SEV Biblia, Chapter 19:35
Entonces el escribano, apaciguando al pueblo, dijo: Varones efesios ¿y quin hay de los hombres que no sepa que la ciudad de los efesios es honradora de la gran diosa Diana, y de la imagen venida de Jpiter?
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Acts 19:35
Verse 35. When the town-clerk] ogrammateuv, Literally, the scribe. The Syriac has (Syriac) reisha damedinato, the chief or prince of the city.
The later Syriac has, the scribe of the city. Some think that the word recorder would do better here than town-clerk; and indeed it is evident that a magistrate of considerable authority and influence is intended-the mayor or sovereign of the city.
Ye men of Ephesus] The speech of this man may be thus analyzed: He states that there was no need of a public declaration that the Ephesians were worshippers of Diana; this every person knew, and nobody attempted to contest it, ver. 35, 36. 2. That the persons accused were not guilty of any public offense, nor of any breach of the laws of the city, ver. 37. 3. That, if they were, this was not a legal method of prosecuting them, chap. xix. 38, 39. 4. That they themselves, by this tumultuous meeting, had exposed themselves to the censure of the law, and were in danger of being called into question for it, ver. 40. See Dodd.
Is a worshipper of the great goddess Diana] The word newkorov, neocoros, which we translate worshipper, signified at first, among the ancient Greeks, no more than sweeper of the temple, and answered nearly to our sexton: in process of time, the care of the temple was intrusted to this person: at length the neocori became persons of great consequence, and were those who offered sacrifices for the life of the emperor. Whole cities took this appellation, as appears on many ancient coins and medals; and Ephesus is supposed to have been the first that assumed this title. At this time, it was commonly known as belonging to this city. "What man is there that knoweth not that the city of the Ephesians is the Neocoros of the great goddess Diana?" As if he had said: "The whole city is devoted to her worship: it is reputed an honour to our highest characters even to sweep her temple, and open and shut her doors. Besides, we offer to her the highest sacrifices; and are intrusted with the religious service that pertains to the emperor's safety." Of the image which fell down from Jupiter?] The original image of the Ephesian Diana (see on ver. 27) was supposed to have descended from heaven; which intimates that it was so old that no person knew either its maker or the time in which it was formed, and it was the interest of the priests to persuade the people that this image had been sent to them as a present from Jupiter himself. Several images and sacred things were supposed, among the heathens, to be presents immediately from heaven.
Euripides states the image of Diana of Tauri to be of this kind; and calls it diopetev agalma, the image fallen from Jupiter. Numa pretended that the ancilia, or sacred shields, had come from heaven. In imitation of these, many of the Italian papists believe that the shrine of our lady of Loretto was also a Divine gift to their country. St. Isidore, of Damietta, says that the heathen, in order to induce the people to believe that such images came from heaven, either banished or slew the artists that had formed them, that there might be no evidence of the time in which, or the persons by whom, they were made: this point secured, it was easy to persuade the credulous multitude that they had been sent from heaven. The story of the Palladium, on which the safety of Troy was said to depend, is well known.
It was an image of Minerva, and also supposed to have descended from Jupiter.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 35. And when the town clerk had appeased the people , etc.] Caused them to cease their loud outcry, so as that he could be heard. This person seems to have been more than a town clerk, as we render it; or a common scribe, as the Vulgate Latin, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions render it; rather as the Syriac version, a chief man of the city; the Septuagint interpreters in ( Exodus 5:6) use the word for the Egyptian officers that were over the Israelites; and the Babylonians used to call the priest of Isis by this name; and according to some learned men, this mans office was to register the conquerors names, and their rewards in the theatre; and who was chosen into this office by the people, and was a man of some considerable authority, as it is very apparent by what follows that this man was: he said, ye men of Ephesus, what man is there that knoweth not how that the city of the Ephesians is a worshipper of the great goddess Diana ? the word Neocorus, translated worshipper, signifies an officer in the temple, one that looked after it, beautified and adorned it; for Neocorus is from korew , which signifies to beautify f987 ; though some etymologists would have the word to signify to sweep and clean, as if this officer was a sexton; rather, he answered to a churchwarden, and to this agrees the Syriac version; though this office belonged not to a single person, but to a city. Now to be a worshipper of Diana, was not peculiar to the city of Ephesus, as appears from ( Acts 19:27) but to be Neocorus, a sacrist to the goddess, was a favour granted to some cities, and accounted a great honour; some had it twice, some thrice, some four times: and of the image which fell down from Jupiter ; or of Diopetes; so the Palladium, or image of Pallas, was called, because it was supposed to fall down from heaven, which Diomedes and Ulysses are said to take away from Troy; and here it seems to be something distinct from the goddess Diana, and her image, and may design another deity worshipped along with her, and by them, since they make mention of more gods, ( Acts 19:26).
The Vulgate Latin version takes it to be the same with Diana, reading the words in connection with the preceding, and the offspring of Jupiter; she being said to be his daughter by Latona, as before observed; and the Ethiopic version understands it of her image, rendering them thus, and of that molten image which was sent from Jupiter the great god; and more expressly the Syriac version, which reads, and of her image which fell from heaven; and so was not made with the hands of men, and could not be objected to on that account, or denied to be a deity; and this the people might be the rather induced to believe, since it had been in the temple before the memory of any man. The Arabic version, reading these words in connection with the beginning of the next verse, gives a very different sense, but neither indeed they that fell from heaven contradict the faith of this thing; as if it was to be understood of the fallen angels, of which it can hardly be thought Demetrius had any knowledge. This image, Pliny says f988 , it was doubted of what it was made; some said of the vine tree, others of ebony; but Athenagoras says, the old image of Diana of the Ephesians was made of olive f989 .
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 32-41 - The Jews came forward in this tumult. Those who are thus careful to distinguish themselves from the servants of Christ now, and are afrai of being taken for them, shall have their doom accordingly in the grea day. One, having authority, at length stilled the noise. It is a very good rule at all times, both in private and public affairs, not to be hasty and rash in our motions, but to take time to consider; and alway to keep our passions under check. We ought to be quiet, and to d nothing rashly; to do nothing in haste, of which we may repent a leisure. The regular methods of the law ought always to stop popula tumults, and in well-governed nations will do so. Most people stand i awe of men's judgments more than of the judgement of God. How well it were if we would thus quiet our disorderly appetites and passions, by considering the account we must shortly give to the Judge of heaven an earth! And see how the overruling providence of God keeps the publi peace, by an unaccountable power over the spirits of men. Thus the world is kept in some order, and men are held back from devouring eac other. We can scarcely look around but we see men act like Demetriu and the workmen. It is as safe to contend with wild beasts as with me enraged by party zeal and disappointed covetousness, who think that all arguments are answered, when they have shown that they grow rich by the practices which are opposed. Whatever side in religious disputes, or whatever name this spirit assumes, it is worldly, and should be discountenanced by all who regard truth and piety. And let us not be dismayed; the Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters he can still the rage of the people __________________________________________________________________
Greek Textus Receptus
καταστειλας 2687 5660 V-AAP-NSM δε 1161 CONJ ο 3588 T-NSM γραμματευς 1122 N-NSM τον 3588 T-ASM οχλον 3793 N-ASM φησιν 5346 5748 V-PXI-3S ανδρες 435 N-VPM εφεσιοι 2180 A-NPM τις 5101 I-NSM γαρ 1063 CONJ εστιν 2076 5748 V-PXI-3S ανθρωπος 444 N-NSM ος 3739 R-NSM ου 3756 PRT-N γινωσκει 1097 5719 V-PAI-3S την 3588 T-ASF εφεσιων 2180 A-GPM πολιν 4172 N-ASF νεωκορον 3511 A-ASF ουσαν 5607 5752 V-PXP-ASF της 3588 T-GSF μεγαλης 3173 A-GSF θεας 2299 N-GSF αρτεμιδος 735 N-GSF και 2532 CONJ του 3588 T-GSM διοπετους 1356 A-GSM
Vincent's NT Word Studies
35. The town-clerk. Or recorder, who had charge of the city-archives, and whose duty it was to draw up official decrees and present them to assemblies of the people. Next to the commander, he was the most important personage in the Greek free cities.Worshipper (newkoron). Lit., a temple-sweeper. See on verse 27. This title, originally applied to the lowest menials of the temple, became a title of honor, and was eagerly appropriated by the most famous cities.
Alexander says, "The city of Ephesus is the sacristan of the great goddess Artemis." 25
Robertson's NT Word Studies
19:35 {The town-clerk} (ho grammateus). Ephesus was a free city and elected its own officers and the recorder or secretary was the chief civil officer of the city, though the proconsul of the province of Asia resided there. this officer is not a mere secretary of another officer or like the copyists and students of the law among the Jews, but the most influential person in Ephesus who drafted decrees with the aid of the strategoi, had charge of the city's money, was the power in control of the assembly, and communicated directly with the proconsul. Inscriptions at Ephesus give frequently this very title for their chief officer and the papyri have it also. The precise function varied in different cities. His name appeared on the coin at Ephesus issued in his year of office. {Had quieted the multitude} (katasteilas ton oclon). First aorist active participle of katastellw, to send down, arrange dress (Euripides), lower (Plutarch), restrain (papyrus example), only twice in the N.T. (here and verse #36, be quiet), but in LXX and Josephus. He evidently took the rostrum and his very presence as the city's chief officer had a quieting effect on the billowy turmoil and a semblance of order came. He waited, however, till the hubbub had nearly exhausted itself (two hours) and did not speak till there was a chance to be heard. {Saith} (fesin). Historical present for vividness. {How that}. Merely participle ousan and accusative polin in indirect discourse, no conjunction at all (Robertson, _Grammar_, pp. 1040ff.), common idiom after ginwskw, to know. {Temple-keeper} (newkoron). Old word from news (naos), temple, and kore", to sweep. Warden, verger, cleaner of the temple, a sacristan. So in Xenophon and Plato. Inscriptions so describe Ephesus as newkoron tes artemidos as Luke has it here and also applied to the imperial _cultus_ which finally had several such temples in Ephesus. Other cities claimed the same honor of being newkoros, but it was the peculiar boast of Ephesus because of the great temple of Artemis. A coin of A.D. 65 describes Ephesus as newkoros. There are papyri examples of the term applied to individuals, one to Priene as newkoros of the temple in Ephesus (Moulton and Milligan, _Vocabulary_). {And of the image which fell down from Jupiter} (kai tou diopetous). Supply agalma (image), "the from heaven-fallen image." From Zeus (Dios) and petw (piptw, pipetw), to fall. Zeus (Jupiter) was considered lord of the sky or heaven and that is the idea in diopetous here. The legend about a statue fallen from heaven occurs concerning the statue of Artemis at Tauris, Minerva at Athens, etc. Thus the recorder soothed the vanity (Rackham) of the crowd by appeal to the world-wide fame of Ephesus as sacristan of Artemis and of her heaven-fallen image.
