Acts 19:29
Context19:29 The 1 city was filled with the uproar, 2 and the crowd 3 rushed to the theater 4 together, 5 dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, the Macedonians who were Paul’s traveling companions.
Acts 17:5
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
1 tn Grk “And the.” 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.
2 tn L&N 39.43 has “‘the uproar spread throughout the whole city’ (literally ‘the city was filled with uproar’) Ac 19:29.” BDAG 954 s.v. σύγχυσις has “confusion, tumult.”
3 tn Grk “they”; the referent (the crowd) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
4 sn To the theater. This location made the event a public spectacle. The Grand Theater in Ephesus (still standing today) stood facing down the main thoroughfare of the city toward the docks. It had a seating capacity of 25,000.
5 tn Grk “to the theater with one accord.”
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.”