Acts 17:9

Act 17:9. Λαβόντες) viz. οἱ πολιτάρχαι.—λαβόντες τὸ ἱκανὸν) τὸ ἱκανὸν ποιῆσαι is to satisfy, Mar 15:15, “Pilate, willing to content the people:” ἰκανὰ δοῦναι, to give security or adequate satisfaction, and λαβεῖν τὸ ἱκανὸν, to receive security, are Correlatives. Chrysostom on this passage says, ὅρα πῶς ἱκανὰ δοῦς Ἰάσων ἐξέπεμψε Παῦλον, ὥστε την ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἔδωκεν ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ; Jason made himself surety for Paul.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Act 17:9 . λαβόντες τὸ ἱκανὸν = satis sccipere ( cf. Mar 15:15 , and Wetstein, in loco ). Blass regards the phrase as a commercial one, due to the frequency of commercial intercourse, and cf. Act 5:31 , Act 18:15 , Act 19:38 (Act 24:24 , [307] ); properly a pecuniary surety, or sureties, here security for good behaviour from Jason and the others, that nothing illegal should be done by them, and certainly nothing against the majesty of the emperor. The words have been explained as meaning that securities were given for the production of the Apostles, and that thus Jason and his friend, by sending them off at night, ran a risk of their lives (Chrys., Grotius), or that the Apostles should not be sheltered any longer, or that they should be obliged to depart at once. Evidently the magistrates did not consider the evidence very weighty = ἀπέλυσαν αὐτούς .

[307] R(omana), in Blass, a first rough copy of St. Luke.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

When Jason had put them in good assurance that they should appear.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

And when they had taken security of Jason and of the other--"the others"--probably making them deposit a money pledge that the preachers should not again endanger the public peace.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 9. Taken security] λαβοντες το ικανον, Having taken what was sufficient, or satisfactory. Sufficient for the present, to prove that the apostles were upright, peaceable, and loyal men; and that Jason and his friends were the like, and would be, at any time, forthcoming to answer for their conduct. Perhaps this is the sense of the phrase in the text.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(9) And when they had taken security of Jason.—The Greek noun, probably used as an equivalent for the Latin satis accipere, in common use in legal language, is a technical one (literally, the sufficient sum) for the bail which Jason was required to give for the good conduct of his guests, and for their readiness to meet any charge that might be brought against them. It is clear from 1Th_1:6; 1Th_2:14, that St. Paul and Silas were not the only sufferers. The Gentile converts were exposed alike to the violence of their own countrymen and to the malice of the Jews. How anxious he was to visit and comfort them is seen from the fact that he made two attempts to return, before or during his stay at Corinth (1Th_2:18).

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

9. And when they had taken security of Jason] i.e. having made him responsible either by his finding securities to be bound with and for him, or by making him give some deposit as a pledge for his good conduct, they took measures for securing, so far as those at present in custody were concerned, that they should commit no treason.

and of the other] Other is often found in old English as a plural. Cp. Bp. Pilkington’s Works (Parker Soc.), p. 7: “Phinees … punished that wickedness which other winked at.”

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.

And when they had taken security of Jason, and of the other,.... That is, received satisfaction from them, by the defence which they made for themselves, and the apostles, by the account that they gave of them and of their doctrines; whereby it plainly appeared to the full satisfaction of the magistrates, that their principles had no tendency to move sedition, or to alter the form of their government, or to do anything detrimental to Caesar, as was suggested: the Syriac, and Arabic versions render it, "took sureties"; of them for their good behaviour, and that they would be forthcoming, whenever called for:

they let them go; about their business, to their own houses, and company, and did not inflict any punishment upon them, or commit them to prison.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

9 And when they had taken security of Jason, and of the other, they let them go.

Ver. 9. When they had taken security] It was happy that security would be taken, till the heat was over. For,

" Ut fragilis glacies frangitur ira mora." Ovid.

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.

And when they had taken security of Jason - This is an expression taken from courts, and means that Jason and the other gave satisfaction to the magistrates for the good conduct of Paul and Silas, or became responsible for it. Whether it was by depositing a sum of money, and by thus giving bail, is not quite clear. The sense is, that they did it in accordance with the Roman usages, and gave sufficient security for the good conduct of Paul and Silas. Heuman supposes that the pledge given was that they should leave the city. Michaelis thinks that they gave a pledge that they would no more harbor them; but if they returned again to them, they would deliver them to the magistrates.

And of the other - The other brethren Act 17:6 who had been drawn to the rulers of the city.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Had taken security; either being satisfied with their answer, or having bail for their appearance, if need were; the word only hinting their being satisfied, or contented, as Mar 15:15.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

9. Taken security—The security was probably a pledge or bail of money, forfeitable if any disturbance occurred. And as the Jews could raise the needed disturbance whenever the apostle again attempted to preach, it was clear that his operations in Thessalonica were at an end. This SECOND EUROPEAN CHURCH has had a distinguished history during the Christian ages.

For centuries Thessalonica was the bulwark against the Turkish assaults, and the lamp whence went forth a Christianizing light over the northern barbarians. The eminence of her bishops, her Christian literature, and her theological science, acquired her the title of “The Orthodox City.”

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

From for of, A.V.; the rest for of the other, A.V. The rest, or others, are of course the "certain brethren" of ver. 6.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

See notes on verse 5

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.

9. When they had taken security. Of those asserted. They received some kind of a guarantee that there would be nothing done contrary to the laws of the empire.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

9. καὶ λαβόντες τὸ ἱκανὸν παρὰ τοῦ Ἰάσονος, and when they had taken security of Jason, i.e. having made him responsible either by his finding securities to be bound with and for him, or by making him give some deposit as a pledge for his good conduct, they took measures for securing, so far as those at present in custody were concerned, that they should commit no treason.

τὸ ἱκανὸν λαβεῖν seems to be a rendering of a Latin expression satis accipere. The Greek phrase is not found elsewhere, but the converse ἱκανὸν ποιεῖν = satis dare, to give security, occurs in Diog. Laert. IV. 50.

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.

9. λαβόντες τὸ ἱκανόν] ‘Satisdatione accepta;’ either by sureties, or by a sum of money, or both. They bound over Jason and the rest (τινας ἀδελφούς, ver. 6) to take care that no more trouble was given by these men: in accordance with which security they sent them away; and by night, to avoid the notice of the ὄχλος.

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Security [το ικανον] . See on Luk 7:6. Bail, either personal or by a deposit of money. A law term. They engaged that the public peace should not be violated, and that the authors of the disturbance should leave the city.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.