Acts 19:30

Act 19:30-32. When Paul would have entered in to the people — Being above all fear, to plead the cause of his companions, and prove they were not gods which were made with hands; the disciples suffered him not — Because, if he had gone in, there would have been no possibility of restraining the multitude. And certain of the chief of Asia — Greek, των Ασιαρχων, of the Asiarchs, or principal officers of Asia, probably priests of Diana, who presided over the public games, which, it is thought, they were then celebrating in her honour; who were his friends — Not converts to Christianity, or his disciples, which they could not have been, and yet have remained Diana’s priests; but friendly to him, as an ingenuous, benevolent man. For, although they derived both dignity and profit from the established idolatry, yet their love of order, and attachment to good morals, led them to befriend Paul on this occasion; sent, desiring that he would not adventure himself into the theatre — Since the rage of the people was such, that it would have been with the utmost hazard of his life. Some therefore — As they stood together in the theatre; cried one thing, and some another — According as their passions influenced them, or as the zeal of others prompted them. For the greater part knew not wherefore they were come together — Which is commonly the case in such an assembly.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Was minded to enter for would have entered, A.V. With the courage of a pure conscience, conscious of no wrong, and therefore fearing no wrong, Paul would have gone straight to the theatre, and cast in his lot with Gaius and Aristarchus; but the disciples, knowing the savage temper of the multitude, dissuaded him; and when their entreaties were backed by the magistrates, Paul thought it his duty to yield. To enter in unto the people. Eijselqein, or o proselqein eijv ejpi ton dhmon or tw dhmw are phrases implying the intention of pleading his cause before them. (see Schleusner and Kuinoel, on Act_19:30)

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

Act 19:30. Βουλομένου, when Paul was wishing) With great boldness. See note, 1Co 15:32. No military boldness is equal to this bravery. He was wishing to defend Gaius and Aristarchus, and to confute the worship of Diana.—οὐκ εἴων αὐτὸν, the disciples did not permit him) A good wish which is thwarted, may notwithstanding both be good and be? rightly thwarted.—οἱ μαθηταὶ, the disciples) seeing that it was Paul who was principally aimed at: Act 19:26.

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

Act_19:30-31. Παύλου] whom doubtless the rioters had not found present at his usual place of abode. Nulla militaris audacia par huic fortitudini, Bengel.

εἰς τ. δῆμον] among the people that ran together into the theatre (Act_19:31). Comp. Act_12:22, Act_17:5. εἰς τ. δῆμον is also among Greek writers very often the multitude (Dem. 383. 5; Diod. Sic. xvi. 84), plebs, vulgus. See Sturz, Lex. Xen. I. p. 665; Nägelsbach on the Iliad, p. 277, ed. 3. Contrary to the whole course of proceeding as narrated, Otto (Pastoralbr. p. 103) understands a formal assembly of the people, of which we are not to think even in the case of ἐκκλησία, Act_19:32.

The ten presidents of sacred rites as well as of the public games in proconsular Asia were called Ἀσιαρχαί (corresponding to whom in other provinces were the Γαλαταρχαί, Βιθυνιαρχαί, Συριαρχαί κ.τ.λ.). They had to celebrate, at their own expense, these games in honour of the gods and of the emperor. Each city annually, about the time of the autumnal equinox, delegated one of its citizens, and these collective delegates then elected the ten. It was natural that one of theseperhaps chosen by the proconsulshould preside, and hence may be explained the remark in Eusebius, H. E. iv. 15, that Polycarp was executed under the Asiarch Philip. But the inference from our passage is historically indemonstrable, that only one was really Asiarch, and that the plural is to be explained from the fact that the other nine, but particularly the retired Asiarchs (like the past high priests of the Jews), bore the title (Salmasius, Valesius, Tillemont, Harduin, and Deyling), which is in itself improbable on account of the enormous expense which in that case would have been laid on one. See generally, Spanheim, de usu et praest. num. II. p. 694; van Dale, Dissertt. ad antiq. et marmor. p. 273 ff.; Winer, Realw. I. p. 97 f.; Babington in Numism. Chronicle, 1866, p. 93 ff. Comp. also Jacobs, ad Anthol. XII. p. 313.

μὴ δοῦναι ἑαυτόν] apprehension of danger to life. On the expression with εἰς of a dangerous locality, comp. Polyb. v. 14. 9.

Meyer — Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament — English translation by Peter Christie, edited by Frederick Crombie (T&T Clark, 1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Act 19:30 . τοῦ δὲ Π . βουλ .: St. Paul was not the man to leave his comrades in the lurch, and he would have followed them with his life in his hands to face the mob of Ephesus; if we may depend upon the picture of Ephesian life given us in Pseudo-Heraclitus, Letter vii., we can understand the imminent danger in which St. Paul was placed at the mercy of men who were no longer men but beasts, ἐξ ἀνθρώπων θηρία γεγονότες ( Die Heraklitischen Briefe , p. 65 (Bernays), and Ramsay, u. s. , p. 280). δῆμον , Act 19:33 , Act 12:22 , Act 17:5 , so sometimes in classical Greek of the plebs, vulgus in N.T. only in Acts. Both before and after the riot the passions of the vulgar mob were no doubt a real and serious danger to St. Paul, cf. 1Co 15:32 ; 1Co 16:9 , 2Co 1:8-10 . In the former passage the word ἐθηριομάχησα is generally referred to this danger in Ephesus, the multitude in its ferocious rage being compared to wild beasts, see Ramsay, St. Paul , p. 230, “Ephesus,” Hastings’ B.D., and Plumptre’s note, in loco. With the expression used in 1Co 15:32 we may compare Ignat., Rom. , Act 19:1 , and cf. Ephes. , vii. 1; Smyrn. , iv., 1; so too Pseudo-Heraclitus, u. s. , and Renan, Saint Paul , p. 351, note; Grimm-Thayer, sub v. McGiffert, p. 280 ff., maintains that the word ἐθηριομάχησα refers to an actual conflict with wild beasts in the arena (so Weizsäcker), and that 2Co 1:9 more probably refers to the danger from the riot of Demetrius; but if the literal interpretation of the verb in 1 Cor. is correct, it is strange that St. Paul should have omitted such a terrible encounter from his catalogue of dangers in 2Co 11:23 ; see also below at end of chapter.

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

when Paul would have entered in--with noble forgetfulness of self.

unto the people--the demos, that is, the people met in public assembly.

the disciples suffered him not--The tense used implies only that they were using their efforts to restrain him; which might have been unavailing but for what follows.

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

30. And when Paul would. We may see that Paul’s constancy was coupled with modesty. When as he might well have kept himself out of sight, of his own accord was he prepared to put himself in hazard. And yet he doth not refuse to follow their counsel, who knew the state of matters better than he. If he had not been kept back, that which he determined to do could not have been imputed to rashness. There was no sedition raised through his fault. Why should he not venture his life, especially seeing that he did not despair of better success? But when the brethren, and such friends as were more skillful, dissuade him, his modesty is worthy to be commended, in that he doth not stand stoutly in his purpose.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(30) When Paul would have entered in . . .—We almost see the impetuous zeal which urged the Apostle not to leave his companions to bear the brunt of the attack alone, and the anxious fear which made his friends eager to prevent a step which would probably endanger his own life without helping his friends. He refers probably to this when he speaks of having, as far as man was concerned, “fought with beasts at Ephesus” (1Co_15:32); not that there was any actual danger of martyrdom in that form, but that the multitude in their fanatic rage presented as formidable an ordeal. So Ignatius (Ep. ad Rom. c. 3) speaks of himself as “fighting with wild beasts” (using the same word as St. Paul), and describes the soldiers who kept guard over him in his journey from Antioch to Rome as the “ten leopards” who were his companions.

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

30. And when Paul would have entered in unto the people] This scarcely gives the idea of St Paul’s wish, which the Greek contains. Read, with Rev. Ver., was minded to enter in. Through a strength not his own, the Apostle, feeble in frame though he seems to have been, waxed bold in danger and where an opportunity appeared to be offered of testifying unto Christ.

the disciples suffered him not] The Christian brethren, to some of whom the storm that was rising would be known much sooner than to the Apostle, had evidently conveyed him from his usual abode, and were taking care of him until the excitement was allayed. They would tell him, of course, all that they heard of what was doing, and it was on hearing this, that he wanted to go and appear before the crowd in the theatre.

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.

But when they knew that he was a Jew,.... And so equally an enemy to their idolatry, as Paul and his companions were, whether he was a Christian or not.

All with one voice about the space of two hours cried out; all that were in the theatre lift up their voices at once to prevent Alexander's apology, or at least its being heard; and which they continued about two hours, which was a long time to keep hallooing out,

great is Diana of the Ephesians; See Gill on Act 19:28.

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

30 And when Paul would have entered in unto the people, the disciples suffered him not.

Ver. 30. The disciples suffered him not] i.e. They persuaded him otherwise, and prevailed. It is best, if a man can so order his affairs, as not to need the counsel of others. And the next best is to rest in good counsel, and to be ruled by it. But he that is uncounsellable is ripe for ruin, and that without remedy, Pro 29:1.

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.

Would have entered in unto the people - Probably to have addressed them, and to defend his own cause.

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

Paul would have entered in unto the people; being desirous either to appease the tumult; or, if the worst came of it, to die for Christ’s sake.

The disciples suffered him not, by their entreaties; to whom this good apostle’s life, from whom they had received the faith, was more dear than their own.

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

30. Paul… entered—They had not searched very judiciously for their victim, as it is clear that he was within the excited city. Paul probably believed that on being admitted into the theatre he could so address the assembly as to calm its fury. Such is the spontaneous confidence of great personality endowed with a natural mastery over men. What would have been his success is very doubtful, for the fears of friends, both private and official, prevented the experiment.

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

When Paul would have gone in to the people - Being above all fear, to plead the cause of his companions, and prove they are not gods which are made with hands.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

Observe here, 1. The undaunted courage of St. Paul in the cause of Christ: he resolves to adventure his life, by going into the theatre, there to make an apology for himself and his companions, and in defence of the Christian religion. He did not account his life dear unto him, but was willing not only to be bound, but to die for the name of Jesus.

Observe, 2. How the divine Providence is to be admired, and awfully adored, in directing to ways and means for the Apostle’s preservation in this time of imminent danger. God now made use of the advice, not only of the apostle’s fast friends or by foes; for he can make enemies become benefactors at his pleasure, and command deliverance for his people, sometimes by opposite and contrary means.

Lord! who would not trust thee in a time of imminent or impending danger, who hast all created nature at thy back, the hearts of all in thy hands, the tongues and hands of the most unruly and outrageous in thy power; and wilt deliver thine in six troubles, and in seven, and there shall no evil touch them! Thou canst and wilt deliver as often as thy children need deliverance, and save them from evil, even when they are in the midst of trouble!

Observe, 3. How the rabble at Ephesus treated Alexander being in the theatre, (the place where they judged offenders, and cast them to the wild beasts:) they would not suffer him to make any defence for himself, or the people of the Jews. This Alexander is supposed by many to be that Alexander, who St. Paul afterwards told Timothy did him much evil: if so, we find here he was first a proselyte, then a professor, next a confessor, almost a martyr; yet, after all, an apostate; making shipwreck of the faith, for which he was excommunicated by the apostle, Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have delivered unto Satan. 1Ti 1:19-20

This excommunication of the apostle probably was the provocation that occasioned him to do so much mischief to the apostle, of which he complains, Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil; of whom be thou ware also. 2Ti 4:14

Learn thence, 1. That it was possible for a glorious professor to turn a furious persecutor. This Alexander did not only withstand the apostle’s person, but his doctrine also; for which being excommunicated, he sought revenge.

Learn, 2. That excommunication not only angers but enrages wicked and impenitent men; so that, instead of being reformed, they seek revenge: yet must the censures of the church be executed and inflicted without either fear or favour.

William Burkitt's Expository Notes on the New Testament (1700–1703) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

30, 31. When Paul heard the tumult, and knew that his companions had been dragged within the theater, he could but suppose that they were torn to pieces. This thought alone was intensely harrowing to his feelings; but it was still more so to know that they were suffering in his stead. He could not endure to remain inactive at such a crisis, but resolved to die with them. (30) " But Paul, having determined to go in to the people, the disciples would not permit him; (31) and some of the Asiarchs, also, who were his friends, sent to him and entreated him not to trust himself within the theater. " By such means he was restrained from his desperate purpose, after having fully made up his mind to die. The desperation to which he was driven he afterward describes to the Corinthians in this touching language: "We would not have you ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were exceedingly pressed down beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life: but we had within ourselves the sentence of death, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead." Giving up all hope of life, as he started toward the theater, and trusting in Him who raises the dead, when the tumult had subsided, and he was assured of safety, he felt much as if he had been raised from the dead. He therefore says, in the same connection, "Who delivered me from so grievous a death, and is delivering, in whom I trust that he will even yet deliver us: you also helping by prayer for us, that for the gift bestowed on us by means of many persons, thanks may be given by man on our behalf."

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.

General Information:

Ephesus was part of the Roman empire and in the province of Asia.

enter the theater

The Ephesus theater was used for public meetings and for entertainment such as plays and music. It was an outdoor semi-circular area with bench seats that could hold thousands of people. See how you translated "theater" in Acts 19:29.

translationWords

Paul

disciple

province

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

30. Παύλου δὲ βουλομένου εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὸν δῆμον, and when Paul was minded to enter in unto the people. Through a strength not his own, the Apostle, feeble in frame though he seems to have been, waxed bold in danger where an opportunity appeared to be offered of testifying unto Christ.

οὐκ εἴων αὐτὸν οἱ μαθηταί, the disciples suffered him not. These were the brethren forming the Christian congregation, to some of whom the storm that was rising would be known much sooner than to the Apostle. They had evidently conveyed him from his usual abode, and were taking care of him until the excitement was allayed. They would tell him, of course, all that they heard of what was doing, and it was on hearing this, that he wanted to go and appear before the crowd in the theatre.

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.