VERSE STUDY • KJV

Acts 18:12-16

¹² And when Gallio was the deputy of Achaia, the Jews made insurrection with one accord against Paul, and brought him to the judgment seat, ¹³ Saying, This [fellow] persuadeth men to worship God contrary to the law. ¹⁴ And when Paul was now about to open [his] mouth, Gallio said unto the Jews, If it were a matter of wrong or wicked lewdness, O [ye] Jews, reason would that I should bear with you: ¹⁵ But if it be a question of words and names, and [of] your law, look ye [to it]; for I will be no judge of such [matters]. ¹⁶ And he drave them from the judgment seat.

Read it in 5 translations

KJV King James Version

¹² And when Gallio was the deputy of Achaia, the Jews made insurrection with one accord against Paul, and brought him to the judgment seat, ¹³ Saying, This [fellow] persuadeth men to worship God contrary to the law. ¹⁴ And when Paul was now about to open [his] mouth, Gallio said unto the Jews, If it were a matter of wrong or wicked lewdness, O [ye] Jews, reason would that I should bear with you: ¹⁵ But if it be a question of words and names, and [of] your law, look ye [to it]; for I will be no judge of such [matters]. ¹⁶ And he drave them from the judgment seat.

BSB Berean Standard Bible

¹² While Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews coordinated an attack on Paul and brought him before the judgment seat. ¹³ “This man is persuading the people to worship God in ways contrary to the law,” they said. ¹⁴ But just as Paul was about to speak, Gallio told the Jews, “If this matter involved a wrongdoing or vicious crime, O Jews, it would be reasonable for me to hear your complaint. ¹⁵ But since it is a dispute about words and names and your own law, settle it yourselves. I refuse to be a judge of such things.” ¹⁶ And he drove them away from the judgment seat.

WEB World English Bible

¹² But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews with one accord rose up against Paul and brought him before the judgment seat, ¹³ saying, “This man persuades men to worship God contrary to the law.” ¹⁴ But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If indeed it were a matter of wrong or of wicked crime, you Jews, it would be reasonable that I should bear with you; ¹⁵ but if they are questions about words and names and your own law, look to it yourselves. For I don’t want to be a judge of these matters.” ¹⁶ He drove them from the judgment seat.

ASV American Standard Version

¹² But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews with one accord rose up against Paul and brought him before the judgment-seat, ¹³ saying, This man persuadeth men to worship God contrary to the law. ¹⁴ But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said unto the Jews, If indeed it were a matter of wrong or of wicked villany, O ye Jews, reason would that I should bear with you: ¹⁵ but if they are questions about words and names and your own law, look to it yourselves; I am not minded to be a judge of these matters. ¹⁶ And he drove them from the judgment-seat.

YLT Young’s Literal Translation

¹² And Gallio being proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a rush with one accord upon Paul, and brought him unto the tribunal, ¹³ saying—‘Against the law this one doth persuade men to worship God;’ ¹⁴ and Paul being about to open his mouth, Gallio said unto the Jews, ‘If, indeed, then, it was anything unrighteous, or an act of wicked profligacy, O Jews, according to reason I had borne with you, ¹⁵ but if it is a question concerning words and names, and of your law, look ye yourselves to it, for a judge of these things I do not wish to be,’ ¹⁶ and he drave them from the tribunal;

Surrounding context — Acts 18

9 Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace:

10 For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city.

11 And he continued [there] a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.

12 And when Gallio was the deputy of Achaia, the Jews made insurrection with one accord against Paul, and brought him to the judgment seat,

13 Saying, This [fellow] persuadeth men to worship God contrary to the law.

14 And when Paul was now about to open [his] mouth, Gallio said unto the Jews, If it were a matter of wrong or wicked lewdness, O [ye] Jews, reason would that I should bear with you:

15 But if it be a question of words and names, and [of] your law, look ye [to it]; for I will be no judge of such [matters].

16 And he drave them from the judgment seat.

17 Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the chief ruler of the synagogue, and beat [him] before the judgment seat. And Gallio cared for none of those things.

18 And Paul [after this] tarried [there] yet a good while, and then took his leave of the brethren, and sailed thence into Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila; having shorn [his] head in Cenchrea: for he had a vow.

19 And he came to Ephesus, and left them there: but he himself entered into the synagogue, and reasoned with the Jews.

Read the whole chapter → · About Acts →

HISTORICAL INTERPRETATION

Compare classic commentaries on Acts 18:12-16

Put Matthew Henry, Adam Clarke, Calvin, Wesley, Barnes, Jamieson–Fausset–Brown, Aquinas’ Catena and other public-domain sources beside the passage.

Compare commentaries →