For you are bringing some strange notions to our ears, and we want to know what they mean.”
Parallel translations
- WEB For you bring certain strange things to our ears. We want to know therefore what these things mean.”
- KJV For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean.
- NKJV For you are bringing some strange things to our ears. Therefore we want to know what these things mean.”
- NASB For you are bringing some strange things to our ears; so we want to know what these things mean.”
- NLT “You are saying some rather strange things, and we want to know what it’s all about.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
They admitted his ideas were strange and said they wanted to understand them.
Overview
The Athenians' curiosity, though shallow, opened a door for Paul to proclaim the gospel. Their interest in novelty would soon be confronted by a call to repent and believe. The verse shows God using even idle curiosity as an occasion for the truth of Christ to be declared.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- 1 Cor 1:23but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,
- Hos 8:12Though I wrote for them the great things of My law, they regarded them as something strange.
- 1 Cor 2:14The natural man does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God. For they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.
- 1 Cor 1:18For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
- 1 Pet 4:4Because of this, they consider it strange of you not to plunge with them into the same flood of reckless indiscretion, and they heap abuse on you.
- Acts 2:12Astounded and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”
- John 7:35–36At this, the Jews said to one another, “Where does He intend to go that we will not find Him? Will He go where the Jews are dispersed among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks?
- John 6:60On hearing it, many of His disciples said, “This is a difficult teaching. Who can accept it?”
- Mark 10:24–26And the disciples were amazed at His words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!
- Heb 5:11We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain, because you are dull of hearing.
- Mark 9:10So they kept this matter to themselves, discussing what it meant to rise from the dead.
- Matt 19:23–25Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.
- Acts 10:17While Peter was puzzling over the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found Simon’s house and approached the gate.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Acts is the risen Christ continuing his work by the Spirit through the church, as the apostles preach that there is salvation in no other name under heaven.
How Acts 17:20 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.