The Meaning of Acts 19:25 Explained

Acts 19:25

KJV: Whom he called together with the workmen of like occupation, and said, Sirs, ye know that by this craft we have our wealth.

YLT: whom, having brought in a crowd together, and those who did work about such things, he said, 'Men, ye know that by this work we have our wealth;

Darby: whom having brought together, and those who wrought in such things, he said, Men, ye know that our well-living arises from this work,

ASV: whom he gathered together, with the workmen of like occupation, and said, Sirs, ye know that by this business we have our wealth.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Whom  he called together  with the workmen  of  like occupation,  and  said,  Sirs,  ye know  that  by  this  craft  we have  our  wealth. 

What does Acts 19:25 Mean?

Context Summary

Acts 19:13-29 - The Power Of Jesus' Name
Where God's spirit is mightily at work, Satan is not far away. Here the enemy's emissaries were mean enough to use the name of Jesus to get themselves a few more shekels. But the name is useless apart from the living power of the Spirit. It is terrible when the very demons flout those who profess religion. Who are ye? meant, "You do not count." The demons knew Christ as the Holy One of God and Paul as His representative, but these exorcist Jews were hollow as sounding brass. Cast into the balances, they were altogether lighter than vanity, Psalms 62:9.
The outcome of all this was a mighty revival. The name of the Lord Jesus was magnified, and a searching work of grace led to the confession of sin and the cleansing of heart and life in many who had followed vain superstitions.
So deep was the work of God in that great city of Ephesus that the trade in charms and amulets, sold in the neighborhood of the temple, began to fall off. The crowd of worshippers in Diana's temple was also perceptibly less. People who came in from the seaboard would find their way to the Apostle, who preached the gospel with a power that could not be withstood. Regenerated souls therefore, in turn, carried the gospel throughout the whole region. [source]

Chapter Summary: Acts 19

1  The Holy Spirit is given by Paul's hands
8  The Jews blaspheme his doctrine, which is confirmed by miracles
13  The Jewish exorcists,
16  are beaten by a man who had an evil spirit
19  Conjuring books are burnt
21  Demetrius, for love of gain, raises an uproar against Paul;
35  which is appeased by the town clerk

Greek Commentary for Acts 19:25

Whom he gathered together [ους συνατροισας]
First aorist active participle of συνατροιζω — sunathroizō old verb to assemble together (ατροος — athroos a crowd), in the N.T. only here and Acts 12:12. [source]
With the workmen of like occupation [και τους περι τα τοιαυτα εργατας]
“And the workmen concerning such things,” apparently those who made the marble and terra-cotta shrines who would also be affected in the same way. It was a gathering of the associated trades, not for a strike, for employer and employees met together, but in protest against the preaching of Paul. We have our wealth (η ευπορια ημιν εστιν — hē euporia hēmin estin). The wealth is to us (dative of possession). This old word for wealth occurs here alone in the N.T. It is from ευ — eu and πορος — poros easy to pass through, easy to accomplish, to be well off, wealthy, welfare, weal, well-being, rich. Demetrius appeals to this knowledge and self-interest of the artisans as the basis for their zeal for Artemis, piety for revenue. [source]
We have our wealth [η ευπορια ημιν εστιν]
The wealth is to us (dative of possession). This old word for wealth occurs here alone in the N.T. It is from ευ — eu and πορος — poros easy to pass through, easy to accomplish, to be well off, wealthy, welfare, weal, well-being, rich. Demetrius appeals to this knowledge and self-interest of the artisans as the basis for their zeal for Artemis, piety for revenue. [source]
Wealth [εὐπορία]
See on ability, Acts 11:29. Lit., welfare. Wealth is used by the A. V. in the older and more general sense of weal, or well-being generally. Compare the Litany of the English Church: “In all time of our tribulation, in all time of our wealth. ” [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Acts 19:25

Acts 12:12 To the house of Mary [επι την οικιαν της Μαριας]
Another Mary (the others were Mary the mother of Jesus, Mary of Bethany, Mary Magdalene, Mary wife of Cleopas, Mary the mother of James and Joses). She may have been a widow and was possessed of some means since her house was large enough to hold the large group of disciples there. Barnabas, cousin of John Mark her son (Colossians 4:10), was also a man of property or had been (Acts 4:36.). It is probable that the disciples had been in the habit of meeting in her house, a fact known to Peter and he was evidently fond of John Mark whom he afterwards calls “my son” (1 Peter 5:13) and whom he had met here. The upper room of Acts 1:13 may have been in Mary‘s house and Mark may have been the man bearing a pitcher of water (Luke 22:10) and the young man who fled in the Garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14:51.). There was a gate and portress here as in the house of the highpriest (John 18:16). Peter knew where to go and even at this early hour hoped to find some of the disciples. Mary is one of the many mothers who have become famous by reason of their sons, though she was undoubtedly a woman of high character herself. Were gathered together and were praying (ησαν συνητροισμενοι και προσευχομενοι — ēsan sunēthroisōmenoi kai proseuchomenoi). Note difference in the tenses, one periphrastic past perfect passive (συνατροιζω — sunathroizō old verb, in the N.T. here only and Acts 19:25 and the uncompounded τροιζω — throizō in Luke 24:33) and the periphrastic imperfect. The praying apparently had been going on all night and a large number (many, ικανοι — hikanoi) of the disciples were there. One recalls the time when they had gathered to pray (Acts 4:31) after Peter had told the disciples of the threats of the Sanhedrin (Acts 4:23). God had rescued Peter then. Would he let him be put to death now as James had been? [source]
1 Corinthians 10:24 Another's wealth [τὸ τοῦ ἑτέρου]
Lit., that which is the other's. Wealth, inserted by A.V. is used in the older English sense of well-being. See on Acts 19:25. The A.V. also ignores the force of the article, the other. Rev., much better, his neighbor's good. [source]
Ephesians 4:19 To work [εἰς ἐργασίαν]
Lit., to a working. In Acts 19:25, used of a trade. Not precisely in this sense here, yet with a shade of it. They gave themselves up as to the prosecution of a business. The εἰς untois very forcible. [source]
1 Timothy 1:19 Concerning faith have made shipwreck [περὶ τὴν πίστιν ἐναυάγησαν]
Better, “concerning the faith made shipwreck.” For a similar use of περὶ concerningsee Acts 19:25; Luke 10:40; 1 Timothy 6:21; 2 Timothy 2:18; 2 Timothy 3:8. It is noteworthy that περὶ with the accusative occurs only once in Paul (Philemon 2:23). Ναυαγεῖν tomake shipwreck only here and 2 Corinthians 11:25. Nautical metaphors are rare in Paul's writings. [source]
Titus 2:7 In all things [περὶ πάντα]
Lit. concerning all things. The exact phrase, N.T.oFor analogous use of περὶ comp. Luke 10:40, Luke 10:41; Acts 19:25; 1 Timothy 1:19; 1 Timothy 6:4, 1 Timothy 6:21; 2 Timothy 3:8. [source]

What do the individual words in Acts 19:25 mean?

whom having brought together also the in such things workmen he said Men you know that from this - business the wealth of us is
οὓς συναθροίσας καὶ τοὺς περὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα ἐργάτας εἶπεν Ἄνδρες ἐπίστασθε ὅτι ἐκ ταύτης τῆς ἐργασίας εὐπορία ἡμῖν ἐστιν

οὓς  whom 
Parse: Personal / Relative Pronoun, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: ὅς 
Sense: who, which, what, that.
συναθροίσας  having  brought  together 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἀθροίζω 
Sense: to gather together with others.
καὶ  also 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: καί  
Sense: and, also, even, indeed, but.
τὰ  such 
Parse: Article, Accusative Neuter Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
τοιαῦτα  things 
Parse: Demonstrative Pronoun, Accusative Neuter Plural
Root: τοιοῦτος  
Sense: such as this, of this kind or sort.
ἐργάτας  workmen 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: ἐργάτης  
Sense: a workman, a labourer.
εἶπεν  he  said 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: λέγω  
Sense: to speak, say.
Ἄνδρες  Men 
Parse: Noun, Vocative Masculine Plural
Root: ἀνήρ  
Sense: with reference to sex.
ἐπίστασθε  you  know 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Middle or Passive, 2nd Person Plural
Root: ἐπίσταμαι  
Sense: to put one’s attention on, fix one’s thoughts on, to turn one’s self or one’s mind to, put one’s thought upon a thing.
ὅτι  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ὅτι  
Sense: that, because, since.
ταύτης  this 
Parse: Demonstrative Pronoun, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: οὗτος  
Sense: this.
τῆς  - 
Parse: Article, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ἐργασίας  business 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: ἐργασία  
Sense: a working, performing.
εὐπορία  wealth 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Feminine Singular
Root: εὐπορία  
Sense: riches, means, wealth.
ἡμῖν  of  us 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative 1st Person Plural
Root: ἐγώ  
Sense: I, me, my.