Acts 17:15
Greek (Tischendorf 8th ed.) Acts 17:15 appears in the Greek New Testament. The text above is from the Tischendorf 8th edition. Each word links to its Strong’s number and a concise gloss. Click any word for its full Thayer’s Greek Lexicon entry.But those who escorted Paul brought him as far as Athens. Receiving a commandment to Silas and Timothy that they should come to him very quickly, they departed.
- 1 hapax legomenon — only here in the Greek New Testament
- 2 first appearances in the Greek New Testament
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Compare translations 3
The same verse in 3 English versions, stacked beneath the original-language interlinear above. Click any original word for its lexicon entry.
Each is an independent rendering of the whole verse — the interlinear is not word-aligned to these translations.
Highlighted words mark where these versions differ — a whole-verse word diff, not a word-by-word alignment.
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World English Bible Public Domain
But those who escorted Paul brought him as far as Athens. Receiving a commandment to Silas and Timothy that they should come to him very quickly, they departed.
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King James Version Public Domain
And they that conducted Paul brought him unto Athens: and receiving a commandment unto Silas and Timotheus for to come to him with all speed, they departed.
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unfoldingWord Literal Text CC BY-SA 4.0
But the ones conducting Paul brought him as far as Athens and, having received a command to Silas and Timothy that they should come to him as quickly as possible, they departed.
unfoldingWord Literal Text — © unfoldingWord, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Word-aligned USFM3 via Door43 (git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ult).
Show all 19 translations
Every available English version of this verse, each an independent rendering of the whole verse.
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World English Bible Public Domain
But those who escorted Paul brought him as far as Athens. Receiving a commandment to Silas and Timothy that they should come to him very quickly, they departed.
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Berean Standard Bible Public Domain
Those who escorted Paul brought him to Athens and then returned with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible.
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Majority Standard Bible Public Domain
Those who escorted Paul brought him to Athens and then returned with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible.
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King James Version Public Domain
And they that conducted Paul brought him unto Athens: and receiving a commandment unto Silas and Timotheus for to come to him with all speed, they departed.
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American Standard Version (1901) Public Domain
But they that conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens: and receiving a commandment unto Silas and Timothy that they should come to him with all speed, they departed.
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Revised Version (1885) Public Domain
But they that conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens: and receiving a commandment unto Silas and Timothy that they should come to him with all speed, they departed.
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Geneva Bible (1599) Public Domain
And they that did conduct Paul, brought him vnto Athens: and when they had receiued a commandement vnto Silas and Timotheus that they shoulde come to him at once, they departed.
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Douay-Rheims (1899) Public Domain
And they that conducted Paul, brought him as far as Athens; and receiving a commandment from him to Silas and Timothy, that they should come to him with all speed, they departed.
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Young's Literal Translation Public Domain
And those conducting Paul, brought him unto Athens, and having received a command unto Silas and Timotheus that with all speed they may come unto him, they departed;
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Literal Standard Version CC BY-SA 4.0
And those conducting Paul, brought him to Athens, and having received a command to Silas and Timotheus that with all speed they may come to him, they departed;
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Unlocked Literal Bible CC BY-SA 4.0
Those who were leading Paul took him as far as the city of Athens. As they left Paul there, they received from him instructions for Silas and Timothy to come to him as quickly as possible.
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unfoldingWord Literal Text CC BY-SA 4.0
But the ones conducting Paul brought him as far as Athens and, having received a command to Silas and Timothy that they should come to him as quickly as possible, they departed.
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Darby Bible Public Domain
But they that conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens; and, having received a commandment to Silas and Timotheus, that they should come to him as quickly as possible, they departed.
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World Messianic Bible Public Domain
But those who escorted Paul brought him as far as Athens. Receiving a commandment to Silas and Timothy that they should come to him very quickly, they departed.
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Webster's Bible Public Domain
And they that conducted Paul brought him to Athens: and receiving a commandment to Silas and Timothy to come to him with all speed, they departed.
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Free Bible Version CC BY-SA 4.0
Those escorting Paul took him as far as Athens, and then returned with instructions from Paul to Silas and Timothy that they should join him there as soon as possible.
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Bible in Basic English Public Domain
But those who went with Paul took him as far as Athens, and then went away, with orders from him to Silas and Timothy to come to him quickly.
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Text-Critical English NT CC BY 4.0
Those who escorted Paul brought him as far as Athens, and after they had received an order for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they departed.
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Tyndale New Testament (1534) Public Domain
And they that gyded Paul brought him vnto Attens and receaved a commaundment vnto Sylas and Timotheus for to come to him at once and came their waye.
Literal Standard Version (2020), Covenant Press — licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API (eBible.org). Unlocked Literal Bible (unfoldingWord) — licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API (eBible.org). unfoldingWord Literal Text — © unfoldingWord, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Word-aligned USFM3 via Door43 (git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ult). Free Bible Version, Dr. Jonathan Gallagher — licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API (eBible.org).
Word by word
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- Appears 1× in the Greek New Testament
- First appears here
- Part of Speech
- Adverb
- Degree
- Superlative
Full Thayer's Definition
- οἱ ho G3588 “the” Article, Nominative, Plural, Masculine
- δὲ dé G1161 “but” Conjunction
- καθιστάνοντες kathístēmi G2525 “to place” Verb, Present, Active, Participle, Nominative, Plural, Masculine
- τὸν ho G3588 “the” Article, Accusative, Singular, Masculine
- Παῦλον Paûlos G3972 “Paul” Noun, Accusative, Singular, Masculine
- ἤγαγον ágō G71 “to lead” Verb, Aorist, Active, Indicative, 3rd person, Plural
- ἕως héōs G2193 “until” Adverb
- Ἀθηνῶν Athēnai G116 “Athens” Noun, Genitive, Plural, Feminine
- καὶ kaí G2532 “and” Conjunction
- λαβόντες lambánō G2983 “to take” Verb, Aorist, Active, Participle, Nominative, Plural, Masculine
- ἐντολὴν entolḗ G1785 “commandment” Noun, Accusative, Singular, Feminine
- πρὸς prós G4314 “to” Preposition
- τὸν ho G3588 “the” Article, Accusative, Singular, Masculine
- Σιλᾶν Sílas G4609 “Silas” Noun, Accusative, Singular, Masculine
- καὶ kaí G2532 “and” Conjunction
- τὸν ho G3588 “the” Article, Accusative, Singular, Masculine
- Τιμόθεον Timótheos G5095 “Timothy” Noun, Accusative, Singular, Masculine
- ἵνα hína G2443 “that” Conjunction
- ὡς hōs G5613 “as” Adverb
- τάχιστα táchista G5033 “very quickly” Adverb, Superlative
- ἔλθωσιν érchomai G2064 “to come” Verb, Aorist, Active, Subjunctive, 3rd person, Plural
- πρὸς prós G4314 “to” Preposition
- αὐτὸν autós G846 “he” Personal pronoun, Accusative, Singular, Masculine
- ἐξῄεσαν éxeimi G1826 “to go forth” Verb, Imperfect, Active, Indicative, 3rd person, Plural
About this verse
These counts appear in no published source. They are computed here, from the morphology-tagged text and Lemma’s own curated glosses. What Lemma adds →
- 24
- words
- 19
- distinct lemmas
- Acts
- section
Notable vocabulary
1 hapax legomenon — a word that appears only here in the entire Greek New Testament:
- τάχιστα very quickly G5033
First appearance in Scripture
These words make their first canonical appearance in the Greek New Testament here:
Shared distinctive vocabulary
Ἀθηνῶν Athens G116 occurs in 4 verses of the Greek New Testament. Also found in:
Cross-references
9Topical passages linked to Acts 17:15 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — connected by theme and wording, ordered by reader-vote popularity; previews shown in the World English Bible.
- Acts 18:5 But when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul was compelled by the Spirit, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ.
- 1 Thessalonians 3:1 Therefore, when we couldn't stand it any longer, we thought it good to be left behind at Athens alone,
- Acts 18:1 After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth.
- 2 Timothy 4:10–11 for Demas left me, having loved this present world, and went to Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia.
- Titus 3:12 When I send Artemas to you, or Tychicus, be diligent to come to me to Nicopolis, for I have determined to winter there.
- Acts 15:3 They, being sent on their way by the assembly, passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles. They caused great joy to all the brothers.
- Acts 17:16 Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw the city full of idols.
- Acts 17:21 Now all the Athenians and the strangers living there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell or to hear some new thing.
- 2 Timothy 4:20–21 Erastus remained at Corinth, but I left Trophimus at Miletus sick.
Cross-references courtesy of OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0).
Lesson kit
Teaching starters — assembled from the data on this page, not authored interpretation. Every prompt links to the verse data it draws on. Edit before teaching.
Acts, in the Acts, opens this verse with 24 words (19 distinct Greek lemmas). Its most distinctive word is táchista (“very quickly”). A historical commentator’s framing appears above. Read the whole chapter for the surrounding context.
Discussion questions
- How does “very quickly” (táchista) shape what this verse is saying?
- 1 word here appears nowhere else in the Greek New Testament. Why might the author reach for such rare wording?
- 2 words make their first appearance in Scripture here. What does this debut establish?
- How does Acts 17:16, which shares the word «Athens», read alongside this verse?
- What does the repetition of “the” (4× in this one verse) do in this verse?
- These translations render this verse differently; the difference is in the English rendering, not the original. What questions does that raise?
- Compare how The Biblical Illustrator and Joseph Benson's Commentary read this verse. Where do they agree or differ?
Things to notice
- 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in the Greek New Testament.
- 2 words make their first canonical appearance in Scripture here.
- These translations choose different wording for 19 words in this verse.
- “the” occurs 4× in this single verse.
- 19 distinct Greek lemmas span 24 words in this verse.
Commentary
Notes on Acts 17:15 from classic Christian and Jewish commentators (each source and its license shown beneath its notes). The classic Christian expositions comment on the surrounding passage and are grouped to its opening verse, so a note may address several verses; the Jewish commentaries on the Tanakh (Rashi and others) are per-verse, so they appear only where the commentator wrote on this verse.
Lemma curates 59 commentaries, every one of them public domain or Creative Commons licensed, each selected and text-cleaned for this edition rather than reprinted as found. About our sources →
The Biblical Illustrator
Joseph S. Exell
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Joseph Benson's Commentary
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Whedon's Commentary on the Bible
Daniel D. Whedon
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Bengel's Gnomon
Johann Albrecht Bengel
Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Expositor's Greek Testament
ed. W. Robertson Nicoll
The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Geneva Bible (1599)
Geneva Bible translators
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Adam Clarke's Commentary
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
John Gill's Exposition
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Trapp's Complete Commentary
John Trapp
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
The Pulpit Commentary
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Kretzmann's Popular Commentary
Paul E. Kretzmann
Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Godbey's Commentary on the New Testament
William B. Godbey
William B. Godbey, Commentary on the New Testament (1896–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
McGarvey & Pendleton's Commentaries
J. W. McGarvey
J. W. McGarvey (with Philip Y. Pendleton), Commentaries on the New Testament (The Fourfold Gospel, 1914; Acts; and the epistles) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges
Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Alford’s Greek Testament
Henry Alford
Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.