Acts 17:23
21 Now all the Athenians and foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing more than hearing and articulating new ideas.
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.
For as I walked around and examined your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore what you worship as something unknown, I now proclaim to you.
24 The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples made by human hands.
25 Nor is He served by human hands, as if He needed anything, because He Himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.
Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- For as I walked around and examined your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore what you worship as something unknown, I now proclaim to you.
- KJV
- For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.
- WEB
- For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription: ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ What therefore you worship in ignorance, I announce to you.
- ASV
- For as I passed along, and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. What therefore ye worship in ignorance, this I set forth unto you.
- DARBY
- for, passing through and beholding your shrines, I found also an altar on which was inscribed, To the unknown God. Whom therefore ye reverence, not knowing [him], him I announce to you.
- BLB
- For passing through and examining your⁺ objects of worship, I even found an altar on which had been inscribed: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore whom you⁺ worship without knowing, this I proclaim to you⁺.
- ÅB
- For da jeg gikk omkring og så på helligdommene deres fant jeg også et alter med innskriften ‘Til en ukjent Gud‘. Det som dere dyrker uten å kjenne, er det jeg forkynner for dere.
- OTB
- For mens jeg gikk omkring og så på deres gjenstander for tilbedelse, fant jeg et alter med denne inskripsjonen: ‘FOR EN UKJENT GUD.’ Derfor, det dere tilber i uvitenhet, dette forkynner jeg for dere.
- B1930
- For da jeg gikk omkring og så på eders helligdommer, fant jeg også et alter som det var satt den innskrift på: For en ukjent Gud. Det som I altså dyrker uten å kjenne det, dette forkynner jeg eder.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
John 4:22
You worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews.
Read in contextGalatians 4:8–9
Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods.
Read in contextJohn 17:3
Now this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.
Read in contextJohn 17:25
Righteous Father, although the world has not known You, I know You, and they know that You sent Me.
Read in contextActs 17:30
Although God overlooked the ignorance of earlier times, He now commands all people everywhere to repent.
Read in contextRomans 1:28
Furthermore, since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, He gave them up to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.
Read in context2 Thessalonians 2:4
He will oppose and exalt himself above every so-called god or object of worship. So he will seat himself in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.
Read in context1 Corinthians 1:21
For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know Him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.
Read in context