Attributed commentary excerpt
John Gill's Exposition on Acts 17:16
A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.
Exposition of the Old and New Testament
John Gill (1697–1771) · 18th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.
Now while Paul waited for them at Athens. etc.] That is, for Silas and Timotheus: his spirit was stirred in him; not only his soul was troubled and his heart was grieved, but he was exasperated and provoked to the last degree: he was in a paroxysm; his heart was hot within him; he had a burning fire in his bones, and was weary with forbearing, and could not stay; his zeal wanted vent, and he gave it: when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry; or “full of idols”, as the Syriac and Arabic versions render it. So Cicero says f863 that Athens was full of temples; and Xenophon f864 observes that they had double the feasts of other people; and Pausanias f865 affirms, that the Athenians far exceeded others in the worship of the gods, and care about religion; and he relates, that they had an altar for Mercy, another for Shame, another for Fame, and another for Desire, and expressed more religion to the gods than others did: they had an altar dedicated to twelve gods f866; and because they would be sure of all, they erected one to an unknown god; in short, they had so many of them, that one f867 jestingly said to them, our country is so full of deities, that one may more easily find a god than a man: so that with all their learning and wisdom they knew not God, (<460121>1 Corinthians 1:21).
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