Acts 17:23
21 (For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.)
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.
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.
24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;
25 Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;
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
Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
Read in contextGalatians 4:8–9
Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods.
Read in contextJohn 17:3
And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
Read in contextJohn 17:25
O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me.
Read in contextActs 17:30
And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
Read in contextRomans 1:28
And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
Read in context2 Thessalonians 2:4
Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
Read in context1 Corinthians 1:21
For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
Read in context