The Meaning of Acts 17:7 Explained

Acts 17:7

KJV: Whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus.

YLT: whom Jason hath received; and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying another to be king -- Jesus.'

Darby: whom Jason has received; and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying, that there is another king, Jesus.

ASV: whom Jason hath received: and these all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Whom  Jason  hath received:  and  these  all  do  contrary  to the decrees  of Caesar,  saying  that there is  another  king,  [one] Jesus. 

What does Acts 17:7 Mean?

Context Summary

Acts 17:1-12 - Persecution Spreads The Truth
Thessalonica. Slowly Paul made his way among the great cities of Greece. He was sowing seeds of which others would reap the harvest. His one theme was the risen Lord, whether amid the less or the more cultivated, Acts 17:3; Acts 17:31. This is surely the true method of world evangelization-not to argue but to proclaim the glorious personality of our risen Lord. Notice the distinction in Acts 17:3 between the human name, Jesus, and the royal name, Christ. As Jesus, our Lord lived, ministered, and died; as Christ, He was raised from the dead, and as such He is the crowned King of men, Acts 17:7. However loyal we may be to the civil government, our first allegiance is to another king, Acts 17:7.
Berea. True nobility consists in being open to any new truth that God may reveal to us from His Word. The one test of truth is Scripture as interpreted to the pure heart by the Holy Spirit; but we should examine the Scriptures daily as the Bereans did. It is not to be wondered at that many believed. If only our people would love the Bible, saturating their minds with it and teaching it to their children, what different results would follow the preaching of the gospel! [source]

Chapter Summary: Acts 17

1  Paul preaches at Thessalonica, where some believe,
5  and others persecute him
10  He is sent to Berea, and preaches there
13  Being persecuted by Jews from Thessalonica,
16  he comes to Athens, and disputes and preaches the living God, to them unknown;
32  whereby, though some mock, many are converted unto Christ

Greek Commentary for Acts 17:7

Whom Jason hath received [ους υποδεδεκται Ιασων]
Present perfect middle indicative of υποδεχομαι — hupodechomai to entertain, old verb, but in N.T. only in Luke 10:38; Luke 19:6; Acts 17:7; James 2:25. This is Jason‘s crime and he is the prisoner before the politarchs. [source]
These all [ουτοι παντες]
Jason, the “brethren” of Acts 17:6, Paul and Silas, and all Christians everywhere. Contrary (απεναντι — apenanti). Late compound preposition (απο εν αντι — apoτων δογματων Καισαρος — enασιλεα ετερον λεγοντες ειναι Ιησουν — anti) found in Polybius, lxx, here only in the N.T. The decrees of Caesar This was a charge of treason and was a sure way to get a conviction. Probably the Julian Leges Majestatis are in mind rather than the definite decree of Claudius about the Jews (Acts 18:2). Saying that there is another king, one Jesus (ασιλεα ετερον — Basilea heteron legontes einai Iēsoun). Note the very order of the words in the Greek indirect discourse with the accusative and infinitive after legontes Basilea heteron comes first, a different king, another emperor than Caesar. This was the very charge that the smart student of the Pharisees and Herodians had tried to catch Jesus on (Mark 12:14). The Sanhedrin made it anyhow against Jesus to Pilate (Luke 23:2) and Pilate had to notice it. “Although the emperors never ventured to assume the title rex at Rome, in the Eastern provinces they were regularly termed basileus ” (Page). The Jews here, as before Pilate (John 19:15), renounce their dearest hope of a Messianic king. It is plain that Paul had preached about Jesus as the Messiah, King of the Kingdom of God over against the Roman Empire, a spiritual kingdom, to be sure, but the Jews here turn his language to his hurt as they did with Jesus. As a matter of fact Paul‘s preaching about the kingdom and the second coming of Christ was gravely misunderstood by the Christians at Thessalonica after his departure (1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:4; 2 Thessalonians 2). The Jews were quick to seize upon his language about Jesus Christ to his own injury. Clearly here in Thessalonica Paul had faced the power of the Roman Empire in a new way and pictured over against it the grandeur of the reign of Christ. [source]
Contrary [απεναντι]
Late compound preposition (απο εν αντι — apoτων δογματων Καισαρος — enασιλεα ετερον λεγοντες ειναι Ιησουν — anti) found in Polybius, lxx, here only in the N.T. [source]
The decrees of Caesar [λεγοντες]
This was a charge of treason and was a sure way to get a conviction. Probably the Julian Leges Majestatis are in mind rather than the definite decree of Claudius about the Jews (Acts 18:2). Saying that there is another king, one Jesus (ασιλεα ετερον — Basilea heteron legontes einai Iēsoun). Note the very order of the words in the Greek indirect discourse with the accusative and infinitive after legontes Basilea heteron comes first, a different king, another emperor than Caesar. This was the very charge that the smart student of the Pharisees and Herodians had tried to catch Jesus on (Mark 12:14). The Sanhedrin made it anyhow against Jesus to Pilate (Luke 23:2) and Pilate had to notice it. “Although the emperors never ventured to assume the title rex at Rome, in the Eastern provinces they were regularly termed basileus ” (Page). The Jews here, as before Pilate (John 19:15), renounce their dearest hope of a Messianic king. It is plain that Paul had preached about Jesus as the Messiah, King of the Kingdom of God over against the Roman Empire, a spiritual kingdom, to be sure, but the Jews here turn his language to his hurt as they did with Jesus. As a matter of fact Paul‘s preaching about the kingdom and the second coming of Christ was gravely misunderstood by the Christians at Thessalonica after his departure (1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:4; 2 Thessalonians 2). The Jews were quick to seize upon his language about Jesus Christ to his own injury. Clearly here in Thessalonica Paul had faced the power of the Roman Empire in a new way and pictured over against it the grandeur of the reign of Christ. [source]
Saying that there is another king, one Jesus [ασιλεα ετερον]
Note the very order of the words in the Greek indirect discourse with the accusative and infinitive after legontes Basilea heteron comes first, a different king, another emperor than Caesar. This was the very charge that the smart student of the Pharisees and Herodians had tried to catch Jesus on (Mark 12:14). The Sanhedrin made it anyhow against Jesus to Pilate (Luke 23:2) and Pilate had to notice it. “Although the emperors never ventured to assume the title rex at Rome, in the Eastern provinces they were regularly termed basileus ” (Page). The Jews here, as before Pilate (John 19:15), renounce their dearest hope of a Messianic king. It is plain that Paul had preached about Jesus as the Messiah, King of the Kingdom of God over against the Roman Empire, a spiritual kingdom, to be sure, but the Jews here turn his language to his hurt as they did with Jesus. As a matter of fact Paul‘s preaching about the kingdom and the second coming of Christ was gravely misunderstood by the Christians at Thessalonica after his departure (1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:4; 2 Thessalonians 2). The Jews were quick to seize upon his language about Jesus Christ to his own injury. Clearly here in Thessalonica Paul had faced the power of the Roman Empire in a new way and pictured over against it the grandeur of the reign of Christ. [source]
Contrary to the decrees of Caesar []
The charge at Philippi was that of introducing new customs; but as Thessalonica was not a colony, that charge could have no force there. The accusation substituted is that of treason against the emperor; that of which Jesus was accused before Pilate. “The law of treason, by which the ancient legislators of the republic had sought to protect popular liberty from the encroachments of tyranny, … was gradually concentrated upon the emperor alone, the sole impersonation of the sovereign people. The definition of the crime itself was loose and elastic, such as equally became the jealousy of a licentious republic or of a despotic usurper” (Merivale, “History of the Romans under the Empire”). [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Acts 17:7

Luke 10:38 Received him into her house [υπεδεχατο αυτον εις την οικιαν]
Aorist middle indicative of υποδεχομαι — hupodechomai an old verb to welcome as a guest (in the N.T. only here and Luke 19:6; Acts 17:7; James 2:25). Martha is clearly the mistress of the home and is probably the elder sister. There is no evidence that she was the wife of Simon the leper (John 12:1.). It is curious that in an old cemetery at Bethany the names of Martha, Eleazar, and Simon have been found. [source]
Acts 16:4 The decrees [τα δογματα]
Old word from δοκεω — dokeō to give an opinion. It is used of public decrees of rulers (Luke 2:1; Acts 17:7), of the requirements of the Mosaic law (Colossians 2:14), and here of the regulations or conclusions of the Jerusalem Conference. Silas was with Paul and his presence gave added dignity to the passing out of the decrees, a charter of Gentile freedom, since he was one of the committee from Jerusalem to Antioch (Acts 15:22, Acts 15:27, Acts 15:32). Which had been ordained (τα κεκριμενα — ta kekrimena). Perfect passive articular participle of κρινω — krinō to judge, emphasizing the permanence of the conclusions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem. For to keep This present active infinitive likewise accents that it is a charter of liberty for continual living, not a temporary compromise. [source]
Acts 17:7 Whom Jason hath received [ους υποδεδεκται Ιασων]
Present perfect middle indicative of υποδεχομαι — hupodechomai to entertain, old verb, but in N.T. only in Luke 10:38; Luke 19:6; Acts 17:7; James 2:25. This is Jason‘s crime and he is the prisoner before the politarchs. [source]
2 Thessalonians 2:5 When I was yet with you [ετι ων προς υμας]
The present participle takes the time of the verb ελεγον — elegon (imperfect active), I used to tell you these things. So Paul recalls their memory of his words and leaves us without the clue to his idea. We know that one of the charges against him was that Jesus was another king, a rival to Caesar (Acts 17:7). That leads one to wonder how far Paul went when there in contrasting the kingdom of the world of which Rome was ruler and the kingdom of God of which Christ is king. Frame notes Paul‘s abrupt question here “with an unfinished sentence behind him” (2 Thessalonians 2:3.), even “with a trace of impatience.” [source]

What do the individual words in Acts 17:7 mean?

whom has received Jason And these all contrary to the decrees of Caesar do king another proclaiming to be Jesus
οὓς ὑποδέδεκται Ἰάσων καὶ οὗτοι πάντες ἀπέναντι τῶν δογμάτων Καίσαρος πράσσουσι βασιλέα ἕτερον λέγοντες εἶναι Ἰησοῦν

οὓς  whom 
Parse: Personal / Relative Pronoun, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: ὅς 
Sense: who, which, what, that.
ὑποδέδεκται  has  received 
Parse: Verb, Perfect Indicative Middle or Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ὑποδέχομαι  
Sense: to receive as a guest.
Ἰάσων  Jason 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: Ἰάσων  
Sense: a Thessalonians who entertained Paul and Silas, and maybe a cousin of Paul (Ro.
οὗτοι  these 
Parse: Demonstrative Pronoun, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: οὗτος  
Sense: this.
ἀπέναντι  contrary  to 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ἀπεῖπον 
Sense: over against, opposite.
δογμάτων  decrees 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Neuter Plural
Root: δόγμα  
Sense: doctrine, decree, ordinance.
Καίσαρος  of  Caesar 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: Καῖσαρ  
Sense: the surname of Julius Caesar, which adopted by Octavius Augustus and his successors afterwards became a title, and was appropriated by the Roman emperors as part of their title.
βασιλέα  king 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: βασιλεύς  
Sense: leader of the people, prince, commander, lord of the land, king.
ἕτερον  another 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: ἀλλοιόω 
Sense: the other, another, other.
λέγοντες  proclaiming 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: λέγω 
Sense: to say, to speak.
εἶναι  to  be 
Parse: Verb, Present Infinitive Active
Root: εἰμί  
Sense: to be, to exist, to happen, to be present.
Ἰησοῦν  Jesus 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: Ἰησοῦς  
Sense: Joshua was the famous captain of the Israelites, Moses’ successor.