respected.