Acts 17:23

As l passed by (διερχόμενος) More strictly, "passing through (διά)" your city, or your streets. Beheld (ἀναθεωρῶν) Only here and Hebrews 13:7. Rev., much better, observed. The compound verb denotes a very attentive consideration (ἀνά and down, throughout). Devotions (σεβάσματἀ) Wrong. It means the objects of their worship - temples, altars, statues, etc. An altar (βωμὸν) Only here in New Testament, and the only case in which a heathen altar is alluded to. In all other cases θυσιαστήριον is used, signifying an altar of the true God. The Septuagint translators commonly observe this distinction, being, in this respect, more particular than the Hebrew scriptures themselves, which sometimes interchange the word for the heathen altar and that for God's altar. See, especially, Joshua 22, where the altar reared by the Transjordanic tribes is called βωμὸς as being no true altar of God (Joshua 22:10, Joshua 22:11, Joshua 22:16, Joshua 22:19, Joshua 22:23, Joshua 22:26, Joshua 22:34); and the legitimate altar, θυσιαστήριον (Joshua 22:19, Joshua 22:28, Joshua 22:29). To the unknown God (ἀγνώστῳ Θεῷ) The article is wanting. Render, as Rev., to an unknown God. The origin of these altars, of which there were several in Athens, is a matter of conjecture.

Hackett's remarks on this point are sensible, and are borne out by the following words: "whom therefore," etc. "The most rational explanation is unquestionably that of those who suppose these altars to have had their origin in the feeling of uncertainty, inherent, after all, in the minds of the heathen, whether their acknowledgment of the superior powers was sufficiently full and comprehensive; in their distinct consciousness of the limitation and imperfection of their religious views, and their consequent desire to avoid the anger of any still unacknowledged god who might be unknown to them. That no deity might punish them for neglecting his worship, or remain uninvoked in asking for blessings, they not only erected altars to all the gods named or known among them, but, distrustful still lest they might not comprehend fully the extent of their subjection and dependence, they erected them also to any other god or power that might exist, although as yet unrevealed to them....Under these circumstances an allusion to one of these altars by the apostle would be equivalent to his saying to the Athenians thus: 'You are correct in acknowledging a divine existence beyond any which the ordinary rites of your worship recognize; there is such an existence. You are correct in confessing that this Being is unknown to you; you have no just conceptions of his nature and perfections.'" Ignorantly (ἀγνοοῦντες) Rather, unconsciously: not knowing.

Acts 17:23 . As I passed by — Or, passed along the streets of your city; and beheld your devotions — Greek, τα σεβασματα υμων , the objects of your worship, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD — Because Paul here tells the Athenians, that the true God was he whom they ignorantly worshipped under this title, some learned men have supposed that the altar he speaks of was raised to the God of the Jews; concerning whose power, in the destruction of the Egyptians and Canaanites, the ancient Athenians had received some obscure reports; and that, because the Jews carefully concealed his name, and had no image of him, the Athenians erected no statue to him, but worshipped him under the appellation of THE UNKNOWN GOD. Others think this altar was erected by Socrates, to express his devotions to the only true God, (while he derided the plurality of the heathen gods, for which he was condemned to death,) of whom the Athenians had no idea, and whose nature, he insinuated by this inscription, was far above the reach of human comprehension. See Dr. Wellwood’s Introduction to his translation of The Banquet of Xenophon.

Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship — Greek, ον ουν αγνοουντες ευσεβειτε , whom therefore ye worship, or, toward whom ye are piously disposed, not knowing him; him declare I — Greek, τουτον εγω καταγγελλω , him proclaim I, unto you — Thus he fixes the wandering attention of these blind philosophers; proclaiming to them an unknown, and yet not a new God; and alluding to their words, ( Acts 17:20 ,) he seemeth to be a proclaimer of strange gods.

Devotions; any thing unto which Divine worship and honour is given. To the unknown God: it is storied, that in a plague time, when the Athenians had wearied themselves with their supplications unto all the gods of their country, they were advised by Epaminondas (a devout man amongst them) to erect an altar unto that god who had the power over that disease, whosoever he was; which because they did not know, and would be sure not to omit in their devotions, they erected an altar unto him under the name of The unknown God. Some say, there was a more general inscription, To the gods of Asia, Europe, and Africa, to the unknown and strange gods; though the inscription the apostle mentions in the singular number, might be usual too: for the Athenians, who entertained all manner of gods, fearing lest there should be any which they had not heard of, for their greater security, as they imagined, would have an altar for such also. Now this unknown God, St. Paul says, which was worshipped by them, was the true God: for, 1. They had an apprehension that Christ was the true God, whilst that wonderful eclipse at his death was effectually considered amongst them. Hence it is said, that Dionysius cried out, Deus ignotus in carne patitur. Now the unknown God suffers in the flesh. 2.

Acts 17:23 . Διερχόμενος , in passing through ) Paul did not wish to stay long at Athens: he ordered Silas and Timothy as soon as possible to come to him; and yet before their arrival he left Athens: Acts 17:15-16 , ch. Acts 18:1 ; Acts 18:5 . Therefore he implies, that he has no want of something to do, even though the Athenians should not give heed to Paul. He shows by the fact itself that he is no “seed-picker.”— ἀναθεωρῶν , beholding ) All things may serve the purposes of a wise man, whatever he may come across; but out of many he chooses out the best, as Paul refers to the one altar, dismissing other instances which he might have adduced.— σεβάσματα ) works, founded for sacred purposes [gods worshipped, 2 Thessalonians 2:4 ].— ἐπεγέγραπτο , there had been inscribed ) The Pluperfect, used courteously. To the Athenians of the existing age, when Paul spoke there, might be ascribed either a greater or less degree of ignorance, than to the authors of the inscription .— ἀγνώστῳ Θεῷ , To an UNKNOWN GOD) Not even was the article added by the Athenians.

Diogenes Laertius says, “When the Athenians, at one time, suffered under a pestilence, Epimenides purified the city, and restrained the plague in this way: He took sheep of black and white fleeces, and led them to the Areopagus, and permitted them to go from it in whatever direction they pleased; instructing those who followed them, wherever the sheep lay down there to immolate them severally τῷ προσήκοντι Θεῷ , to the appropriate or peculiarly fitting God : and in this way the plague ceased. Accordingly from that time, and in the present day, it is certain that altars without a name , βωμοὺς ἀνωνύμους , are found throughout the districts (pagos) of the Athenians.” Pausanias says, that there were in Phalerum βωμοὺς θεῶντε δνομαζομένων ἀγνώστων καὶ ἡρώων · which words ought, it seems, to be so stopped as to make some to be θεοὺς ὀνομαζομένους , gods having names , others to be ἀγνώστους , unknown gods . Philostratus, 6. 2, says, σωθρονέστερον περὶ πάντων θεῶν εὖ λέγειν , καὶ ταῦτα Ἀθήνῃσιν , οὗ καὶ ἀγνώστων θεῶν βωμοὶ ἵδρυνται . Tertullian against Marcion, says, “I find that altars have been publicly set up (prostitutes) to gods altogether unknown, but it is an Attic idolatry.” The Greek Scholia bring forward this inscription, θεοῖς Ἀσίας καὶ Εὐρώπης καὶ Λυβίης , θεῷ ἀγνώστῳ καὶ ξένω . But they do not produce any witness of this inscription.

For as I passed by, and beheld your {m} devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE {n} UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. (m) Whatever men worship for religion's sake, that we call religion. (n) Pausanias in his Atticis makes mention of the altar which the Athenians had dedicated to unknown gods: and Laertius in his Epimenides makes mention of an altar that had no name entitled upon it.