SEV Biblia, Chapter 19:29
Y toda la ciudad se llen de confusin; y unnimes se arrojaron al teatro, arrebatando a Gayo y a Aristarco, macedonios, compaeros de Pablo.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Acts 19:29
Verse 29. The whole city was filled with confusion] Thus we find the peace of the whole city was disturbed, not by an apostle preaching the Gospel of Christ, but by one interested, unprincipled knave, who did not even plead conscience for what he was doing; but that it was by this craft he and his fellows got their wealth, and he was afraid to lose it. Rushed-into the theater.] The theatres, being very spacious and convenient places, were often used for popular assemblies and public deliberation, especially in matters which regarded the safety of the state.
There are several proofs of this in ancient authors. So Tacitus, Hist. ii. 80, speaking concerning Vespasian, says: Antiochensium theatrum ingressus, ubi illis consultare mos est, concurrentes et in adulationem effusos alloquitur. "Having entered into the theater of the Antiochians, where it was the custom to hold consultations, the people running together, and being profuse in flattery, he addressed them." Frontinus, in Stratagem lib. iii. cap. 2, speaking of a public meeting at the theater at Agrigentum, observes, ubi ex more Graecorum locus consultationi praebebatur; which, according to the custom of the Greeks, is the place for public deliberation. See several examples in Kypke.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 29. And the whole city was filled with confusion , etc.] For the workmen that made the silver shrines very likely ran up and down in the city, crying out, great is Diana of the Ephesians, which brought the people out of their houses to inquire what was the matter; and the mob gathering and increasing, as they went along, threw the whole city into confusion and disorder: and having caught Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia ; the latter of these was of Thessalonica in Macedonia, as appears from ( Acts 20:4) but of what place the former was, is not certain; however, being a Macedonian, he could not be the Gaius of Derbe, mentioned in the same place, nor the Gaius of Corinth, ( 1 Corinthians 1:14) but some third person. They are both Greek names; Aristarchus signifies the chief of princes, or the prince of chiefs; and Gaius is a name taken from the joy of parents, and is the same with the Roman name, Caius; they are both reckoned among the seventy disciples; the former is said to be bishop of Apamea in Phrygia, and the latter Bishop of Ephesus; (see Gill on Luke 10:1) Pauls companions in travel ; whom he brought with him out of Macedonia, and who had been with him to Jerusalem and Antioch, and were now returned with him to Ephesus, where they had been with him for the space of two years, or more: it is very much that this mob had not seized on Paul himself: it may be Paul was within doors, and these were without in the streets, and so were laid hold upon and carried away in a most forcible and violent manner by them: who having got them, they rushed with one accord into the theatre ; where the public plays were acted in honour of the goddess Diana, and where, among other things, men were set to fight with wild beasts; and very likely the intention of the mob, in hurrying Pauls companions thither, was to throw them to the wild beasts. A theatre is a spectacle or show, so called, because in them fights were shown, plays were acted, games exercised, and battles fought between men and men, and between men and beasts, and between beasts and beasts; concerning which, take the following account f983 : Theatre, among the ancients, is a public edifice for the exhibiting of scenic spectacles, or shows to the people under the word theatre was comprehended not only the eminence, whereon the actors appeared, and the action passed, but also the whole area, or extent of the place common to the actors and spectators: in this sense the theatre was a building encompassed with porticos, and furnished with seats of stone, disposed in semicircles, and ascending gradually over one another, which encompassed a space called the orchestra; in the front whereof was the proscenium or pulpitum, whereon the actors performed the scena, a large front adorned with orders of architecture; behind which was postscenium, or the place where the actors made themselves ready, retired, etc. so that the scena, in its full extent, comprehended all the part belonging to the actors. In the Greek theatres, the orchestra made a part of the scena; but in the Roman theatres, none of the actors ever descended into the orchestra, which was taken up by the seats of the senators.
For the better understanding the terms used, and the several parts of the theatre, let it be observed, that the scena, according to others was the place from whence the actors first went out; and it reached from one corner of the theatre to the other, and was threefold; tragical, which was adorned in a royal manner with pillars and signs; comical, which represented private buildings; and satirical, which exhibited trees, caves, mountains, etc. Likewise, the scena was either versile, when on a sudden the whole scene was turned by some machines; or ductile, when by drawing away the boards the inward face of the scene appeared, or by drawing curtains. The proscenium was a place lower than the scene, in which the actors chiefly spoke and acted: the postscenium was a place in which these things were done, which could not be done fitly, and with decorum in the scenes: the pulpitum was a higher place in the proscenium, in which those that recited stood: the orchestra was the last place, in which they danced, and near which the senators sat.
Tarquinius Priscus was the first who introduced plays among the Romans; and the temple of Bacchus at Athens was the first theatre in the world, the remains of which are still to be seen. Of this theatre at Ephesus I have not met with any account; whether it was in the temple, or without, is not certain; very likely it might be a part of it, or adjoin unto it.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 21-31 - Persons who came from afar to pay their devotions at the temple of Ephesus, bought little silver shrines, or models of the temple, to carry home with them. See how craftsmen make advantage to themselves of people's superstition, and serve their worldly ends by it. Men ar jealous for that by which they get their wealth; and many se themselves against the gospel of Christ, because it calls men from all unlawful crafts, however much wealth is to be gotten by them. There ar persons who will stickle for what is most grossly absurd, unreasonable and false; as this, that those are gods which are made with hands, i it has but worldly interest on its side. The whole city was full of confusion, the common and natural effect of zeal for false religion Zeal for the honour of Christ, and love to the brethren, encourag zealous believers to venture into danger. Friends will often be raise up among those who are strangers to true religion, but have observe the honest and consistent behaviour of Christians.
Greek Textus Receptus
και 2532 CONJ επλησθη 4130 5681 V-API-3S η 3588 T-NSF πολις 4172 N-NSF ολη 3650 A-NSF συγχυσεως 4799 N-GSF ωρμησαν 3729 5656 V-AAI-3P τε 5037 PRT ομοθυμαδον 3661 ADV εις 1519 PREP το 3588 T-ASN θεατρον 2302 N-ASN συναρπασαντες 4884 5660 V-AAP-NPM γαιον 1050 N-ASM και 2532 CONJ αρισταρχον 708 N-ASM μακεδονας 3110 N-APM συνεκδημους 4898 N-APM του 3588 T-GSM παυλου 3972 N-GSM
Vincent's NT Word Studies
29. The theater. The site of which can still be traced. It is said to have been capable of seating fifty-six thousand persons.Having seized (sunarpasantev). Lit., "having seized along with (sun):" carried them along with the rush.
Companions in travel (sunekdhmouv). Only here and 2 Corinthians viii. 19. The word is compounded of sun, along with, ejk, forth, and dhmov, country or land, and means, therefore, one who has gone forth with another from his country.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
19:29 {With the confusion} (tes sugcusews). Genitive case after eplesqe. An old word, but in the N.T. only here, from verb sugcew, to pour together like a flood (only in Acts in the N.T.). Vivid description of the inevitable riot that followed "the appearance of such a body in the crowded agora of an excitable city" (Rackham) "vociferating the city's watch-word." {They rushed} (hwrmesan). Ingressive aorist active indicative of hormaw, old verb for impetuous dashing, a case of mob psychology (mob mind), with one accord (homoqumadon as in #Ac 1:14, etc.). {Into the theatre} (eis to qeatron). A place for seeing (qeaomai) spectacles, originally for dramatic representation (Thucydides, Herodotus), qen for the spectators, qen for the spectacle or show (#1Co 4:9). The theatre (amphitheatre) at Ephesus can still be traced in the ruins (Wood, _Ephesus_) and shows that it was of enormous size capable of seating fifty-six thousand persons (some estimate it only 24,500). It was the place for large public gatherings of any sort out of doors like our football and baseball parks. In particular, gladiatorial shows were held in these theatres. {Having seized Gaius and Aristarchus men of Macedonia} (sunarpasantes gaion kai aristarcon makedonas). See #6:12 for this same verb. They wanted some victims for this "gladiatorial" show. These two men were "Paul's companions in travel" (sunekdemous paulou), together (sun) with Paul in being abroad, away from home or people (ek-demous, late word, in the N.T. only here and #2Co 8:19). How the mob got hold of Gaius (#Ac 20:4) and Aristarchus (#20:4; 27:2; Col 4:10; Phm 1:24) we do not know whether by accidental recognition or by search after failure to get Paul. In #Ro 16:4 Paul speaks of Priscilla and Aquila as those "who for my life laid down their own necks." Paul lived with them in Ephesus as in Corinth. It is possible that Demetrius led the mob to their house and that they refused to allow Paul to go or to be seized at the risk of their own lives. Paul himself may have been desperately ill at this time as we know was the case once during his stay in Ephesus when he felt the answer of death in himself (#2Co 1:9) and when God rescued him. That may mean that, ill as he was, Paul wanted to go and face the mob in the theatre, knowing that it meant certain death.
