Acts 19:29Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The people began to stir. All hurried to the public square where they usually assembled. Many shouted without themselves knowing what the matter was. Two of Paul's companions were seized.

The Greek people, who formed the main population of the city, generally cherished hatred toward the Jews living there as enemies of the gods. At a slight offense, popular hatred could easily flare into a riot, from which the Jews might suffer much.

In the present case, many still did not know the exact cause of the popular indignation. The Jews only heard that the people were agitated because of an insult inflicted by enemies of the gods. They at once referred the cause of this indignation to themselves.

A man named Alexander appeared, intending to give the people explanations and, if necessary, to lay the blame on the Christians. But the appearance of such a man, who himself belonged among the enemies of the popular religion, produced only stronger irritation. The shouting increased still more.

It seems, however, that only the rabble harbored these hostile dispositions toward the Apostle. The city authorities knew Paul's manner of life and activity during almost three years in Ephesus. This could not but give them a favorable judgment of Paul.

Some of the city rulers, who in that year administered religious affairs in Asia Minor, the Άσιάρχαι, and had supervision over the public games, even showed concern for his fate. They begged him not to appear before the people during this disturbance.

At last the city clerk succeeded in calming the turbulent crowd. He explained that satisfaction must be sought by lawful order. He said that it was impossible for anyone to rise against the great goddess of Ephesus, and that responsibility for the disturbance might be feared.

In Greek cities, city theaters were places for large public assemblies, where civic affairs were discussed. Even seditious popular gatherings used these places. The rioters dragged Paul's companions into the city theater, probably to demand judgment and condemnation against them there, or to subject them to mob justice.

According to the explanation of Saint John Chrysostom, "Such is the nature of the common people. They are carried away and irritated by every event. Therefore one must deal with them cautiously in everything. Notice how frivolous they were, and how ready to incline toward anything. So little did they think of nobility and honor."

"They assumed a threatening posture, so that by shouting they might restore some respect for the gods and drown out what had happened. They kept shouting without ceasing, as though fearing that the worship of the gods might be altogether extinguished."

"The cry, 'Great is Artemis of the Ephesians,' with which the rioting crowd filled the vaults of the vast Ephesian theater without ceasing for two hours, was not a phrase that happened to come to the crowd's lips. It was evidently a formula known to everyone, like 'hurrah.'

In 1887, Hogarth, Oroun, and others discovered at Diaspolis a marble inscription. There was a temple there in honor of Artemis and her son Apollo. On it occur the greetings, 'Great is Apollo' and 'Great is Artemis.'

In Wood's collection there is a marble with the following inscription: 'The senate and the people render public honors to those who served as guardians of the temple in the year of Demetrius.' Then follows a list of the honored temple guardians in this order: from the Ephesian tribe. Demetrius, son of Melophilus, son of Tryphon, of the thousand of Boreis; Thoas, son of Drocontavenes, of the thousand of Inopeus...

Thus at the head of the list of temple curators stands the well-known Demetrius. This monument is dated to the second half of the first century after the Nativity of Christ. Nothing prevents the supposition that Demetrius, the curator of the temple, could have been the same Demetrius who rose against Paul in 57.