Acts 17:15

15 Now ¹those who escorted Paul brought him as far as ²Athens; and receiving a command for ³Silas and Timothy to ⁴come to him as soon as possible, they left.

Acts 17:15 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 17:15

And they that conducted Paul
From Berea to the sea side:

brought him unto Athens;
a famous city in Attica, where both ^F17 Pliny and Ptolomy ^F18 place it, well known for the learning and wisdom of the ancient philosophers, who had their schools and universities in it; the former of these calls it a free city, and says, it needed no description nor commendation, its fame was so diffused everywhere. The account Jerom ^F19 gives of it is,

``Athens, a city in Achaia, dedicated to the studies of philosophy, which though but one, is always used to be called in the plural number; its haven, called the Piraeum, is described as fortified with seven walls.''

The city itself stood about two miles from the sea; it had its name either from the Greek word (hyonoh) , which signifies the mind of God, as boasting of its divine knowledge; or rather from the word (Nyta) , "Athen", which may be interpreted "strangers", it being originally inhabited by the Pelasgi, who were a set of people that moved from place to place ^F20; or because of the great multitude of strangers which flocked from all parts hither for learning, of whom mention is made in ( Acts 17:21 ) . The inhabitants of it have been called by different names; when under the Pelasgi, as Herodotus ^F21 observes, they were called Cranai; when under King Cecrops, they went by the name of Cecropidae; when Erechtheus had the government, they changed their name into Athenians; from Ion, the son of Xythus, their general, they were called Ionians. This city has gone through different fates: it was burnt by Xerxes, about 480 years before Christ; some years after that it was taken by Lysander; and after that restored to its ancient liberty by Demetrius; after this the Romans were possessed of it; and now it is in the hands of the Turks, and goes by the name of Setines. In Beza's ancient copy it follows, "but he passed through Thessalia, for he was forbidden to preach the word to them"; for as he came from Berea to Athens, he must come through Thessalia; but he made no stay here, but passed through, being forbid to preach the Gospel here, as he had been before to preach it in Asia and Bithynia, ( Acts 16:6 Acts 16:7 ) nor have we any account anywhere else of the Gospel being preached in Thessaly; and in the second century, we read of Heathenism prevailing there, and of many gross acts of idolatry, particularly at Pella in Thessaly, a man was sacrificed to the gods: though in the beginning of the fourth century there were bishops out of Thessalia at the synod of Nice; and so there were at the synod at Sardica, about the middle of the same century: in the sixth century, Dion, bishop of Thebes in Thessalia, was in the first synod at Ephesus; and Constantinus, bishop of Demetrias, and Vigilantius of Larissa, both cities in Thessalia, were in another at the same place ^F23.

And receiving a commandment;
or "a letter from him" as one copy and the Syriac version read; that is, the brethren from Paul:

unto Silas and Timotheus for to come to him with all speed;
to Athens, where he now was: they departed; from Paul at Athens, and came back to Berea.

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FOOTNOTES:

F17 Nat. Hist. l. 4. c. 7.
F18 Nat. Hist. l. 3. c. 15.
F19 De locis Hebraicis, fol. 95. K.
F20 Vid. Hiller. Onomasticum Sacrum, p. 678, 755.
F21 Urania, c. 44.
F23 Magdeburg. Hist. Eccles. cent. 2. c. 15. p. 193. cent. 4. c. 2. p. 5. & c. 9. p. 425. cent. 6. c. 10. p. 666.

Acts 17:15 In-Context

13 But when the Jews of Thessalonica found out that the word of God had been proclaimed by Paul in Berea also, they came there as well, agitating and stirring up the crowds.

14 Then immediately the brethren sent Paul out to go as far as the sea; and Silas and Timothy remained there.

15 Now those who escorted Paul brought him as far as Athens; and receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they left.

16 Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was being provoked within him as he was observing the city full of idols.

17 So he was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and in the market place every day with those who happened to be present.

Cross References

• 1. Acts 15:3
• 2. Acts 17:16, 21; Acts 18:1; 1 Thessalonians 3:1
• 3. Acts 17:14
• 4. Acts 18:5