Acts 17 (NET)

Paul and Silas at Thessalonica

1 After they traveled through1 Amphipolis2 and Apollonia,3 they came to Thessalonica,4 where there was a Jewish synagogue.5 2 Paul went to the Jews in the synagogue,6 as he customarily did, and on three Sabbath days he addressed7 them from the scriptures, 3 explaining and demonstrating8 that the Christ9 had to suffer and to rise from the dead,10 saying,11 “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.”12 4 Some of them were persuaded13 and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large group14 of God-fearing Greeks15 and quite a few16 prominent women. 5 But the Jews became jealous,17 and gathering together some worthless men from the rabble in the marketplace,18 they formed a mob19 and set the city in an uproar.20 They attacked Jason’s house,21 trying to find Paul and Silas22 to bring them out to the assembly.23 6 When they did not find them, they dragged24 Jason and some of the brothers before the city officials,25 screaming, “These people who have stirred up trouble26 throughout the world27 have come here too, 7 and28 Jason has welcomed them as guests! They29 are all acting against Caesar’s30 decrees, saying there is another king named31 Jesus!”32 8 They caused confusion among33 the crowd and the city officials34 who heard these things. 9 After35 the city officials36 had received bail37 from Jason and the others, they released them.

Paul and Silas at Berea

10 The brothers sent Paul and Silas off to Berea38 at once, during the night. When they arrived,39 they went to the Jewish synagogue.40 11 These Jews41 were more open-minded42 than those in Thessalonica,43 for they eagerly44 received45 the message, examining46 the scriptures carefully every day47 to see if these things were so. 12 Therefore many of them believed, along with quite a few48 prominent49 Greek women and men. 13 But when the Jews from Thessalonica50 heard that Paul had also proclaimed the word of God51 in Berea,52 they came there too, inciting53 and disturbing54 the crowds. 14 Then the brothers sent Paul away to the coast55 at once, but Silas and Timothy remained in Berea.56 15 Those who accompanied Paul escorted him as far as Athens,57 and after receiving an order for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they left.58

Paul at Athens

16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens,59 his spirit was greatly upset60 because he saw61 the city was full of idols. 17 So he was addressing62 the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles63 in the synagogue,64 and in the marketplace every day65 those who happened to be there. 18 Also some of the Epicurean66 and Stoic67 philosophers were conversing68 with him, and some were asking,69 “What does this foolish babbler70 want to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods.”71 (They said this because he was proclaiming the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.)72 19 So they took Paul and73 brought him to the Areopagus,74 saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are proclaiming? 20 For you are bringing some surprising things75 to our ears, so we want to know what they76 mean.” 21 (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there used to spend their time77 in nothing else than telling78 or listening to something new.)79

22 So Paul stood80 before the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I see that you are very religious81 in all respects.82 23 For as I went around and observed closely your objects of worship,83 I even found an altar with this inscription:84 ‘To an unknown god.’ Therefore what you worship without knowing it,85 this I proclaim to you. 24 The God who made the world and everything in it,86 who is87 Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by human hands,88 25 nor is he served by human hands, as if he needed anything,89 because he himself gives life and breath and everything to everyone.90 26 From one man91 he made every nation of the human race92 to inhabit the entire earth,93 determining their set times94 and the fixed limits of the places where they would live,95 27 so that they would search for God and perhaps grope around96 for him and find him,97 though he is98 not far from each one of us. 28 For in him we live and move about99 and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we too are his offspring.’100 29 So since we are God’s offspring, we should not think the deity101 is like gold or silver or stone, an image102 made by human103 skill104 and imagination.105 30 Therefore, although God has overlooked106 such times of ignorance,107 he now commands all people108 everywhere to repent,109 31 because he has set110 a day on which he is going to judge the world111 in righteousness, by a man whom he designated,112 having provided proof to everyone by raising113 him from the dead.”

32 Now when they heard about114 the resurrection from the dead, some began to scoff,115 but others said, “We will hear you again about this.” 33 So Paul left the Areopagus.116 34 But some people117 joined him118 and believed. Among them119 were Dionysius, who was a member of the Areopagus,120 a woman121 named Damaris, and others with them.

117:1tn BDAG 250 s.v. διοδεύω 1 has “go, travel through” for this verse. 217:1sn Amphipolis. The capital city of the southeastern district of Macedonia (BDAG 55 s.v. ᾿Αμφίπολις). It was a military post. From Philippi this was about 33 mi (53 km). 317:1sn Apollonia was a city in Macedonia about 27 mi (43 km) west southwest of Amphipolis. 417:1sn Thessalonica (modern Salonica) was a city in Macedonia about 33 mi (53 km) west of Apollonia. It was the capital of Macedonia. The road they traveled over was called the Via Egnatia. It is likely they rode horses, given their condition in Philippi. The implication of v. 1 is that the two previously mentioned cities lacked a synagogue.map For location see JP1-C1; JP2-C1; JP3-C1; JP4-C1. 517:1sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9. 617:2tn Grk “he went in to them”; the referent (the Jews in the synagogue) has been specified in the translation for clarity. 717:2tn Although the word διελέξατο (dielexato; from διαλέγομαι, dialegomai) is frequently translated “reasoned,” “disputed,” or “argued,” this sense comes from its classical meaning where it was used of philosophical disputation, including the Socratic method of questions and answers. However, there does not seem to be contextual evidence for this kind of debate in Acts 17:2. As G. Schrenk (TDNT 2:94-95) points out, “What is at issue is the address which any qualified member of a synagogue might give.” Other examples of this may be found in the NT in Matt 4:23 and Mark 1:21. 817:3tn BDAG 772 s.v. παρατίθημι 2.b has “demonstrate, point out” here. 917:3tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”sn See the note on Christ in 2:31. 1017:3sn The Christ had to suffer and to rise from the dead. These two points (suffering and resurrection) would have been among the more controversial aspects of Paul’s messianic preaching. The term translated “had to” (δεῖ, dei) shows how divine design and scripture corresponded here. 1117:3tn The Greek words used here (καὶ ὅτι, kai {oti, “and that”) mark the switch from indirect to direct discourse. Contemporary English requires the use of an introductory verb of speaking or saying to make this transition. 1217:3tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”sn See the note on Christ in 2:31. The identification of the Messiah with Jesus indicates Paul was proclaiming the fulfillment of messianic promise. 1317:4tn Or “convinced.” 1417:4tn Or “a large crowd.” 1517:4tn Or “of devout Greeks,” but this is practically a technical term for the category called God-fearers, Gentiles who worshiped the God of Israel and in many cases kept the Mosaic law, but did not take the final step of circumcision necessary to become a proselyte to Judaism. See further K. G. Kuhn, TDNT 6:732-34, 743-44. Luke frequently mentions such people (Acts 13:43, 50; 16:14; 17:17; 18:7). 1617:4tn Grk “not a few”; this use of negation could be misleading to the modern English reader, however, and so has been translated as “quite a few” (which is the actual meaning of the expression). 1717:5tn 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). 1817:5tn 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.” 1917:5tn On this term, which is a NT hapax legomenon, see BDAG 745 s.v. ὀχλοποιέω. 2017:5tn 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. 2117:5sn The attack took place at Jason’s house because this was probably the location of the new house church. 2217:5tn Grk “them”; the referents (Paul and Silas) have been specified in the translation for clarity. 2317:5tn 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.” 2417:6tn 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). 2517:6tn 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.). 2617:6tn 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. 2717:6tn Or “the empire.” This was a way of referring to the Roman empire (BDAG 699 s.v. οἰκουμένη 2.b).sn Throughout the world. Note how some of those present had knowledge of what had happened elsewhere. Word about Paul and his companions and their message was spreading. 2817:7tn 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. 2917:7tn 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. 3017:7tn Or “the emperor’s” (“Caesar” is a title for the Roman emperor). 3117:7tn The word “named” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied for clarity. 3217:7sn Acting…saying…Jesus. The charges are serious, involving sedition (Luke 23:2). If the political charges were true, Rome would have to react. 3317:8tn 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. 3417:8tn 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.’” 3517:9tn 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. 3617:9tn Grk “they”; the referent (the city officials) has been specified in the translation for clarity. 3717:9tn That is, “a payment” or “a pledge of security” (BDAG 472 s.v. ἱκανός 1) for which “bail” is the most common contemporary English equivalent. 3817:10sn Berea (alternate spelling in NRSV Beroea; Greek Beroia) was a very old city in Macedonia on the river Astraeus about 45 mi (75 km) west of Thessalonica.map For location see JP1-C1; JP2-C1; JP3-C1; JP4-C1. 3917:10tn Grk “who arriving there, went to.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (οἵτινες, Joitine") has been left untranslated and a new English sentence begun. The participle παραγενόμενοι (paragenomenoi) has been taken temporally. 4017:10sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9. 4117:11tn Grk “These”; the referent (the Jews in the synagogue at Berea) has been specified in the translation for clarity. 4217:11tn Or “more willing to learn.” L&N 27.48 and BDAG 404 s.v. εὐγενής 2 both use the term “open-minded” here. The point is that they were more receptive to Paul’s message. 4317:11sn Thessalonica was a city in Macedonia (modern Salonica).map For location see JP1-C1; JP2-C1; JP3-C1; JP4-C1. 4417:11tn Or “willingly,” “readily”; Grk “with all eagerness.” 4517:11tn Grk “who received.” Here the relative pronoun (“who”) has been translated as a pronoun (“they”) preceded by a semicolon, which is less awkward in contemporary English than a relative clause at this point. 4617:11tn This verb (BDAG 66 s.v. ἀνακρίνω 1) refers to careful examination. 4717:11tn BDAG 437 s.v. ἡμέρα 2.c has “every day” for this phrase in this verse. 4817:12tn Grk “not a few”; this use of negation could be misleading to the modern English reader, however, and so has been translated as “quite a few” (which is the actual meaning of the expression). 4917:12tn Or “respected.” 5017:13sn Thessalonica was a city in Macedonia (modern Salonica). 5117:13tn Grk “that the word of God had also been proclaimed by Paul.” This passive construction has been converted to an active one in the translation for stylistic reasons. 5217:13sn Berea (alternate spelling in NRSV Beroea; Greek Beroia) was a very old city in Macedonia on the river Astraeus about 45 mi (75 km) from Thessalonica. 5317:13tn BDAG 911 s.v. σαλεύω 2 has “incite” for σαλεύοντες (saleuonte") in Acts 17:13.sn Inciting. Ironically, it was the Jews who were disturbing the peace, not the Christians. 5417:13tn Or “stirring up” (BDAG 990-91 s.v. ταράσσω 2). The point is the agitation of the crowds. 5517:14tn Grk “to the sea.” Here ἕως ἐπὶ τὴν θάλασσαν ({ew" epi thn qalassan) must mean “to the edge of the sea,” that is, “to the coast.” Since there is no mention of Paul taking a ship to Athens, he presumably traveled overland. The journey would have been about 340 mi (550 km). 5617:14tn Grk “remained there”; the referent (Berea) has been specified in the translation for clarity. 5717:15map For location see JP1-C2; JP2-C2; JP3-C2; JP4-C2. 5817:15sn They left. See 1 Thess 3:1-2, which shows they went from here to Thessalonica. 5917:16map For location see JP1-C2; JP2-C2; JP3-C2; JP4-C2. 6017:16tn Grk “greatly upset within him,” but the words “within him” were not included in the translation because they are redundant in English. See L&N 88.189. The term could also be rendered “infuriated.”sn His spirit was greatly upset. See Rom 1:18-32 for Paul’s feelings about idolatry. Yet he addressed both Jews and Gentiles with tact and reserve. 6117:16tn Or “when he saw.” The participle θεωροῦντος (qewrounto") has been translated as a causal adverbial participle; it could also be translated as temporal. 6217:17tn Although the word διελέξατο (dielexato; from διαλέγομαι, dialegomai) is frequently translated “reasoned,” “disputed,” or “argued,” this sense comes from its classical meaning where it was used of philosophical disputation, including the Socratic method of questions and answers. However, there does not seem to be contextual evidence for this kind of debate in Acts 17:17. As G. Schrenk (TDNT 2:94-95) points out, “What is at issue is the address which any qualified member of a synagogue might give.” Other examples of this may be found in the NT in Matt 4:23 and Mark 1:21. 6317:17tn Or “and the devout,” but this is practically a technical term for the category called God-fearers, Gentiles who worshiped the God of Israel and in many cases kept the Mosaic law, but did not take the final step of circumcision necessary to become a proselyte to Judaism. See further K. G. Kuhn, TDNT 6:732-34, 743-44, and the note on the phrase “God-fearing Greeks” in 17:4. 6417:17sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9. 6517:17tn BDAG 437 s.v. ἡμέρα 2.c has “every day” for this phrase in this verse. 6617:18sn An Epicurean was a follower of the philosophy of Epicurus, who founded a school in Athens about 300 b.c. Although the Epicureans saw the aim of life as pleasure, they were not strictly hedonists, because they defined pleasure as the absence of pain. Along with this, they desired the avoidance of trouble and freedom from annoyances. They saw organized religion as evil, especially the belief that the gods punished evildoers in an afterlife. In keeping with this, they were unable to accept Paul’s teaching about the resurrection. 6717:18sn A Stoic was a follower of the philosophy founded by Zeno (342-270 b.c.), a Phoenician who came to Athens and modified the philosophical system of the Cynics he found there. The Stoics rejected the Epicurean ideal of pleasure, stressing virtue instead. The Stoics emphasized responsibility for voluntary actions and believed risks were worth taking, but thought the actual attainment of virtue was difficult. They also believed in providence. 6817:18tn BDAG 956 s.v. συμβάλλω 1 has “converse, confer” here. 6917:18tn Grk “saying.” 7017:18tn Or “ignorant show-off.” The traditional English translation of σπερμολόγος (spermologo") is given in L&N 33.381 as “foolish babbler.” However, an alternate view is presented in L&N 27.19, “(a figurative extension of meaning of a term based on the practice of birds in picking up seeds) one who acquires bits and pieces of relatively extraneous information and proceeds to pass them off with pretense and show – ‘ignorant show-off, charlatan.’” A similar view is given in BDAG 937 s.v. σπερμολόγος: “in pejorative imagery of persons whose communication lacks sophistication and seems to pick up scraps of information here and there scrapmonger, scavenger…Engl. synonyms include ‘gossip’, ‘babbler’, chatterer’; but these terms miss the imagery of unsystematic gathering.” 7117:18tn The meaning of this phrase is not clear. Literally it reads “strange deities” (see BDAG 210 s.v. δαιμόνιον 1). The note of not being customary is important. In the ancient world what was new was suspicious. The plural δαιμονίων (daimoniwn, “deities”) shows the audience grappling with Paul’s teaching that God was working through Jesus. 7217:18sn This is a parenthetical note by the author. 7317:19tn Grk “him”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity. 7417:19tn Or “to the council of the Areopagus.” See also the term in v. 22.sn The Areopagus has been traditionally understood as reference to a rocky hill near the Acropolis in Athens, although this place may well have been located in the marketplace at the foot of the hill (L&N 93.412; BDAG 129 s.v. ῎Αρειος πάγος). This term does not refer so much to the place, however, as to the advisory council of Athens known as the Areopagus, which dealt with ethical, cultural, and religious matters, including the supervision of education and controlling the many visiting lecturers. Thus it could be translated the council of the Areopagus. See also the term in v. 22. 7517:20tn BDAG 684 s.v. ξενίζω 2 translates the substantival participle ξενίζοντα (xenizonta) as “astonishing things Ac 17:20.” 7617:20tn Grk “these things”; but since the referent (“surprising things”) is so close, the repetition of “these things” sounds redundant in English, so the pronoun “they” was substituted in the translation. 7717:21tn The imperfect verb ηὐκαίρουν (hukairoun) has been translated as a customary or habitual imperfect. 7817:21tn BDAG 406-7 s.v. εὐκαιρέω has “used to spend their time in nothing else than telling Ac 17:21.” 7917:21sn This is a parenthetical note by the author. The reference to newness may be pejorative. 8017:22tn Grk “standing…said.” The participle ζηλώσαντες (zhlwsante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. 8117:22tn 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. 8217:22tn BDAG 513 s.v. κατά B.6 translates the phrase κατὰ πάντα (kata panta) as “in all respects.” 8317:23tn Or “your sanctuaries.” L&N 53.54 gives “sanctuary” (place of worship) as an alternate meaning for the word σεβάσματα (sebasmata). 8417:23tn Grk “on which was written,” but since it would have been carved in stone, it is more common to speak of an “inscription” in English. To simplify the English the relative construction with a passive verb (“on which was inscribed”) was translated as a prepositional phrase with a substantive (“inscription”). 8517:23tn BDAG 13 s.v. ἀγνοέω 1.b has “Abs. ὅ ἀγνοοῦντες εὐσεβεῖτε what you worship without knowing it (on the subject matter Maximus Tyr. 11, 5e: all sorts of philosophers ἴσασιν οὐκ ἑκόντες καὶ λέγουσιν ἄκοντες sc. τὸ θεῖον = they know and name God without intending to do so) Ac 17:23.” Paul, in typical Jewish Christian style, informs them of the true God, of whom their idols are an ignorant reflection. 8617:24tn Grk “all the things that are in it.” The speech starts with God as Creator, like 14:15. 8717:24tn Or “because he is.” The participle ὑπάρχων (Juparcwn) could be either adjectival, modifying οὗτος (Joutos, “who is Lord…”) or adverbial of cause (“because he is Lord…”). Since the participle διδούς (didou") in v. 25 appears to be clearly causal in force, it is preferable to understand ὑπάρχων as adjectival in this context. 8817:24sn On the statement does not live in temples made by human hands compare Acts 7:48. This has implications for idols as well. God cannot be represented by them or, as the following clause also suggests, served by human hands. 8917:25tn L&N 57.45 has “nor does he need anything more that people can supply by working for him.” 9017:25tn Grk “he himself gives to all [people] life and breath and all things.” 9117:26sn The one man refers to Adam (the word “man” is understood). 9217:26tn Or “mankind.” BDAG 276 s.v. ἔθνος 1 has “every nation of humankind Ac 17:26.” 9317:26tn Grk “to live over all the face of the earth.” 9417:26tn BDAG 884-85 s.v. προστάσσω has “(οἱ) προστεταγμένοι καιροί (the) fixed times Ac 17:26” here, but since the following phrase is also translated “fixed limits,” this would seem redundant in English, so the word “set” has been used instead. 9517:26tn Grk “the boundaries of their habitation.” L&N 80.5 has “fixed limits of the places where they would live” for this phrase. 9617:27tn See BDAG 1097-98 s.v. ψηλαφάω, which lists “touch, handle” and “to feel around for, grope for” as possible meanings. 9717:27sn Perhaps grope around for him and find him. The pagans’ struggle to know God is the point here. Conscience alone is not good enough. 9817:27tn The participle ὑπάρχοντα (Juparconta) has been translated as a concessive adverbial participle. 9917:28tn According to L&N 15.1, “A strictly literal translation of κινέω in Ac 17:28 might imply merely moving from one place to another. The meaning, however, is generalized movement and activity; therefore, it may be possible to translate κινούμεθα as ‘we come and go’ or ‘we move about’’ or even ‘we do what we do.’” 10017:28sn This quotation is from Aratus (ca. 310-245 b.c.), Phaenomena 5. Paul asserted a general relationship and accountability to God for all humanity. 10117:29tn Or “the divine being.” BDAG 446 s.v. θεῖος 1.b has “divine being, divinity” here. 10217:29tn Or “a likeness.” Again idolatry is directly attacked as an affront to God and a devaluation of him. 10317:29tn Grk “by the skill and imagination of man,” but ἀνθρώπου (anqrwpou) has been translated as an attributive genitive. 10417:29tn Or “craftsmanship” (cf. BDAG 1001 s.v. τέχνη). 10517:29tn Or “thought.” BDAG 336 s.v. ἐνθύμησις has “thought, reflection, idea” as the category of meaning here, but in terms of creativity (as in the context) the imaginative faculty is in view. 10617:30tn Or “has deliberately paid no attention to.” 10717:30tn Or “times when people did not know.” 10817:30tn Here ἀνθρώποις (anqrwpoi") has been translated as a generic noun (“people”). 10917:30sn He now commands all people everywhere to repent. God was now asking all mankind to turn to him. No nation or race was excluded. 11017:31tn Or “fixed.” 11117:31sn The world refers to the whole inhabited earth. 11217:31tn Or “appointed.” BDAG 723 s.v. ὁρίζω 2.b has “of persons appoint, designate, declare: God judges the world ἐν ἀνδρὶ ᾧ ὥρισεν through a man whom he has appointed Ac 17:31.”sn A man whom he designated. Jesus is put in the position of eschatological judge. As judge of the living and the dead, he possesses divine authority (Acts 10:42). 11317:31tn The participle ἀναστήσας (anasthsa") indicates means here. 11417:32tn The participle ἀκούσαντες (akousante") has been taken temporally. 11517:32tn L&N 33.408 has “some scoffed (at him) Ac 17:32” for ἐχλεύαζον (ecleuazon) here; the imperfect verb has been translated as an ingressive imperfect (“began to scoff”). 11617:33tn Grk “left out of their midst”; the referent (the Areopagus) has been specified in the translation for clarity. 11717:34tn Although the Greek word here is ἀνήρ (anhr), which normally refers to males, husbands, etc., in this particular context it must have a generic force similar to that of ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo"), since “a woman named Damaris” is mentioned specifically as being part of this group (cf. BDAG 79 s.v. ἀνήρ 1.a). 11817:34tn Grk “joining him, believed.” The participle κολληθέντες (kollhqente") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. On the use of this verb in Acts, see 5:13; 8:29; 9:26; 10:28. 11917:34tn Grk “among whom.” Due to the length of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“whom”) has been translated as a third person plural pronoun (“them”) and a new sentence begun in the translation. 12017:34tn Grk “the Areopagite” (a member of the council of the Areopagus). The noun “Areopagite” is not in common usage today in English. It is clearer to use a descriptive phrase “a member of the Areopagus” (L&N 11.82). However, this phrase alone can be misleading in English: “Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, and a woman named Damaris” could be understood to refer to three people (Dionysius, an unnamed member of the Areopagus, and Damaris) rather than only two. Converting the descriptive phrase to a relative clause in English (“who was a member of the Areopagus”) removes the ambiguity. 12117:34tn Grk “and a woman”; but this καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.