“But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people.”
But the Jews who were not persuaded became jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city — The Greek jealousy (zēloō) motivated by exclusion, combined with Luke's noting of the rougher elements mobilized, suggests both theological offense and social upheaval. The word-roots reveal envy at the gospel's success, not mere doctrinal dispute.
Church Fathers on Acts 17:5
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. Acts 17:4 The writer mentions only the sum and substance of the discoursing: he is not given to redundancy, and does not on every occasion report the sermons. But the Jews which believed not (the best texts omit which believed not), moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all…
Nicene & Post-Nicene / Ante-Nicene Fathers translations · public domain
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