Acts 19:24
22 He sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he stayed for a time in the province of Asia.
23 About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way.
It began with a silversmith named Demetrius who made silver shrines of Artemis, bringing much business to the craftsmen.
25 Demetrius assembled the craftsmen, along with the workmen in related trades. “Men,” he said, “you know that this business is our source of prosperity.
26 And you can see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in nearly the whole province of Asia, Paul has persuaded a great number of people to turn away. He says that man-made gods are no gods at all.
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
- It began with a silversmith named Demetrius who made silver shrines of Artemis, bringing much business to the craftsmen.
- KJV
- For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, which made silver shrines for Diana, brought no small gain unto the craftsmen;
- WEB
- For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought no little business to the craftsmen,
- ASV
- For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Diana, brought no little business unto the craftsmen;
- DARBY
- For a certain [man] by name Demetrius, a silver-beater, making silver temples of Artemis, brought no small gain to the artisans;
- BLB
- For a certain silversmith named Demetrius, making silver shrines of Artemis, was bringing no little business to the craftsmen.
- ÅB
- For en mann ved navn Demetrius, en sølvsmed, som arbeidet Diana-templer av sølv, og som hjalp kunstnerne til en ikke liten inntekt,
- OTB
- En sølvsmed ved navn Demetrius, som laget sølvhelligdommer for Artemis, skapte betydelig forretning for håndverkerne.
- B1930
- For en mann ved navn Demetrius, en sølvsmed, som arbeidet Diana-templer av sølv, og som hjalp kunstnerne til en ikke liten inntekt,
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
1 Timothy 6:9–10
Those who want to be rich, however, fall into temptation and become ensnared by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction.
Read in contextActs 16:16
One day as we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl with a spirit of divination, who earned a large income for her masters by fortune-telling.
Read in contextActs 19:27–28
There is danger not only that our business will fall into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited and her majesty deposed—she who is worshiped by all the province of Asia and the whole world.”
Read in contextActs 19:34–35
But when they realized that he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison for about two hours: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
Read in contextActs 16:19
When the girl’s owners saw that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities in the marketplace.
Read in contextIsaiah 56:11–12
Like ravenous dogs, they are never satisfied. They are shepherds with no discernment; they all turn to their own way, each one seeking his own gain:
Read in context