Discovery BoxActs 17:1 
Context17:1 After they traveled through 1 Amphipolis 2 and Apollonia, 3 they came to Thessalonica, 4 where there was a Jewish synagogue. 5
Acts 17:5-9
Context17:5 But the Jews became jealous, 6 and gathering together some worthless men from the rabble in the marketplace, 7 they formed a mob 8 and set the city in an uproar. 9 They attacked Jason’s house, 10 trying to find Paul and Silas 11 to bring them out to the assembly. 12 17:6 When they did not find them, they dragged 13 Jason and some of the brothers before the city officials, 14 screaming, “These people who have stirred up trouble 15 throughout the world 16 have come here too, 17:7 and 17 Jason has welcomed them as guests! They 18 are all acting against Caesar’s 19 decrees, saying there is another king named 20 Jesus!” 21 17:8 They caused confusion among 22 the crowd and the city officials 23 who heard these things. 17:9 After 24 the city officials 25 had received bail 26 from Jason and the others, they released them.
Acts 17:13
Context17:13 But when the Jews from Thessalonica 27 heard that Paul had also proclaimed the word of God 28 in Berea, 29 they came there too, inciting 30 and disturbing 31 the crowds.
1 tn BDAG 250 s.v. διοδεύω 1 has “go, travel through” for this verse.
2 sn Amphipolis. The capital city of the southeastern district of Macedonia (BDAG 55 s.v. ᾿Αμφίπολις). It was a military post. From Philippi this was about 33 mi (53 km).
3 sn Apollonia was a city in Macedonia about 27 mi (43 km) west southwest of Amphipolis.
4 sn Thessalonica (modern Salonica) was a city in Macedonia about 33 mi (53 km) west of Apollonia. It was the capital of Macedonia. The road they traveled over was called the Via Egnatia. It is likely they rode horses, given their condition in Philippi. The implication of v. 1 is that the two previously mentioned cities lacked a synagogue.
map For location see JP1 C1; JP2 C1; JP3 C1; JP4 C1.
5 sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.
6 tn Grk “becoming jealous.” The participle ζηλώσαντες (zhlwsante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. So elsewhere in Acts (5:17; 7:9; 13:45).
7 tn Literally ἀγοραῖος (agoraio") refers to the crowd in the marketplace, although BDAG 14-15 s.v. ἀγοραῖος 1 gives the meaning, by extension, as “rabble.” Such a description is certainly appropriate in this context. L&N 15.127 translates the phrase “worthless men from the streets.”
8 tn On this term, which is a NT hapax legomenon, see BDAG 745 s.v. ὀχλοποιέω.
9 tn BDAG 458 s.v. θορυβέω 1 has “set the city in an uproar, start a riot in the city” for the meaning of ἐθορύβουν (eqoruboun) in this verse.
10 sn The attack took place at Jason’s house because this was probably the location of the new house church.
11 tn Grk “them”; the referents (Paul and Silas) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
12 tn BDAG 223 s.v. δῆμος 2 has “in a Hellenistic city, a convocation of citizens called together for the purpose of transacting official business, popular assembly προάγειν εἰς τὸν δ. Ac 17:5.”
13 tn See BDAG 977-78 s.v. σύρω on this verb. It was used in everyday speech of dragging in fish by a net, or dragging away someone’s (presumably) dead body (Paul in Acts 14:19).
14 tn L&N 37.93 defines πολιτάρχης (politarch") as “a public official responsible for administrative matters within a town or city and a member of the ruling council of such a political unit – ‘city official’” (see also BDAG 845 s.v.).
15 tn Or “rebellion.” BDAG 72 s.v. ἀναστατόω has “disturb, trouble, upset,” but in light of the references in the following verse to political insurrection, “stirred up rebellion” would also be appropriate.
16 tn Or “the empire.” This was a way of referring to the Roman empire (BDAG 699 s.v. οἰκουμένη 2.b).
sn Throughout the world. Note how some of those present had knowledge of what had happened elsewhere. Word about Paul and his companions and their message was spreading.
17 tn Grk “whom.” Because of the awkwardness in English of having two relative clauses follow one another (“who have stirred up trouble…whom Jason has welcomed”) the relative pronoun here (“whom”) has been replaced by the conjunction “and,” creating a clause that is grammatically coordinate but logically subordinate in the translation.
18 tn Grk “and they.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun.
19 tn Or “the emperor’s” (“Caesar” is a title for the Roman emperor).
20 tn The word “named” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied for clarity.
21 sn Acting…saying…Jesus. The charges are serious, involving sedition (Luke 23:2). If the political charges were true, Rome would have to react.
22 tn Grk “They troubled the crowd and the city officials”; but this could be understood to mean “they bothered” or “they annoyed.” In reality the Jewish instigators managed to instill doubt and confusion into both the mob and the officials by their false charges of treason. Verse 8 suggests the charges raised again Paul, Silas, Jason, and the others were false.
23 tn L&N 37.93 defines πολιτάρχης (politarch") as “a public official responsible for administrative matters within a town or city and a member of the ruling council of such a political unit – ‘city official.’”
24 tn Grk “And after.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
25 tn Grk “they”; the referent (the city officials) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
26 tn That is, “a payment” or “a pledge of security” (BDAG 472 s.v. ἱκανός 1) for which “bail” is the most common contemporary English equivalent.
27 sn Thessalonica was a city in Macedonia (modern Salonica).
28 tn Grk “that the word of God had also been proclaimed by Paul.” This passive construction has been converted to an active one in the translation for stylistic reasons.
29 sn Berea (alternate spelling in NRSV Beroea; Greek Beroia) was a very old city in Macedonia on the river Astraeus about 45 mi (75 km) from Thessalonica.
30 tn BDAG 911 s.v. σαλεύω 2 has “incite” for σαλεύοντες (saleuonte") in Acts 17:13.
sn Inciting. Ironically, it was the Jews who were disturbing the peace, not the Christians.
31 tn Or “stirring up” (BDAG 990-91 s.v. ταράσσω 2). The point is the agitation of the crowds.
