Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Acts: Chapter 17]
But "the court of refined and polished Athenians was very
different from the rough provincial magistrates of Philippi, and
the philosophers who presented Paul to their cognizance very
different from the mob of Thessalonians" (Rackham). It was all
very polite. {May we know?} (\Dunametha gn•nai\). Can we come to
know (ingressive second aorist active infinitive). {This new
teaching} (\h• kain• haut• didach•\). On the position of \haut•\
see Robertson, _Grammar_, pp. 700f. The question was prompted by
courtesy, sarcasm, or irony. Evidently no definite charge was
laid against Paul.
17:20 {For thou bringest certain strange things} (\xenizonta gar
tina eisphereis\). The very verb used by Xenophon (_Mem_. I)
about Socrates. \Xenizonta\ is present active neuter plural
participle of \xeniz•\ and from \xenos\ (verse 18), "things
surprising or shocking us." {We would know therefore}
(\boulometha oun gn•nai\). Very polite still, we wish or desire,
and repeating \gn•nai\ (the essential point).
17:21 {Spent their time} (\•ukairoun\). Imperfect active of
\eukaire•\. A late word to have opportunity (\eu, kairos\) from
Polybius on. In the N.T. only here and Mr 6:31. They had time
for,.etc. This verse is an explanatory parenthesis by Luke. {Some
new thing} (\ti kainoteron\). Literally "something newer" or
"fresher" than the new, the very latest, the comparative of
\kainos\. Demosthenes (_Philipp_. 1. 43) pictures the Athenians
"in the agora inquiring if anything newer is said"
(\punthanomenoi kata t•n agoran ei ti legetai ne•teron\). The new
soon became stale with these itching and frivolous Athenians.
17:22 {Stood in the midst of the Areopagus} (\statheis en mes•i
tou Areiou Pagou\). First aorist passive of \hist•mi\ used of
Peter in 2:14. Majestic figure whether on Mars Hill or in the
Stoa Basilica before the Areopagus Court. There would be a crowd
of spectators and philosophers in either case and Paul seized the
opportunity to preach Christ to this strange audience as he did
in Caesarea before Herod Agrippa and the crowd of prominent
people gathered by Festus for the entertainment. Paul does not
speak as a man on trial, but as one trying to get a hearing for
the gospel of Christ. {Somewhat superstitious} (\h•s
deisidaimonesterous\). The Authorized Version has "too
superstitious," the American Standard "very religious."
\Deisidaim•n\ is a neutral word (from \deid•\, to fear, and
\daim•n\, deity). The Greeks used it either in the good sense of
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