KJV: Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the chief ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat. And Gallio cared for none of those things.
YLT: and all the Greeks having taken Sosthenes, the chief man of the synagogue, were beating him before the tribunal, and not even for these things was Gallio caring.
Darby: And having all laid hold on Sosthenes the ruler of the synagogue, they beat him before the judgment-seat. And Gallio troubled himself about none of these things.
ASV: And they all laid hold on Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment-seat. And Gallio cared for none of these things.
| Ἐπιλαβόμενοι | Having seized |
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Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Middle, Nominative Masculine Plural Root: ἐπιλαμβάνομαι Sense: to take in addition, to lay hold of, take possession of, overtake, attain, attain to. |
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| πάντες | all [of them] |
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Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Plural Root: πᾶς Sense: individually. |
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| Σωσθένην | Sosthenes |
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Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular Root: Σωσθένης Sense: a Jew at Corinth who was seized and beaten in the presence of Gallio. |
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| ἀρχισυνάγωγον | ruler of the synagogue |
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Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular Root: ἀρχισυνάγωγος Sense: ruler of the synagogue. |
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| ἔτυπτον | they began to beat [him] |
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Parse: Verb, Imperfect Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural Root: τύπτω Sense: to strike, beat, smite. |
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| ἔμπροσθεν | before |
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Parse: Preposition Root: ἔμπροσθεν Sense: in front, before. |
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| βήματος | judgment seat |
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Parse: Noun, Genitive Neuter Singular Root: βῆμα Sense: a step, pace, the space which a foot covers, a foot-breath. |
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| οὐδὲν | nothing |
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Parse: Adjective, Nominative Neuter Singular Root: οὐδείς Sense: no one, nothing. |
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| τούτων | about these things |
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Parse: Demonstrative Pronoun, Genitive Neuter Plural Root: οὗτος Sense: this. |
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| τῷ | - |
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Parse: Article, Dative Masculine Singular Root: ὁ Sense: this, that, these, etc. |
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| Γαλλίωνι | to Gallio |
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Parse: Noun, Dative Masculine Singular Root: Γαλλίων Sense: Junius Annaeus Gallio, the Roman proconsul of Achaia when Paul was at Corinth, 53 A. |
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| ἔμελεν | it mattered |
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Parse: Verb, Imperfect Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular Root: μέλει Sense: to care about. |
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Greek Commentary for Acts 18:17
See note on Acts 16:19; and note on Acts 17:19 for the same form. Here is violent hostile reaction against their leader who had failed so miserably. [source]
Inchoative imperfect active, began to beat him, even if they could not beat Paul. Sosthenes succeeded Crispus (Acts 18:8) when he went over to Paul. The beating did Sosthenes good for he too finally is a Christian (1 Corinthians 1:1), a co-worker with Paul whom he had sought to persecute. And Gallio cared for none of these things (και ουδεν τουτων τωι Γαλλιωνι εμελεν kai ouden toutōn tōi Galliōni emelen). Literally, “no one of these things was a care to Gallio.” The usually impersonal verb (μελει εμελεν meleiemelen imperfect active) here has the nominative as in Luke 10:40. These words have been often misunderstood as a description of Gallio‘s lack of interest in Christianity, a religious indifferentist. But that is quite beside the mark. Gallio looked the other way with a blind eye while Sosthenes got the beating which he richly deserved. That was a small detail for the police court, not for the proconsul‘s concern. Gallio shows up well in Luke‘s narrative as a clear headed judge who would not be led astray by Jewish subterfuges and with the courage to dismiss a mob. [source]
Literally, “no one of these things was a care to Gallio.” The usually impersonal verb (μελει εμελεν meleiemelen imperfect active) here has the nominative as in Luke 10:40. These words have been often misunderstood as a description of Gallio‘s lack of interest in Christianity, a religious indifferentist. But that is quite beside the mark. Gallio looked the other way with a blind eye while Sosthenes got the beating which he richly deserved. That was a small detail for the police court, not for the proconsul‘s concern. Gallio shows up well in Luke‘s narrative as a clear headed judge who would not be led astray by Jewish subterfuges and with the courage to dismiss a mob. [source]
Not said to indicate his indifference to religion, but simply that he did not choose to interfere in this ease. [source]
Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Acts 18:17
Rev., much better, Grecian Jews, with Hellenists in margin. “Grecians” might easily be understood of Greeks in general. The word Hellenists denotes Jews, not Greeks, but Jews who spoke Greek. The contact of Jews with Greeks was first effected by the conquests of Alexander. He settled eight thousand Jews in the Thebais, and the Jews formed a third of the population of his new city of Alexandria. From Egypt they gradually spread along the whole Mediterranean coast of Africa. They were removed by Seleucus Nicator from Babylonia, by thousands, to Antioch and Seleucia, and under the persecutions of Antiochus Epiphanes scattered themselves through Asia Minor, Greece, Macedonia, and the Aegean islands. The vast majority of them adopted the Greek language, and forgot the Aramaic dialect which had been their language since the Captivity. The word is used but twice in the New Testament - here and Acts 9:29- and, in both cases, of Jews who had embraced Christianity, but who spoke Greek and used the Septuagint version of the Bible instead of the original Hebrew or the Chaldaic targum or paraphrase. The word Ἕλλην , Greek, which is very common in the New Testament, is used in antithesis, either to “Barbarians” or to “Jews. ” In the former case it means all nations which spoke the Greek language (see Acts 18:17; Romans 1:14; 1 Corinthians 1:22, 1 Corinthians 1:23). In the latter it is equivalent to Gentiles (see Romans 1:16; Romans 2:9; 1 Corinthians 10:32; Galatians 2:3). Hence, in either case, it is wholly different from Hellenist. [source]
Literally, the brother, but regular Greek idiom for our brother. This Sosthenes, now with Paul in Ephesus, is probably the same Sosthenes who received the beating meant for Paul in Corinth (Acts 18:17). If so, the beating did him good for he is now a follower of Christ. He is in no sense a Corinthians-author of the Epistle, but merely associated with Paul because they knew him in Corinth. He may have been compelled by the Jews to leave Corinth when he, a ruler of the synagogue, became a Christian. See note on 1 Thessalonians 1:1 for the mention of Silas and Timothy in the salutation. Sosthenes could have been Paul‘s amanuensis for this letter, but there is no proof of it. [source]
oP. Frequent in Luke and Acts. Occasionally in this strong sense, as Luke 20:20; Luke 23:26; Acts 18:17, but not usually. See Mark 8:23; Luke 9:47; Acts 9:27. [source]