Now some cried one thing, some another. For the assembly was confused: and the greater part knew not for what cause they were come together.
αλλοι μεν ουν αλλο τι εκραζον ην γαρ η εκκλησια συγκεχυμενη και οι πλειους ουκ ηδεισαν τινος ενεκεν συνεληλυθεισαν
7 Church Fathers comment on this verse
Such is the character of the common people: they are carried away and inflamed by what occurs. Therefore one must act carefully in everything. Notice how unstable they were, ready to incline toward anything. [...] Meanwhile some cried one thing, and others another, for the assembly was disorderly. Most of those gathered did not know why they had assembled. Such is a crowd: it rushes at everything without reflection, like fire rushing upon wood.
"Most of them did not know why they had come together." Such is the nature of a crowd. It rushes this way or that without thought, like fire thrown into a forest.
Meanwhile a strong disturbance arose in Ephesus against the Apostle. It was at the same time proof of the significant consequences of his preaching in Asia Minor.
In this city silver and gold models were made of the famous temple of Diana located there. They were sent everywhere and brought rich revenues to the city. A certain Demetrius carried on a large manufacture of such models and employed many workers.
Seeing the powerful success of the Gospel in Asia Minor, and feeling his income diminish as faith in Diana began to decline, he feared that his craft would lose its whole course. He gathered those of like mind and easily inflamed their indignation against men who threatened to destroy Diana's glory and deprive them of income.
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.
At this time a disturbance arose in Ephesus, stirred up against him by a certain silversmith named Demetrius. His chief craft was making silver models of the famous Ephesian temple of Artemis. Therefore the cooling of the pagans toward the temple of Artemis of Ephesus, which had occurred through the apostle's preaching, threatened the complete decline of his trade. Yet the popular tumult was soon calmed, and the disorderly crowd dispersed through the persuasion of a civil official. Thus Paul, against whom this popular disturbance had been raised, remained unharmed.
This confusion threatened danger of massacre not only for Christians, but also for the Jews, whom the people did not distinguish from Christians. To avert this danger, a certain Alexander came forward from among the Jews. He tried to address the crowd and say that the Jews were in no way guilty in this matter. But as soon as the crowd noticed the Jewish features of the speaker, it drowned out his speech with a furious cry: "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" It was ready to proceed to one of those terrible massacres which the Jews more than once endured in Alexandria and other great cities of the East.
"Some therefore cried one thing, and some another": this is a vivid depiction of a rebellious gathering of a crowd. Everyone knew that something was happening in the theater against Paul and his companions. They were unanimous, as verse 29 says, and of one voice, as verse 34 says. But what exactly was happening, most of those gathered did not know, especially those who had come later.
The Ephesian disturbance was like all popular disturbances. There was much shouting in it, but nothing useful was done for anyone. It is also characteristic that the majority did not even know what the matter was.
But the Jews knew, and even tried to direct the rioters. For this purpose a suitable agitator was pointed out. Yet because he bore in his own person the obvious features of unattractive Semitism, the people did not let him speak. They began shouting the one thing that pleased them: "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" In this cry the chief leaders of the disturbance met with the whole rabble.
"Truly, their mind is childish. As though fearing that their piety might be exhausted, they shout without ceasing. Paul stayed there two years, and see how many pagans still remained. Do you see how God permits temptations, so that by them He may stir up His disciples and make them firmer?
Therefore let us not lose heart during temptations, for He Himself will also provide relief, that we may be able to bear them. Nothing so helps love and communion as affliction."
Here also this manifestation of love for Paul took place, shown by his disciples and even by outsiders, especially by officials who knew the crowd and its unrestrained ways well.
As for the refusal to let the Jew Alexander speak, it is explained as follows. It is known that even much later Christians were identified with Jews. Very possibly, many participants in the riot did not know well against whom it was directed.
They heard only the constant cries, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" These showed that the riot had a religious basis, and they began to threaten the Jews.
The latter wished, on the one hand, to protect themselves from danger. They wanted to show that they had no solidarity with the new sect or with this Paul, whom they had persecuted so unsuccessfully yet bitterly throughout his stay in Ephesus.
On the other hand, they wanted to inflame the rioters' hatred against the Christians still more. Therefore they turned to Alexander, who was known among them, so that he might appear before the crowd and become their defender.
This Alexander is probably identical with the Alexander mentioned by the Apostle in the Second Epistle to Timothy (see 2 Tim 4:14). The Apostle says that he did him much harm. Evidently he was the fiercest defender of the Jews and opponent of Christians, especially of Paul.
Alexander appeared. But when the enraged crowd recognized in him the familiar and hated face of a Jew, the speaker's raised hand had to fall. The vast theater was again filled with the thousand-voiced cry, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!"
Clearly, with this violent and motley crowd, Demetrius could not attain any definite goal.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 19 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS