Acts 17:22

Mars’ hill. Rather, “the Areopagus” (see on v. 19). If the apostle was standing atop the rocky hill, he looked down upon the temple of Hephaestus to the northwest, and up to the Parthenon that rose above him on the Acropolis. On the height of that larger hill stood the colossal bronze statue of Athena, who was regarded as the tutelary goddess of her beloved Athens. Below the apostle lay the city itself, which was veritably “full of idols.” See illustration facing p. 352.

Men of Athens. Although this is a respectful opening, the speech that follows is not that of a man on trial (cf. on v. 19), but of an ardent advocate of peculiar, but cherished, beliefs. Paul adopts the language of Athenian orators. This was in keeping with his custom of adapting himself to his audience (see on 1 Cor. 9:19-22). That Paul was able to do this speaks highly of his ability. Luke compresses the apostle’s speech into ten verses (Acts 17:22-31), but it is probable that Paul spoke at much greater length, especially before so distinguished an audience.

Perceive. Gr. theoreo, “to behold,” “to look at,” suggesting that Paul was basing his remarks on what he had seen.

Too superstitious. Gr. deisidaimonesteroi, a comparative adjective formed from deidd (“to fear”) and daimon (“deity”), and translatable as “more god-fearing.” The Greek word (deisidaimon) was used in both a good and a bad sense. A deisidaimon was a consulter of soothsayers and a believer in omens. He would, for instance, avoid making a journey if he saw a weasel on the road. A conspicuous example of this overreligiosity in high places is that of Nicias, the Athenian general, who was always oppressed with a sense of the jealousy of the gods, and therefore countermanded important strategic movements, because there was an eclipse of the moon (Thucydides History vii. 504). The emperor Marcus Aurelius, a Stoic (Meditations i. 16) congratulates himself on being, not a deisidaimon, but, from his mother’s devotion, a theosebes, a devout man (ibid. i. 3).

Paul was not likely to employ a word in a derogatory sense at the very beginning of his speech. He would rather be commenting on the scrupulous way in which the Athenians sought to acknowledge all forms of deity. Such an opening would gain the attention of the philosophers, and the Athenians in general.