Berea's Noble Reception and Paul's Departure
Acts 17:10-15
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Acts.17.10 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- Οι: ART,nom,pl,m
- δε: CONJ
- αδελφοι: NOUN,nom,pl,m
- ευθεως: ADV
- δια: PREP
- νυκτος: NOUN,gen,sg,f
- εξεπεμψαν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,pl
- τον: ART,acc,sg,m
- τε: CONJ
- Παυλον: NOUN,acc,sg,m
- και: CONJ
- τον: ART,acc,sg,m
- Σιλαν: NOUN,acc,sg,m
- εις: PREP
- Βεροιαν: NOUN,acc,sg,f
- οιτινες: PRO,rel,nom,pl,m
- παραγενομενοι: VERB,part,pres,mp,nom,pl,m
- εις: PREP
- την: ART,acc,sg,f
- συναγωγην: NOUN,acc,sg,f
- των: ART,gen,pl,m
- Ιουδαιων: NOUN,gen,pl,m
- απηεσαν·: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,pl
Parallels
- Acts 17:14 (structural): Immediate narrative continuation: after the disturbance in Thessalonica the brothers again send Paul away at night (this time to the sea), showing the pattern of protected, urgent departures.
- Acts 17:2 (verbal): Same chapter and repeated wording—Paul and Silas (or Paul alone elsewhere) 'went into the synagogue' on the Sabbath, highlighting the recurring phrasing and action of entering the Jewish synagogue on arrival.
- Acts 13:14-15 (thematic): Paul and Barnabas enter the synagogue in Pisidian Antioch and address the congregation—parallel in practice of beginning mission work by visiting the local Jewish synagogue.
- Acts 18:4 (thematic): Luke notes Paul 'reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath' in Corinth, reinforcing the consistent missionary strategy of engaging synagogues across different cities.
- Acts 9:25 (allusion): Paul's nocturnal escape from Damascus (lowered in a basket) echoes the motif of covert/nighttime departures for safety, comparable to being sent away by night from Thessalonica to Berea.
Alternative generated candidates
- And the brothers at once sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea; and when they arrived they went into the synagogue of the Jews.
- The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea; and on arriving there they went into the synagogue of the Jews.
Acts.17.11 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ουτοι: PRO,nom,pl,m
- δε: CONJ
- ησαν: VERB,impf,act,ind,3,pl
- ευγενεστεροι: ADJ,nom,pl,m,comp
- των: ART,gen,pl,m
- εν: PREP
- Θεσσαλονικη: NOUN,dat,sg,f
- οιτινες: PRO,rel,nom,pl,m
- εδεξαντο: VERB,aor,mid,ind,3,pl
- τον: ART,acc,sg,m
- λογον: NOUN,acc,sg,m
- μετα: PREP
- πασης: ADJ,gen,sg,f
- προθυμιας: NOUN,gen,sg,f
- το: ART,acc,sg,n
- καθ᾽ημεραν: ADV
- ανακρινοντες: VERB,pres,act,part,nom,pl,m
- τας: ART,acc,pl,f
- γραφας: NOUN,acc,pl,f
- ει: VERB,pres,act,ind,2,sg
- εχοι: VERB,pres,act,opt,3,sg
- ταυτα: PRON,acc,pl,n
- ουτως: ADV
Parallels
- Acts 17:2-3 (structural): Same narrative context—Paul reasons in the synagogue from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer, paralleling the Bereans’ scriptural inquiry.
- 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (thematic): Stresses Scripture’s authority and usefulness for teaching and testing doctrine, which undergirds the Bereans’ practice of examining teachings against the Scriptures.
- Luke 24:45 (allusion): Jesus ‘opened their minds to understand the Scriptures,’ connecting the idea of using Scripture to discern truth as the Bereans did.
- Psalm 1:2 (verbal): Speaks of delighting in and meditating on the law day and night, echoing the Bereans’ daily search of the Scriptures.
- Joshua 1:8 (thematic): Commands constant meditation on the law to prosper—parallels the Bereans’ continual engagement with Scripture to verify teaching.
Alternative generated candidates
- Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with readiness of mind, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.
- Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with readiness of mind, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.
Acts.17.12 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- πολλοι: ADJ,nom,pl,m
- μεν: PART
- ουν: CONJ
- εξ: PREP
- αυτων: PRON,gen,pl,m
- επιστευσαν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,pl
- και: CONJ
- των: ART,gen,pl,m
- Ελληνιδων: NOUN,gen,pl,f
- γυναικων: NOUN,gen,pl,f
- των: ART,gen,pl,m
- ευσχημονων: ADJ,gen,pl,f
- και: CONJ
- ανδρων: NOUN,gen,pl,m
- ουκ: PART,neg
- ολιγοι: ADJ,nom,pl,m
Parallels
- Acts 17:34 (structural): Same chapter and similar report: some persons believed, explicitly naming a prominent man (Dionysius) and a woman (Damaris), paralleling 17:12’s note that many believed including notable women and men.
- Acts 5:14 (verbal): Uses nearly the same emphasis—’more were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women’—highlighting the broad, mixed-gender character of early conversions as in 17:12.
- Acts 16:14–15 (thematic): Lydia, a prominent woman, believes (and her household), illustrating the recurring theme that respectable or influential women were among the early converts, as 17:12 indicates.
- Luke 8:1–3 (thematic): Lists several women who followed and supported Jesus, showing the pattern of female discipleship and support in the Jesus movement mirrored by Acts’ reports of believing women.
Alternative generated candidates
- Therefore many of them believed, and also a number of prominent Greek women and men.
- Many of them therefore believed; and not a few of the leading Greek women and men became believers.
Acts.17.13 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ως: ADV
- δε: CONJ
- εγνωσαν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,pl
- οι: ART,nom,pl,m
- απο: PREP
- της: ART,gen,sg,f
- Θεσσαλονικης: NOUN,gen,sg,f
- Ιουδαιοι: NOUN,nom,pl,m
- οτι: CONJ
- και: CONJ
- εν: PREP
- τη: ART,dat,sg,f
- Βεροια: NOUN,dat,sg,f
- κατηγγελη: VERB,aor,pass,ind,3,sg
- υπο: PREP
- του: ART,gen,sg,n
- Παυλου: NOUN,gen,sg,m
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- λογος: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- του: ART,gen,sg,n
- θεου: NOUN,gen,sg,m
- ηλθον: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,pl
- κακει: ADV
- σαλευοντες: VERB,pres,act,ptc,nom,pl,m
- και: CONJ
- ταρασσοντες: VERB,pres,act,ptc,nom,pl,m
- τους: ART,acc,pl,m
- οχλους: NOUN,acc,pl,m
Parallels
- Acts 17:5 (structural): Same narrative episode earlier in the chapter: Jews from Thessalonica themselves incite the city and create an uproar over Paul's preaching—directly parallel and immediately related to v.13.
- Acts 17:6 (verbal): Continues the immediate scene: the crowd in Berea accuses Paul and Silas of 'turning the world upside down'—language that echoes the disruptive effect attributed to the opponents in v.13.
- Acts 13:50 (thematic): At Antioch of Pisidia Jews 'incited the devout and prominent women' to persecute Paul and Barnabas—similar tactic of local Jews stirring up influential groups against the apostles' preaching.
- Acts 14:2 (verbal): In Iconium 'unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds'—uses near-verbal imagery of stirring/agitators and parallels the pattern of agitation described in Acts 17:13.
- Acts 21:27-31 (thematic): Jews from Asia stir up the Jerusalem crowd and seize Paul at the temple—another instance where Jews from one region travel to foment unrest against Paul, matching the tactic in Acts 17:13.
Alternative generated candidates
- But when the Jews of Thessalonica learned that the word of God was being proclaimed by Paul at Berea, they came there also, stirring up and agitating the crowds.
- But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was being proclaimed by him also at Berea, they came there as well, agitating and stirring up the crowds.
Acts.17.14 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ευθεως: ADV
- δε: CONJ
- τοτε: ADV
- τον: ART,acc,sg,m
- Παυλον: NOUN,acc,sg,m
- εξαπεστειλαν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,pl
- οι: ART,nom,pl,m
- αδελφοι: NOUN,nom,pl,m
- πορευεσθαι: VERB,pres,mid,inf
- εως: CONJ
- επι: PREP
- την: ART,acc,sg,f
- θαλασσαν·υπεμειναν: NOUN,acc,sg,f + VERB,aor,act,ind,3,pl
- τε: CONJ
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- τε: CONJ
- Σιλας: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- και: CONJ
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- Τιμοθεος: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- εκει: ADV
Parallels
- Acts 17:15 (structural): Immediate literary continuation: those who escorted Paul bring him to Athens and arrange for Silas and Timothy to join him, directly following v.14.
- Acts 18:5 (thematic): Silas and Timothy arrive from Macedonia to join Paul in Corinth—parallels the motif of companions being sent/returning to rejoin Paul after he is sent on.
- Acts 9:25 (thematic): Paul’s disciples help him escape Damascus (lowering him in a basket) — similar theme of believers facilitating Paul’s departure for his safety.
- Acts 13:13 (thematic): John Mark leaves Paul and Barnabas and returns home early in the journey — comparable instance of companions separating during Paul’s travels.
Alternative generated candidates
- Then the brothers immediately sent Paul away toward the sea; and Silas and Timothy remained there. Those who escorted Paul brought him as far as Athens.
- Then the brothers at once sent Paul off to the sea; Silas and Timothy remained there.
Acts.17.15 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- οι: ART,nom,pl,m
- δε: CONJ
- καθιστανοντες: VERB,pres,act,part,nom,pl,m
- τον: ART,acc,sg,m
- Παυλον: NOUN,acc,sg,m
- ηγαγον: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,pl
- εως: CONJ
- Αθηνων: NOUN,gen,pl,f
- και: CONJ
- λαβοντες: VERB,aor,act,part,nom,pl,m
- εντολην: NOUN,acc,sg,f
- προς: PREP
- τον: ART,acc,sg,m
- Σιλαν: NOUN,acc,sg,m
- και: CONJ
- τον: ART,acc,sg,m
- Τιμοθεον: NOUN,acc,sg,m
- ινα: CONJ
- ως: ADV
- ταχιστα: ADV
- ελθωσιν: VERB,aor,act,subj,3,pl
- προς: PREP
- αυτον: PRON,acc,sg,m
- εξηεσαν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,pl
Parallels
- Acts 18:5 (verbal): Explicit narrative parallel: Silas and Timothy arrive to join Paul (’when Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia’), matching Acts 17’s sending of Silas and Timothy to be with Paul.
- 1 Thessalonians 3:1-2 (thematic): Paul (or the mission network) sends Timothy to strengthen and report on churches—parallels the practice in Acts 17 of dispatching Timothy and Silas to support/meet Paul.
- Philippians 2:19-23 (thematic): Paul expresses intent to send Timothy soon as a trusted companion and representative, reflecting the same pastoral/missionary role Timothy plays in Acts 17 when sent to join Paul.
- Acts 15:40-41 (structural): Narrative background for the Paul–Silas partnership: after the Jerusalem Council Paul takes Silas as his missionary companion, which explains the relationship that leads to Silas being sent in Acts 17.
Alternative generated candidates
- And when they had received a charge that Silas and Timothy should come to him with all speed, they departed. Now those who had conducted Paul brought him into Athens; but Paul was left there alone, while Silas and Timothy remained at Berea.
- Those who conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens; and having received a charge to bring Silas and Timothy to him with all speed, they departed.
And the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea; and when they arrived there they went into the synagogue of the Jews. Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with readiness of spirit, and examined the Scriptures day by day to see whether these things were so.
Therefore many of them believed; and not a few of the leading Greek women and men became disciples. But when the Jews of Thessalonica learned that the word of God was being proclaimed by him at Berea also, they came there as well, stirring up and unsettling the crowds.
Then the brethren immediately sent Paul away, as it was getting dark, to the coast; but Silas and Timothy remained there.
Those who escorted Paul brought him as far as Athens. Having received instructions to bring Silas and Timothy at the earliest opportunity, they departed; but Paul remained in Athens alone.