^19:34But when they recognized¹²⁶ that he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison,¹²⁷ “Great is Artemis¹²⁸ of the Ephesians!” for about two hours.¹²⁹^19:35After the city secretary¹³⁰ quieted the crowd, he said, “Men of Ephesus, what person¹³¹ is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is the keeper¹³² of the temple of the great Artemis¹³³ and of her image that fell from heaven?¹³⁴

Read in Logos

Footnotes

126 Grk “But recognizing.” The participle ἐπιγνόντες (epignontes) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
127 Grk “[they shouted] with one voice from all of them” (an idiom).
128 Artemis was 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, 1.25 mi (2 km) northeast of the Grand Theater. Dimensions were 418 ft by 239 ft (125 m by 72 m) for the platform; the temple proper was 377 ft by 180 ft (113 m by 54 m). The roof was supported by 117 columns, each 60 ft (18 m) high by 6 ft (1.8 m) in diameter. The Emperor Justinian of Byzantium later took these columns for use in construction of the Hagia Sophia, where they still exist (in modern day Istanbul).
129 They all shouted … for about two hours. The extent of the tumult shows the racial and social tensions of a cosmopolitan city like Ephesus, indicating what the Christians in such locations had to face.
130 Or “clerk.” The “scribe” (γραμματεύς, grammateus) was the keeper of the city’s records.
131 This is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos).
132 See νεωκόρος. The city is described as the “warden” or “guardian” of the goddess and her temple.
133 Artemis was 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.
134 Or “from the sky” (the same Greek word means both “heaven” and “sky”). The expression fell from heaven adds a note of apologetic about the heavenly origin of the goddess. The city’s identity and well-being was wrapped up with this connection, in their view. Many interpreters view her image that fell from heaven as a stone meteorite regarded as a sacred object.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

But when they recognized that he was a Jew, for about two hours they all cried out with one voice, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

And when the town clerk had quieted the crowd, he said, “Men of Ephesus, who is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple keeper of the great Artemis, and of the sacred stone that fell from the sky?

NIVNew International Version (2011)

But when they realized he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison for about two hours: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

The city clerk quieted the crowd and said: “Fellow Ephesians, doesn’t all the world know that the city of Ephesus is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image, which fell from heaven?

CSBChristian Standard Bible

But when they recognized that he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison for about two hours, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

When the city clerk had calmed the crowd down, he said, “People of Ephesus! What person is there who doesn’t know that the city of the Ephesians is the temple guardian of the great Artemis, and of the image that fell from heaven?

NLTNew Living Translation

But when the crowd realized he was a Jew, they started shouting again and kept it up for about two hours: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians! Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

At last the mayor was able to quiet them down enough to speak. “Citizens of Ephesus,” he said. “Everyone knows that Ephesus is the official guardian of the temple of the great Artemis, whose image fell down to us from heaven.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

But when they recognized that he was a Jew, they were shouting with one voice from all of them for about two hours, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” And when the city secretary had quieted the crowd, he said, “Ephesian men, for who is there among men who does not know the Ephesian city is honorary temple keeper of the great Artemis and of her image fallen from heaven?

KJV 1900King James Version

But when they knew that he was a Jew, all with one voice about the space of two hours cried out, Great is Diana of the Ephesians. And when the townclerk had appeased the people, he said, Ye men of Ephesus, what man is there that knoweth not how that the city of the Ephesians is a worshipper of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which fell down from Jupiter?

Public Domain