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Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few leading women.
Acts 17:4 · Berean Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB Some of them were persuaded, and joined Paul and Silas, of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and not a few of the chief women.
  • KJV And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.
  • NKJV And some of them were persuaded; and a great multitude of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the leading women, joined Paul and Silas.
  • NASB And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large number of the God-fearing Greeks and a significant number of the leading women.
  • NLT Some of the Jews who listened were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with many God-fearing Greek men and quite a few prominent women.

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

Some Jews, many God-fearing Greeks, and a number of leading women believed and joined Paul and Silas.

Overview

The gospel bore fruit across social lines, including prominent women in the city. The mixed makeup of converts reflects the church Paul later addresses in his Thessalonian letters. Their persuasion came through the reasoned exposition of Scripture, showing the word's power to gather a people to Christ.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 29

  • Acts 17:12As a result, many of them believed, along with quite a few prominent Greek women and men.
  • Acts 13:43After the synagogue was dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who spoke to them and urged them to continue in the grace of God.
  • Acts 14:4The people of the city were divided. Some sided with the Jews, and others with the apostles.
  • Acts 28:24Some of them were convinced by what he said, but others refused to believe.
  • Acts 15:22Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to select men from among them to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas called Barsabbas and Silas, two leaders among the brothers,
  • Acts 13:50The Jews, however, incited the religious women of prominence and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas and drove them out of their district.
  • 2 Cor 8:5And not only did they do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us, because it was the will of God.
  • Song 6:1Where has your beloved gone, O most beautiful among women? Which way has he turned? We will seek him with you.
  • Acts 5:12–14The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people, and with one accord the believers gathered together in Solomon’s Colonnade.
  • Song 1:7–8Tell me, O one I love, where do you pasture your sheep? Where do you rest them at midday? Why should I be like a veiled woman beside the flocks of your companions?
  • Prov 9:6Leave your folly behind, and you will live; walk in the way of understanding.”
  • 2 Cor 6:17–18“Therefore come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.”
  • Acts 19:10This continued for two years, so that everyone who lived in the province of Asia, Jews and Greeks alike, heard the word of the Lord.
  • Acts 15:32Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the brothers.
  • Prov 13:20He who walks with the wise will become wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed.
  • Acts 15:40but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord.
  • Acts 15:27Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to tell you in person the same things we are writing.
  • Acts 17:34But some joined him and believed, including Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others who were with them.
  • Acts 18:4Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks alike.
  • Acts 14:1At Iconium, Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue, where they spoke so well that a great number of Jews and Greeks believed.
  • Acts 2:44All the believers were together and had everything in common.
  • Acts 21:28crying out, “Men of Israel, help us! This is the man who teaches everywhere against our people and against our law and against this place. Furthermore, he has brought Greeks into the temple and defiled this holy place.”
  • John 7:35At 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?
  • Acts 16:3Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, so he took him and circumcised him on account of the Jews in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.
  • Acts 4:23On their release, Peter and John returned to their own people and reported everything that the chief priests and elders had said to them.
  • Acts 2:41–42Those who embraced his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to the believers that day.
  • Zech 8:20–23This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Peoples will yet come—the residents of many cities—
  • Acts 17:17So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and God-fearing Gentiles, and in the marketplace with those he met each day.
  • Zech 2:11“On that day many nations will join themselves to the LORD, and they will become My people. I will dwell among you, and you will know that the LORD of Hosts has sent Me to you.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (6)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Acts videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Acts 17:4YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on ActsMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

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 17:4 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.