Acts 17:20
For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean.
Original Language Analysis
ξενίζοντα
strange things
G3579
ξενίζοντα
strange things
Strong's:
G3579
Word #:
1 of 16
to be a host (passively, a guest); by implication, be (make, appear) strange
γάρ
For
G1063
γάρ
For
Strong's:
G1063
Word #:
2 of 16
properly, assigning a reason (used in argument, explanation or intensification; often with other particles)
εἰς
to
G1519
εἰς
to
Strong's:
G1519
Word #:
5 of 16
to or into (indicating the point reached or entered), of place, time, or (figuratively) purpose (result, etc.); also in adverbial phrases
τὰς
G3588
τὰς
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
6 of 16
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
οὖν
therefore
G3767
οὖν
therefore
Strong's:
G3767
Word #:
10 of 16
(adverbially) certainly, or (conjunctionally) accordingly
γνῶναι
know
G1097
γνῶναι
know
Strong's:
G1097
Word #:
11 of 16
to "know" (absolutely) in a great variety of applications and with many implications (as follow, with others not thus clearly expressed)
τί
what
G5101
τί
what
Strong's:
G5101
Word #:
12 of 16
an interrogative pronoun, who, which or what (in direct or indirect questions)
Cross References
Hosea 8:12I have written to him the great things of my law, but they were counted as a strange thing.1 Peter 4:4Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:1 Corinthians 2:14But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.1 Corinthians 1:23But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
Historical Context
Athens in AD 50-51 remained culturally prestigious though politically diminished under Roman rule. The Areopagus (Mars Hill) functioned both as a location and a judicial council examining religious innovations. Luke notes Athenians "spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing" (v.21)—a characteristic observed by contemporary writers like Demosthenes and Thucydides.
Questions for Reflection
- How does the gospel remain "strange" and countercultural to modern intellectual trends and philosophical assumptions?
- What can we learn from Paul's willingness to engage hostile intellectual environments rather than retreat to safer audiences?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
Thou bringest certain strange things to our ears (ξενίζοντά τινα εἰσφέρεις εἰς τὰς ἀκοὰς ἡμῶν)—The verb xenizonta means "foreign," "alien," or "surprising." The Epicurean and Stoic philosophers found Paul's proclamation of Jesus and the resurrection (anastasis, v.18) utterly novel—not merely unfamiliar, but intellectually jarring to Greek philosophical categories. Athens prided itself on intellectual sophistication, yet Paul's gospel defied their wisdom (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:23).
We would know therefore what these things mean (βουλόμεθα οὖν γνῶναι τίνα θέλει ταῦτα εἶναι)—The word boulometha expresses deliberate desire or intention. This wasn't casual curiosity but formal philosophical inquiry. The Areopagus court (v.19) evaluated new teachings for civic and religious propriety. Paul stood where Socrates was tried—a providential platform for gospel proclamation to the intellectual capital of the ancient world.