Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few.

People's New Testament

17:12 Many of them believed. This would be the natural result. As elsewhere, the converts were Jews and devout Greeks, both men and women.

Honourable women. Of high rank.

Wesley's Notes

17:12 Many of the - Of the Jews. And of the Grecian women - Who were followed by their husbands.

Scofield Reference Notes

Margin Therefore

Illustrates Jn 5:46. Believing the O.T. they believed the Gospel.

Margin honourable

Greek women of honourable estate.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

12. Therefore many of them believed-convinced that Jesus of Nazareth whom Paul preached was indeed the great Promise and Burden of the Old Testament. From this it is undeniable, (1) that the people, no less than the ministers of the Church, are entitled and bound to search the Scriptures; (2) that they are entitled and bound to judge, on their own responsibility, whether the teaching they receive from the ministers of the Church is according to the word of God; (3) that no faith but such as results from personal conviction ought to be demanded, or is of any avail.

of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men-which were Greeks.

not a few-"The upper classes in these European-Greek and Romanized towns were probably better educated than those of Asia Minor" [Webster and Wilkinson].

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

17:10-15 The Jews in Berea applied seriously to the study of the word preached unto them. They not only heard Paul preach on the sabbath, but daily searched the Scriptures, and compared what they read with the facts related to them. The doctrine of Christ does not fear inquiry; advocates for his cause desire no more than that people will fully and fairly examine whether things are so or not. Those are truly noble, and likely to be more and more so, who make the Scriptures their rule, and consult them accordingly. May all the hearers of the gospel become like those of Berea, receiving the word with readiness of mind, and searching the Scriptures daily, whether the things preached to them are so.