Acts 17:19
New International Version
Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?

New Living Translation
Then they took him to the high council of the city. “Come and tell us about this new teaching,” they said.

English Standard Version
And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?

Berean Standard Bible
So they took Paul and brought him to the Areopagus, where they asked him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?

Berean Literal Bible
And having taken hold of him they brought him to the Areopagus, saying, "Are we able to know what is this new teaching which is spoken by you.

King James Bible
And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is?

New King James Version
And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new doctrine is of which you speak?

New American Standard Bible
And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is which you are proclaiming?

NASB 1995
And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is which you are proclaiming?

NASB 1977
And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is which you are proclaiming?

Legacy Standard Bible
And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is which you are speaking?

Amplified Bible
They took him and brought him to the Areopagus (Hill of Ares, the Greek god of war), saying, “May we know what this [strange] new teaching is which you are proclaiming?

Christian Standard Bible
They took him and brought him to the Areopagus, and said, “May we learn about this new teaching you are presenting?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
They took him and brought him to the Areopagus, and said, “May we learn about this new teaching you’re speaking of?

American Standard Version
And they took hold of him, and brought him unto the Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new teaching is, which is spoken by thee?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And they took him and brought him to the place of judgment, which is called Arios-Pagos, while they were saying to him, “Can we know what this new teaching is that you proclaim?”

Contemporary English Version
They brought Paul before a council called the Areopagus, and said, "Tell us what your new teaching is all about.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And taking him, they brought him to the Areopagus, saying: May we know what this new doctrine is, which thou speakest of?

English Revised Version
And they took hold of him, and brought him unto the Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new teaching is, which is spoken by thee?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Then they brought Paul to the city court, the Areopagus, and asked, "Could you tell us these new ideas that you're teaching?

Good News Translation
So they took Paul, brought him before the city council, the Areopagus, and said, "We would like to know what this new teaching is that you are talking about.

International Standard Version
Then they took him, brought him before the Areopagus, and asked, "May we know what this new teaching of yours is?

Literal Standard Version
having also taken him, they brought [him] to the Areopagus, saying, “Are we able to know what this new teaching [is] that is spoken by you,

Majority Standard Bible
So they took Paul and brought him to the Areopagus, where they asked him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?

New American Bible
They took him and led him to the Areopagus and said, “May we learn what this new teaching is that you speak of?

NET Bible
So they took Paul and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, "May we know what this new teaching is that you are proclaiming?

New Revised Standard Version
So they took him and brought him to the Areopagus and asked him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?

New Heart English Bible
They took hold of him, and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, "May we know what this new teaching is, which is spoken by you?

Webster's Bible Translation
And they took him, and brought him to Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine is, of which thou speakest?

Weymouth New Testament
Then they took him and brought him up to the Areopagus, asking him, "May we be told what this new teaching of yours is?

World English Bible
They took hold of him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is, which you are speaking about?

Young's Literal Translation
having also taken him, unto the Areopagus they brought him, saying, 'Are we able to know what is this new teaching that is spoken by thee,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Paul in Athens
18Some Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others said, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was proclaiming the good news of Jesus and the resurrection. 19So they took Paul and brought him to the Areopagus, where they asked him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20For you are bringing some strange notions to our ears, and we want to know what they mean.”…

Cross References
Mark 1:27
All the people were amazed and began to ask one another, "What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him!"

Acts 17:20
For you are bringing some strange notions to our ears, and we want to know what they mean."

Acts 17:22
Then Paul stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said, "Men of Athens, I see that in every way you are very religious.

Acts 17:34
But some joined him and believed, including Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others who were with them.

Acts 23:19
The commander took the young man by the hand, drew him aside, and asked, "What do you need to tell me?"


Treasury of Scripture

And they took him, and brought him to Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof you speak, is?

Areopagus.

Acts 17:22
Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.

May.

Acts 17:20
For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean.

Acts 24:24
And after certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ.

Acts 25:22
Then Agrippa said unto Festus, I would also hear the man myself. To morrow, said he, thou shalt hear him.

new.

Mark 1:27
And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him.

John 13:34
A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

1 John 2:7,8
Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning…

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Areopagus Are-Op'agus Clear Doctrine Hill Hold Mars Meeting New Present Presenting Proclaiming Speakest Teaching Whereof
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Areopagus Are-Op'agus Clear Doctrine Hill Hold Mars Meeting New Present Presenting Proclaiming Speakest Teaching Whereof
Acts 17
1. Paul preaches at Thessalonica, where some believe,
5. and others persecute him.
10. He is sent to Berea, and preaches there.
13. Being persecuted by Jews from Thessalonica,
16. he comes to Athens, and disputes and preaches the living God, to them unknown;
32. whereby, though some mock, many are converted unto Christ.














(19) They took him, and brought him unto Areopagus.--The name may stand either for the Hill of Mars, simply as a locality, or for the Court which sat there, and was known as the Court of the Areopagus, and which, as the oldest and most revered tribunal in Athens, owing its origin to Athena, and connected with the story of Orestes and the worship of the propitiated Erinnyes (the Avengers) as the Eumenides (the Gentle Ones), still continued to exercise jurisdiction in all matters connected with the religion of the state, and numbered among its members men of the highest official rank. It had originally consisted only of those who had filled the office of Archon and were over sixty years of age. Its supreme authority had been in some measure limited by Pericles, and it was as the organ of the party who opposed the ideas of freedom and progress of which he was the representative, that 'schylus wrote the tragedy of the Eumenides, in which the divine authority of the Court was impressed upon men's minds. Here, however, the narrative that follows presents no trace of a formal trial, and hence it has been questioned whether the Apostle was brought before the Court of the Areopagus. Unless, however, there had been some intention of a trial, there seems no reason for their taking him to the Areopagus rather than to the Pnyx or elsewhere; and the mention of a member of the Court as converted by St. Paul's preaching, makes it probable that the Court was actually sitting at the time. The most natural explanation of the apparent difficulty is, that as the charge of bringing in "strange deities" was one which came under the jurisdiction of the Areopagus Court, the crowd who seized on St. Paul hurried him there, not presenting a formal indictment, but calling for a preliminary inquiry, that his speech accordingly, though of the nature of an apologia, was not an answer to a distinct accusation, and that having heard it, the Court looked on the matter as calling for no special action, and passed to the order of the day.

May we know . . .?--The form of the question, courteous in semblance, but with a slight touch of sarcasm, is eminently characteristic in itself, and shows also that there was no formal accusation, though the words that followed suggested the thought that there possibly might be materials for one. What had been said was "strange" enough to require an explanation.

Verse 19. - Took held of for took, A.V.; the Areopagus for Areopagus, A.V.; teaching is for doctrine... is, A.V.; which is spoken by thee for whereof thou speakest, A.V. Took hold of him. The word ἐπιλάβεσθαι means simply to "take hold of" the hand, the hair, a garment, etc. The context alone decides whether this taking held is friendly or hostile (for the former sense, see Matthew 14:31; Mark 8:23; Luke 9:47; Luke 14:4; Acts 9:27; Acts 23:19, etc.; for the latter, Luke 23:26; Acts 16:19; Acts 18:17; Acts 21:30, 33). Here the sense is well expressed by Grotius (quoted by Meyer): "Taking him gently by the hand." The Areopagas. Mars' Hill, close to the Agora ("the market") on the north, was so called from the legend that Mars was tried there before the gods for the murder of a son of Neptune. It is (says Lewin) a bare, rugged rock, approached at the south-eastern corner by steps, of which sixteen still remain perfect. Its area at the top measures sixty paces by twenty-four, within which a quadrangle, sixteen paces square, is excavated and leveled for the court. The judges seem to have sat on benches tier above tier on the rising rock on the north side of the quadrangle. There were also seats on the east and west sides, and on the south on either side of the stairs. The Areopagus (the upper court) was the most august of all the courts at Athens. Socrates was tried and condemned before it for impiety. On the present occasion, there is no appearance of judicial proceedings, but they seem to have adjourned to the Areopagus from the Agora, as to a convenient place for quiet discussion.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
So
τε (te)
Conjunction
Strong's 5037: And, both. A primary particle of connection or addition; both or also.

they took
Ἐπιλαβόμενοί (Epilabomenoi)
Verb - Aorist Participle Middle - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 1949: To lay hold of, take hold of, seize (sometimes with beneficent, sometimes with hostile, intent).

[Paul]
αὐτοῦ (autou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

[and] brought [him]
ἤγαγον (ēgagon)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 71: A primary verb; properly, to lead; by implication, to bring, drive, go, pass, or induce.

to
ἐπὶ (epi)
Preposition
Strong's 1909: On, to, against, on the basis of, at.

the
τὸν (ton)
Article - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

Areopagus,
Ἄρειον (Areion)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 697: From Ares and a derivative of pegnumi; rock of Ares, a place in Athens.

[where] they asked [him],
λέγοντες (legontes)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3004: (a) I say, speak; I mean, mention, tell, (b) I call, name, especially in the pass., (c) I tell, command.

“May we
Δυνάμεθα (Dynametha)
Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 1st Person Plural
Strong's 1410: (a) I am powerful, have (the) power, (b) I am able, I can. Of uncertain affinity; to be able or possible.

know
γνῶναι (gnōnai)
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active
Strong's 1097: A prolonged form of a primary verb; to 'know' in a great variety of applications and with many implications.

what
τίς (tis)
Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 5101: Who, which, what, why. Probably emphatic of tis; an interrogative pronoun, who, which or what.

this
αὕτη (hautē)
Demonstrative Pronoun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3778: This; he, she, it.

new
καινὴ (kainē)
Adjective - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 2537: Fresh, new, unused, novel. Of uncertain affinity; new

teaching [is]
διδαχή (didachē)
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 1322: Teaching, doctrine, what is taught. From didasko; instruction.

[that] you
σοῦ (sou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

are presenting?
λαλουμένη (laloumenē)
Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 2980: A prolonged form of an otherwise obsolete verb; to talk, i.e. Utter words.


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NT Apostles: Acts 17:19 They took hold of him and brought (Acts of the Apostles Ac)
Acts 17:18
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