Limitless Word
The people of the city, as well as the city council, were thrown into turmoil by these reports.
Acts 17:8 · New Living Translation
Parallel translations
  • WEB The multitude and the rulers of the city were troubled when they heard these things.
  • KJV And they troubled the people and the rulers of the city, when they heard these things.
  • BSB On hearing this, the crowd and city officials were greatly disturbed.
  • NKJV And they troubled the crowd and the rulers of the city when they heard these things.
  • NASB They stirred up the crowd and the city authorities who heard these things.

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

The accusations alarmed the crowd and the city officials.

Overview

A charge of disloyalty to Caesar could bring imperial scrutiny and trouble for the whole city. The officials' alarm reflects the explosive nature of the claim that Jesus is King. The disturbance shows how seriously the world reacts when confronted with the rival rule of Christ.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 2

  • Matt 2:3When King Herod heard it, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
  • John 11:48If we leave him alone like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (4)

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 17:8YouTube · 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 17:8 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.