Acts 19:35

33 The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander forward to explain himself, and he motioned for silence so he could make his defense to the people.

34 But when they realized that he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison for about two hours: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

Finally the city clerk quieted the crowd and declared, “Men of Ephesus, doesn’t everyone know that the city of Ephesus is guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image, which fell from heaven?

36 Since these things are undeniable, you ought to be calm and not do anything rash.

37 For you have brought these men here, though they have neither robbed our temple nor blasphemed our goddess.

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
Finally the city clerk quieted the crowd and declared, “Men of Ephesus, doesn’t everyone know that the city of Ephesus is guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image, which fell from heaven?
KJV
And when the townclerk had appeased the people, he said, Ye men of Ephesus, what man is there that knoweth not how that the city of the Ephesians is a worshipper of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which fell down from Jupiter?
WEB
When the town clerk had quieted the multitude, he said, “You men of Ephesus, what man is there who doesn’t know that the city of the Ephesians is temple keeper of the great goddess Artemis, and of the image which fell down from Zeus?
ASV
And when the townclerk had quieted the multitude, he saith, Ye men of Ephesus, what man is there who knoweth not that the city of the Ephesians is temple-keeper of the great Diana, and of the [image] which fell down from Jupiter?
DARBY
And the townclerk, having quieted the crowd, said, Ephesians, what man is there then who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple-keeper of Artemis the great, and of the [image] which fell down from heaven?
BLB
And having calmed the crowd, the town clerk says, “Men, Ephesians, what man is there indeed who does not know the city of the Ephesians as being temple-keeper of the great Artemis and of that fallen from the sky?
ÅB
Men by-skriveren fikk hopen til å være rolig, og sa deretter: Dere menn fra Efesus! Hvilket menneske er det vel som ikke vet at efesernes by er tempelvokter for den store Diana og hennes himmelfalne bilde?
OTB
Byens skriver roet mengden og sa: «Menn av Efesos, hvem vet ikke at byen Efesos er vokteren av tempelet til den store Artemis og av hennes bilde som falt fra himmelen?
B1930
Men by-skriveren fikk hopen til å være rolig, og sa derefter: I menn fra Efesus! Hvilket menneske er det vel som ikke vet at efesernes by er tempelvokter for den store Diana og hennes himmelfalne billede?

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

  • 2 Thessalonians 2:10–11

    and with every wicked deception directed against those who are perishing, because they refused the love of the truth that would have saved them.

    Read in context
  • 1 Timothy 4:2

    influenced by the hypocrisy of liars, whose consciences are seared with a hot iron.

    Read in context
  • Ephesians 2:12

    remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.

    Read in context
  • Acts 14:12–13

    Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes, because he was the chief speaker.

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  • Acts 18:19

    When they reached Ephesus, Paul parted ways with Priscilla and Aquila. He himself went into the synagogue there and reasoned with the Jews.

    Read in context
  • Acts 19:26

    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.

    Read in context