17:23a
For: The word For introduces an explanation for why Paul said that the people of Athens were very religious.
I walked around: This clause refers to visiting various parts of the city. For example:
I walked through your city (Good News Translation)
examined: This phrase indicates that Paul studied the altars and statues of the gods. Other ways to translate this phrase are:
looked carefully (New International Version)
-or-
observed closely (NET Bible)
your objects of worship: This phrase refers to images and statues of the gods that the people of Athens worshiped. It also included the altars at these images and statues where people would pray to the gods and leave offerings. Other ways to translate this phrase are:
your sacred monuments (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
your worship places
-or-
your altars and images/statues of your gods
17:23b
I even found an altar: Here the verb found indicates that he happened to see an altar to an unknown god while he walked through the city. The verb does not imply that he was searching for this altar. Other ways to translate this clause are:
I noticed…an altar (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
And one of your altars (New Living Translation (2004))
an altar: This word refers to a platform that people use for religious activities. People sacrifice animals on it to honor the god to whom they dedicated the altar. Greek altars of that time were usually made of stone. The picture below is an example of a pagan altar.
Some languages do not have a word for that meaning. If that is true in your language, you may want to:
• Describe what an altar is. For example:
a platform for sacrificing
-or-
a place for putting something to honor a god
• Use the common language word. If the word is not well known, you may want to explain it in a footnote. An example footnote is:
The word “altar” refers to a platform that people use for religious activities. People sacrifice animals on it to honor the god to whom the altar was dedicated. At that time Greek people usually made their altars from stone.
this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD: The word inscription indicates that someone carved the words TO AN UNKNOWN GOD into the altar.
TO AN UNKNOWN GOD: This saying is like a title for the altar. Other ways to indicate that this saying is a title are:
‘To an unknown god.’ (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
To An Unknown God (New Jerusalem Bible)
The phrase “This altar is dedicated” or “We dedicate this altar” is implied at the start of this saying. In some languages a full sentence is more natural. If that is true in your language, include the implied information. For example:
This altar is dedicated to an unknown god
-or-
This altar honors a god that we do not know
-or-
We(incl) dedicate this altar to an unknown god
AN UNKNOWN GOD: The word AN indicates a particular god, but the people did not know his name or anything about him. The Greek people believed that there were many unknown gods. English versions do not use the word “the,” because in English “the” implies that there was only one unknown god.
17:23c
Therefore: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Therefore is a common connector that introduces the result of what was stated previously. Some English versions do not use a connector, while others use a different one. For example:
Now (New International Version)
Connect these sentences in a natural way in your language.
what you worship as something unknown, I now proclaim to you: The phrase what you worship as something unknown is emphasized by being first in the clause. If possible emphasize the phrase. If not, translate in the normal order. For example:
Now I am going to proclaim to you the God that you worship as something unknown.
what you worship as something unknown: The Greek words that the Berean Standard Bible translate as what and something refers generally to any kind of thing. The people did not know anything about the unknown god, even what kind of being it was. Other ways to translate this phrase are:
the thing/being you worship as someone unknown
-or-
the god whom you worship as someone you do not know
This phrase indicates that the Greek people worshiped this god but did not know anything about him. Other ways to translate this phrase are:
That which you worship, then, even though you do not know it (Good News Translation)
-or-
the unknown God you revere (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
You worship this God, but you don’t really know him. (Contemporary English Version)
I now proclaim to you: This clause in Greek is literally “I proclaim to you.” Paul began to proclaim him in the next verse. Other ways to translate this clause are:
I now proclaim to you. (Good News Translation)
-or-
I am here to proclaim to you! (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
-or-
I am about to proclaim to you.
proclaim: This word refers to publicly announcing something. Other ways to translate this word are:
declare (King James Version)
-or-
tell (Contemporary English Version)
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