17:18a

Some Epicurean and Stoic philosophers: In Greek the word philosophers means “people who like wisdom.” They think about how the world works, what life means, and what makes living worthwhile. They suggest ways that people should live. The Epicurean philosophy had different teachings than the Stoic philosophy.

In some languages this kind of person is not known. If that is true in your language, you may want to:

• Describe the meaning in your translation. For example:

People who followed the teachings of Epicurus and those who followed the teachings of the Stoics.

• Refer more generally to kinds of teachings or people. For example:

Certain Epicurean and Stoic teachers (Good News Translation)
-or-
Some of them were Epicureans and some were Stoics (Contemporary English Version)

You may then want to explain these kinds of teachings or people in footnotes. See the notes on Epicurean and Stoic below.

• 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:

Philosophers are people who think about how the world works, what life means, and what makes living worthwhile. They suggest ways that people should live. They usually value their teachings more than religion.

Epicurean: The Epicurean philosophers believed that pleasure, such as enjoying beautiful things and reading what educated people have written, is what people need most in life. They believed that God did not interact with people.

You may want to explain their philosophy in a footnote. Some example footnotes are:

People who followed the teaching of a man named Epicurus, who taught that happiness should be the main goal in life. (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
Epicureans believed that pleasures, especially pleasures of the mind, were the goal of life. (New Century Version)
-or-
Epicureans followed the philosophy of Epicurus, who founded a school in Athens about 300 BC. They saw the aim of life as pleasure, which they defined as the absence of pain. They also desired to avoid trouble. They saw religion as evil. They believed that God did not interact with people. They did not believe in an afterlife.

Stoic: The Stoic philosophers believed that it is not good to be either very joyful or very sad. They believed that we should not look for the things that will make us happy nor should we avoid the things that will make us suffer or feel sad. They believed that people should at all times be calm, regardless of what happens to them. They believed that God was a part of nature.

You may want to explain their philosophy in a footnote. Some example footnotes are:

Followers of a man named Zeno, who taught that people should learn self-control and be guided by their consciences. (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
Stoics believed that life should be without feelings of joy or grief. (New Century Version)
-or-
Stoics followed the philosophy of Zeno (342–270 BC). He took ideas from the Cynic philosophy and changed them to his liking. The Stoics did not seek pleasure, but sought virtue instead. They emphasized responsibility for their actions. They believed that God was a part of nature. They also believed in fate.

debate: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as debate refers to discussing ideas. It may or may not imply anger.

17:18b

Some of them: This phrase probably refers to some of the philosophers. But it may refer generally to some of the crowd at the marketplace (17:17b). Other ways to translate this phrase are:

And some (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
Some people
-or-
Others (New Century Version)

asked: The Greek word is literally “were saying.” The Greek verb “say” can also be used to introduce questions. The Greek tense indicates that more than one person was saying, “What is this babbler trying to say?” For example:

were asking (NET Bible)

What is this babbler trying to say?: This is probably a rhetorical question because 17:18c does not begin with “they replied.” It mocks Paul as if he were not making himself clear in talking about Jesus. But 17:18c does answer the question from the understanding of some of the people there. So, you should translate this clause as a question. If possible, clearly indicate they were mocking him here. (This may be clear with the word you use for babbler. See the note below.)

This clause in Greek is literally “What might this seed-picker want to say?” (See note below.) Even though they heard what Paul had said, they acted as if he had not said anything understandable or worthwhile yet. Other ways to translate this clause are:

What does this babbler want to say? (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
What would this idle babbler wish to say? (New American Standard Bible)
-or-
What can this charlatan be trying to say? (REV)

babbler: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as babbler is literally “seed-picker.” It originally described a small bird hopping about picking up seeds and eating them. It later became an idiom to describe a person who took wise sayings from other people and repeated them as his own. He would take sayings from various people and mix them together without fully understanding them. People used this idiom to mock or ridicule the person called “seed-picker.” Other ways to translate this word are:

ignorant show-off (Good News Translation)
-or-
babbling fool (God’s Word)
-or-
empty-headed smart aleck

In some languages it is clearer to explain the meaning in your translation. For example:

This man doesn’t know what he is talking about. (New Century Version)
-or-
He is not wise at all. He is only repeating what wise people say.
-or-
person who repeats wise sayings but doesn’t understand them

17:18c

Others said: The Berean Standard Bible adds the word said. It is implied from 17:18b but not repeated in the Greek. But notice that the Others did not ask a question here.

He seems to be: The word seems indicates that the people were not certain that Paul was advocating foreign gods. Other ways to translate this clause are:

It seems ⌊to us⌋ that he is
-or-
He might be
-or-
He is probably

advocating foreign gods: The Greek words are literally “of foreign gods a proclaimer.” The phrase “of foreign gods” is emphasized in the Greek.

The people of Athens liked to hear about foreign gods and even began worshiping some of them. But they rejected foreign gods who might ruin what they considered to be good morals. They would criticize and oppose anyone who proclaimed these gods. Other ways to translate this clause are:

a preacher of foreign divinities (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
a propagandist for some outlandish gods (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
speaking about foreign gods

foreign gods: The word foreign indicates that the God of Christians was not a god that the Greeks normally worshiped.

17:18d–e

They said this because Paul was proclaiming the good news of Jesus and the resurrection: This clause in Greek is literally “because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection.” Paul had been proclaiming the good news that Jesus was the Christ. He also proclaimed the important Christian teaching that God will resurrect all people. Other ways to translate this clause are:

(This was because he was telling the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.) (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
The philosophers said these things because Paul was telling the Good News about Jesus and saying that people would come back to life. (God’s Word)
-or-
because he was proclaiming the good news that Jesus ⌊was the Christ/Savior⌋ and that God would one day cause all people to become alive again ⌊in their bodies⌋

17:18e

the resurrection: This phrase probably refers to God resurrecting Jesus. Or it may include when God will cause all people to become alive again after they have died. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

his resurrection (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
people rising from death (Contemporary English Version)

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