Acts 17:5
What does Acts 17:5 mean?
A plain-English look at Acts 17:5 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Acts 17:5 means
Not all respond with faith. Some Jews, moved by jealousy rather than concern for truth, recruit unscrupulous men from the marketplace, incite a mob, and set the city in turmoil. They target Jason’s house, likely assuming Paul and Silas are hosted there. Opposition uses crowd manipulation and personal attack rather than Scripture. The tactics reveal motives: safeguarding influence, not seeking God’s will. By storming a private home, they escalate the matter from theological debate to public disorder. This shows how the gospel challenges entrenched powers and how adversaries often cloak envy with civic zeal, weaponizing social unrest to silence faithful witness.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000But the Jews, being moved with jealousy, took unto them certain vile fellows of the rabble, and gathering a crowd, set the city on an uproar; and assaulting the house of Jason, they sought to bring them forth to the people.
KJV
King James Version · 1611But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901But the Jews, being moved with jealousy, took unto them certain vile fellows of the rabble, and gathering a crowd, set the city on an uproar; and assaulting the house of Jason, they sought to bring them forth to the people.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949But the Jews, being moved with envy, took with them certain low persons from among the common people, and getting together a great number of people, made an outcry in the town, attacking the house of Jason with the purpose of taking them out to the people.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862And the unbelieving Jews, having been moved with envy, and having taken to them of the loungers certain evil men, and having made a crowd, were setting the city in an uproar; having assailed also the house of Jason, they were seeking them to bring <FI>them<Fi> to the populace,
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752But the Jews, moved with envy and taking unto them some wicked men of the vulgar sort and making a tumult, set the city in an uproar: and besetting Jason's house, sought to bring them out unto the people.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890But the Jews having been stirred up to jealousy, and taken to [themselves] certain wicked men of the lowest rabble, and having got a crowd together, set the city in confusion; and having beset the house of Jason sought to bring them out to the people;
Context
Following the report of many persuaded (verse 4), verse 5 introduces backlash. Jealous opponents stir up a riot and focus on Jason’s house, where the missionaries had presumably been welcomed. This conflict moves the issue into the public square and sets up the legal accusations in the next verses (6–7). The disturbance worries city leaders (verse 8) and concludes with a bond taken from Jason and others (verse 9), prompting the believers to send Paul and Silas away by night to Beroea (verse 10).
v.4And some of them were persuaded, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.
v.5This passage
v.6And when they found them not, they dragged Jason and certain brethren before the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also;
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Romans 16:21
Timothy my fellow-worker saluteth you; and Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen.
- Proverbs 14:30
A tranquil heart is the life of the flesh; But envy is the rottenness of the bones.
- 1 Corinthians 3:3
for ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you jealousy and strife, are ye not carnal, and do ye not walk after the manner of men?
- 1 Thessalonians 2:14
For ye, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judæa in Christ Jesus: for ye also suffered the same things of your own countrymen, even as they did of the Jews;
- Isaiah 26:11
Jehovah, thy hand is lifted up, yet they see not: but they shall seethyzeal for the people, and be put to shame; yea, fire shall devour thine adversaries.
- Psalms 35:15
But in mine adversity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together: The abjects gathered themselves together against me, and I knew it not; They did tear me, and ceased not:
Related questions readers ask
Keep reading
Want to dig deeper? Explore Acts 17
Hand-picked devotionals, topical studies, and pastoral answers that draw on Acts 17.
Topics that quote it
Topic
Bible Verses About Bible Reading
The Bible encourages us to read, study, and meditate on God’s Word to grow in faith and wisdom.
Topic
Bible Verses About God's Omnipresence
God is everywhere at all times, a comforting and challenging truth for believers.
Topic
Bible Verses About Justice
God’s perfect character and righteous standards guide all justice, which we are called to pursue in our lives and communities.
What the Bible says about…