KJV: But the Jews stirred up the devout and honourable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts.
YLT: And the Jews stirred up the devout and honourable women, and the first men of the city, and did raise persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and did put them out from their borders;
Darby: But the Jews excited the women of the upper classes who were worshippers, and the first people of the city, and raised a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and cast them out of their coasts.
ASV: But the Jews urged on the devout women of honorable estate, and the chief men of the city, and stirred up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and cast them out of their borders.
| Ἰουδαῖοι | Jews |
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Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Plural Root: Ἰουδαῖος Sense: Jewish, belonging to the Jewish race. |
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| παρώτρυναν | incited |
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Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural Root: παροτρύνω Sense: to incite, stir up. |
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| σεβομένας | worshipping |
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Parse: Verb, Present Participle Middle or Passive, Accusative Feminine Plural Root: σέβω Sense: to revere, to worship. |
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| γυναῖκας | women |
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Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Plural Root: γυνή Sense: a woman of any age, whether a virgin, or married, or a widow. |
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| τὰς | - |
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Parse: Article, Accusative Feminine Plural Root: ὁ Sense: this, that, these, etc. |
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| εὐσχήμονας | of honorable position |
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Parse: Adjective, Accusative Feminine Plural Root: εὐσχήμων Sense: of elegant figure. |
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| πρώτους | principals |
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Parse: Adjective, Accusative Masculine Plural Root: πρῶτος Sense: first in time or place. |
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| τῆς | of the |
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Parse: Article, Genitive Feminine Singular Root: ὁ Sense: this, that, these, etc. |
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| πόλεως | city |
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Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Singular Root: πόλις Sense: a city. |
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| ἐπήγειραν | they stirred up |
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Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural Root: ἐπεγείρω Sense: to raise or excite against. |
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| διωγμὸν | a persecution |
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Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular Root: διωγμός Sense: persecution. |
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| ἐπὶ | against |
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Parse: Preposition Root: ἐπί Sense: upon, on, at, by, before. |
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| τὸν | - |
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Parse: Article, Accusative Masculine Singular Root: ὁ Sense: this, that, these, etc. |
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| Παῦλον | Paul |
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Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular Root: Παῦλος Sense: Paul was the most famous of the apostles and wrote a good part of the NT, the 4 Pauline epistles. |
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| Βαρνάβαν | Barnabas |
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Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular Root: Βαρναβᾶς Sense: the surname of Joses or Joseph, a Levite, a native of Cyprus He was a distinguished Christian teacher and companion and colleague of Paul. |
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| ἐξέβαλον | expelled |
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Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural Root: ἐκβάλλω Sense: to cast out, drive out, to send out. |
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| ὁρίων | district |
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Parse: Noun, Genitive Neuter Plural Root: ὅριον Sense: boundaries. |
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| αὐτῶν | of them |
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Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Plural Root: αὐτός Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself. |
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Greek Commentary for Acts 13:50
First aorist (effective) active of παροτρυνω paṙotrunō old verb, but here alone in the N.T., to incite, to stir up. The Jews were apparently not numerous in this city as they had only one synagogue, but they had influence with people of prominence, like “the devout women of honourable estate” The rabbis went after these Gentile women who had embraced Judaism (cf. Acts 17:4 in Thessalonica) as Paul had made an appeal to them. The prominence of women in public life here at Antioch is quite in accord with what we know of conditions in the cities of Asia Minor. “Thus women were appointed under the empire as magistrates, as presidents of the games, and even the Jews elected a woman as Archisynagogos, at least in one instance at Smyrna” (Knowling). In Damascus Josephus (War II. 20, 21) says that a majority of the married women were proselytes. Strabo (VIII. 2) and Juvenal (VI. 542) speak of the addiction of women to the Jewish religion. [source]
Probably city officials (the Duumviri, the Praetors, the First Ten in the Greek Cities of the east) or other “foremost” men, not officials. The rabbis were shrewd enough to reach these men (not proselytes) through the women who were proselytes of distinction. Stirred up a persecution (επηγειραν διωγμον epēgeiran diōgmon). First aorist active indicative of επεγειρω epegeirō old verb, but in the N.T. only here and Acts 14:2. Paul seems to allude to this persecution in 2 Timothy 3:11 “persecutions, sufferings, what things befell me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra, what persecutions I endured.” Here Paul had perils from his own countrymen and perils from the Gentiles after the perils of rivers and perils of robbers on the way from Perga (2 Corinthians 11:26). He was thrice beaten with rods (τρις εραβδιστην tris erhabdisthēn 2 Corinthians 11:25) by Roman lictors in some Roman colony. If that was here, then Paul and Barnabas were publicly scourged by the lictors before they left. Probably the Jews succeeded in making the Roman officials look on Paul and Barnabas as disturbers of the public peace. So “they cast them out of their borders” (εχεβαλον αυτους απο των οριων αυτων exebalon autous apo tōn horiōn autōn). Second aorist active indicative of εκβαλλω ekballō forcible expulsion plainly as public nuisances. Just a few days before they were the heroes of the city and now! [source]
First aorist active indicative of επεγειρω epegeirō old verb, but in the N.T. only here and Acts 14:2. Paul seems to allude to this persecution in 2 Timothy 3:11 “persecutions, sufferings, what things befell me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra, what persecutions I endured.” Here Paul had perils from his own countrymen and perils from the Gentiles after the perils of rivers and perils of robbers on the way from Perga (2 Corinthians 11:26). He was thrice beaten with rods Second aorist active indicative of εκβαλλω ekballō forcible expulsion plainly as public nuisances. Just a few days before they were the heroes of the city and now! [source]
See on Mark 15:43. Women of rank, or, as Rev., of honorable estate. [source]
Not a good rendering, because it implies merely a sea-coast; whereas the word is a general one for boundaries. [source]
Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Acts 13:50
Compounded of εὖ , well, and σχῆμα , form, shape, figure. On the latter word, see on Matthew 17:2. In its earlier use this adjective would, therefore, emphasize the dignified external appearance and deportment. So Plato, noble bearing (“Republic,” 413). Later, it came to be used in the sense ofnoble; honorable in rank. See Acts 13:50; Acts 17:12. [source]
Lit., worshipping. Compare Acts 13:50and Acts 16:14. [source]
A rush or impulse as in James 3:4. Old word, but only twice in the N.T. (here and James). It probably denotes not an actual attack so much as the open start, the co-operation of both Jews and Gentiles (the disaffected portion), “with their rulers” The city officials would hardly join in a mob like this, though Hackett and Rackham think that the city magistrates were also involved as in Antioch in Pisidia (Acts 13:50). [source]
These “God-fearers” among the Gentiles were less under the control of the jealous rabbis and so responded more readily to Paul‘s appeal. In 1 Thessalonians 1:9 Paul expressly says that they had “turned to God from idols,” proof that this church was mainly Gentile (cf. also 1 Thessalonians 2:14). And of the chief women not a few (γυναικων τε των πρωτων ουκ ολιγαι gunaikōn te tōn prōtōn ouk oligai). Literally, “And of women the first not a few.” That is, a large number of women of the very first rank in the city, probably devout women also like the men just before and like those in Acts 13:50 in Antioch in Pisidia who along with “the first men of the city” were stirred up against Paul. Here these women were openly friendly to Paul‘s message, whether proselytes or Gentiles or Jewish wives of Gentiles as Hort holds. It is noteworthy that here, as in Philippi, leading women take a bold stand for Christ. In Macedonia women had more freedom than elsewhere. It is not to be inferred that all those converted belonged to the higher classes, for the industrial element was clearly large (1 Thessalonians 4:11). In 2 Corinthians 8:2 Paul speaks of the deep poverty of the Macedonian churches, but with Philippi mainly in mind. Ramsay thinks that Paul won many of the heathen not affiliated at all with the synagogue. Certain it is that we must allow a considerable interval of time between Acts 17:4, Acts 17:5 to understand what Paul says in his Thessalonian Epistles. [source]
Literally, “And of women the first not a few.” That is, a large number of women of the very first rank in the city, probably devout women also like the men just before and like those in Acts 13:50 in Antioch in Pisidia who along with “the first men of the city” were stirred up against Paul. Here these women were openly friendly to Paul‘s message, whether proselytes or Gentiles or Jewish wives of Gentiles as Hort holds. It is noteworthy that here, as in Philippi, leading women take a bold stand for Christ. In Macedonia women had more freedom than elsewhere. It is not to be inferred that all those converted belonged to the higher classes, for the industrial element was clearly large (1 Thessalonians 4:11). In 2 Corinthians 8:2 Paul speaks of the deep poverty of the Macedonian churches, but with Philippi mainly in mind. Ramsay thinks that Paul won many of the heathen not affiliated at all with the synagogue. Certain it is that we must allow a considerable interval of time between Acts 17:4, Acts 17:5 to understand what Paul says in his Thessalonian Epistles. [source]
An official title correct in Malta (Ramsay, St. Paul, p. 343). An inscription in Malta calls Prudens “Primate of the Maltese” Here it is plainly a title and not the common use seen in Acts 13:50; Acts 25:2; Acts 28:17. [source]
This use of πρωτος prōtos for the leading men of a city or among the Jews we have already had in Acts 13:50; Acts 25:2; Luke 19:47. Literally, “Those that were first among the Jews.” The position of the participle οντας ontas between the article and the adjective πρωτους prōtous is regular (Robertson, Grammar, p. 777). [source]
See Acts 13:50; Acts 14:2ff.; Acts 14:19. These cities may have been selected as illustrations because Timothy was at home in that region. See Acts 16:1, Acts 16:2. Antioch is mentioned by Paul, Galatians 2:11. Iconium and Lystra nowhere in his letters. [source]