^17:21(All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there used to spend their time⁷⁷ in nothing else than telling⁷⁸ or listening to something new.)⁷⁹

^17:22So Paul stood⁸⁰ before the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I see that you are very religious⁸¹ in all respects.⁸²

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Footnotes

77 The imperfect verb ηὐκαίρουν (ēukairoun) has been translated as a customary or habitual imperfect.
78 εὐκαιρέω has “used to spend their time in nothing else than telling Ac 17:21.”
79 This is a parenthetical note by the author. The reference to newness may be pejorative.
80 Grk “standing … said.” The participle ζηλώσαντες (zēlōsantes) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
81 The term δεισιδαιμονεστέρους (deisidaimonesterous) is difficult. On the one hand it can have the positive sense of “devout,” but on the other hand it can have the negative sense of “superstitious” ( δεισιδαίμων). As part of a laudatory introduction (the technical rhetorical term for this introduction was capatatio), the term is probably positive here. It may well be a “backhanded” compliment, playing on the ambiguity.
82 κατά B.6 translates the phrase κατὰ πάντα (kata panta) as “in all respects.”

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new.

So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

(All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)

Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Now all the Athenians and the foreigners residing there spent their time on nothing else but telling or hearing something new.

Paul stood in the middle of the Areopagus and said, “People of Athens! I see that you are extremely religious in every respect.

NLTNew Living Translation

(It should be explained that all the Athenians as well as the foreigners in Athens seemed to spend all their time discussing the latest ideas.)

So Paul, standing before the council, addressed them as follows: “Men of Athens, I notice that you are very religious in every way,

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

(Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who stayed there used to spend their time in nothing else than telling something or listening to something new.)

So Paul stood there in the middle of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I see you are very religious in every respect.

KJV 1900King James Version

(For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.) Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said,

Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.

Public Domain