^19:21Now after all these things had taken place,⁶⁹ Paul resolved⁷⁰ to go to Jerusalem,⁷¹ passing through Macedonia⁷² and Achaia.⁷³ He said,⁷⁴ “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.”⁷⁵^19:22So after sending⁷⁶ two of his assistants,⁷⁷ Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia,⁷⁸ he himself stayed on for a while in the province of Asia.⁷⁹

^19:23At⁸⁰ that time⁸¹ a great disturbance⁸² took place concerning the Way.⁸³^19:24For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver shrines⁸⁴ of Artemis,⁸⁵ brought a great deal⁸⁶ of business⁸⁷ to the craftsmen. ^19:25He gathered⁸⁸ these⁸⁹ together, along with the workmen in similar trades,⁹⁰ and said, “Men, you know that our prosperity⁹¹ comes from this business. ^19:26And you see and hear that this Paul has persuaded⁹² and turned away⁹³ a large crowd,⁹⁴ not only in Ephesus⁹⁵ but in practically all of the province of Asia,⁹⁶ by saying⁹⁷ that gods made by hands are not gods at all.⁹⁸^19:27There is danger not only that this business of ours will come into disrepute,⁹⁹ but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis¹⁰⁰ will be regarded as nothing,¹⁰¹ and she whom all the province of Asia¹⁰² and the world worship will suffer the loss of her greatness.”¹⁰³

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Footnotes

69 Grk “all these things had been fulfilled.”
70 Grk “Paul purposed in [his] spirit” (an idiom). According to τίθημι 1.b.ε the entire idiom means “to resolve” (or “decide”): “ἔθετο ὁ Παῦλος ἐν τῷ πνεύματι inf. foll. Paul resolved 19:21.”
71 For location see ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; .
72 Macedonia was the Roman province of Macedonia in Greece.
73 Achaia was the Roman province of Achaia located across the Aegean Sea from Ephesus. Its principal city was Corinth.
74 Grk “Achaia, saying.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence and the awkwardness in English of having two participial clauses following one another (“passing through … saying”), the participle εἰπών (eipōn) has been translated as a finite verb and a new sentence begun here in the translation.
75 This is the first time Paul mentions Rome. He realized the message of Christianity could impact that society even at its heights. For location see .
76 The aorist participle ἀποστείλας (aposteilas) has been taken temporally reflecting action antecedent to that of the main verb (ἐπέσχεν, epeschen).
77 Grk “two of those who ministered to him.”
78 Macedonia was the Roman province of Macedonia in Greece.
79 Grk “Asia”; in the NT this always refers to the Roman province of Asia, made up of about one-third of the west and southwest end of modern Asia Minor. Asia lay to the west of the region of Phrygia and Galatia. The words “the province of” are supplied to indicate to the modern reader that this does not refer to the continent of Asia.
80 Grk “There happened at that time.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated. Instead the verb “took place” has been supplied in the translation.
81 κατά B.2.a, “in definite indications of time … Of the past: κ. ἐκεῖνον τὸν καιρόν at that time, then … Ac 12:1; 19:23.”
82 Grk “no little disturbance” (an idiom; see τάραχος 2).
83 The Way refers to the Christian movement (Christianity).
84 ναός 1.a states, “Specif. of temples: of replicas of the temple of Artemis at Ephesus 19:24 … but here, near ἱερόν vs. 27 … ναός can be understood in the more restricted sense shrine, where the image of the goddess stood.”
85 Artemis was the name of a Greek goddess worshiped particularly in Asia Minor, whose temple, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, was located just outside the city of Ephesus.
86 Grk “brought not a little business” (an idiom).
87 A great deal of business. The charge that Christianity brought economic and/or social upheaval was made a number of times in Acts: 16:20–21; 17:6–7; 18:13.
88 Grk “gathering.” The participle συναθροίσας (sunathroisas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
89 Grk “whom”; because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“whom”) has been replaced with a pronoun (“these”) and a new sentence begun in the translation.
90 Workmen in similar trades. In effect, Demetrius gathered the Ephesian chamber of commerce together to hear about the threat to their prosperity.
91 Another possible meaning is “that this business is an easy way for us to earn a living.”
92 Grk “persuading.” The participle πείσας (peisas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
93 Or “misled.”
94 ἱκανός 3.a has “of pers. ὄχλος a large crowd … Ac 11:24, 26; 19:26.”
95 For location see ; ; ; .
96 Grk “Asia”; see the note on this word in v. .
97 The participle λέγων (legōn) has been regarded as indicating instrumentality.
98 The words “at all” are not in the Greek text but are implied. Gods made by hands are not gods at all. Paul preached against paganism’s idolatry. Here is a one-line summary of a speech like that in Acts 17:22–31.
99 Or “come under public criticism.” ἀπελεγμός has “come into disrepute Ac 19:27.”
100 Artemis was the name of a Greek goddess worshiped particularly in Asia Minor, whose temple, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, was located just outside the city of Ephesus.
101 λογίζομαι 1.b has “εἰς οὐθὲν λογισθῆναι be looked upon as nothing … Ac 19:27.”
102 Grk “Asia”; see the note on this word in v. .
103 Or “her magnificence.” καθαιρέω 2.b has “καθαιρεῖσθαι τῆς μεγαλειότητος αὐτῆς suffer the loss of her magnificence Ac 19:27”; L&N 13.38 has “ ‘and to have her greatness done away with’ Ac 19:27.” Suffer the loss of her greatness. It is important to appreciate that money alone was not the issue, even for the pagan Ephesians. The issue was ultimately the dishonor of their goddess to whom they were devoted in worship. The battle was a “cosmic” one between deities.