Acts 19:24-26
New International Version
24 A silversmith named Demetrius, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought in a lot of business for the craftsmen there. 25 He called them together, along with the workers in related trades, and said: “You know, my friends, that we receive a good income from this business.(A) 26 And you see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus(B) and in practically the whole province of Asia.(C) He says that gods made by human hands are no gods at all.(D)
Acts 19:24-26
New English Translation
24 For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver shrines[a] of Artemis,[b] brought a great deal[c] of business[d] to the craftsmen. 25 He gathered[e] these[f] together, along with the workmen in similar trades,[g] and said, “Men, you know that our prosperity[h] comes from this business. 26 And you see and hear that this Paul has persuaded[i] and turned away[j] a large crowd,[k] not only in Ephesus but in practically all of the province of Asia,[l] by saying[m] that gods made by hands are not gods at all.[n]
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- Acts 19:24 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.”
- Acts 19:24 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.
- Acts 19:24 tn Grk “brought not a little business” (an idiom).
- Acts 19:24 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.
- Acts 19:25 tn Grk “gathering.” The participle συναθροίσας (sunathroisas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
- Acts 19:25 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.
- Acts 19:25 sn Workmen in similar trades. In effect, Demetrius gathered the Ephesian chamber of commerce together to hear about the threat to their prosperity.
- Acts 19:25 tn Another possible meaning is “that this business is an easy way for us to earn a living.”
- Acts 19:26 tn Grk “persuading.” The participle πείσας (peisas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
- Acts 19:26 tn Or “misled.”
- Acts 19:26 tn BDAG 472 s.v. ἱκανός 3.a has “of pers. ὄχλος a large crowd…Ac 11:24, 26; 19:26.”
- Acts 19:26 tn Grk “Asia”; see the note on this word in v. 22.
- Acts 19:26 tn The participle λέγων (legōn) has been regarded as indicating instrumentality.
- Acts 19:26 tn The words “at all” are not in the Greek text but are implied.sn Gods made by hands are not gods at all. Paul preached against paganism’s idolatry. Here is a one-line summary of a speech like that in Acts 17:22-31.
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