Acts 19:38
New International Version
If, then, Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a grievance against anybody, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. They can press charges.

New Living Translation
“If Demetrius and the craftsmen have a case against them, the courts are in session and the officials can hear the case at once. Let them make formal charges.

English Standard Version
If therefore Demetrius and the craftsmen with him have a complaint against anyone, the courts are open, and there are proconsuls. Let them bring charges against one another.

Berean Standard Bible
So if Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a complaint against anyone, the courts are open and proconsuls are available. Let them bring charges against one another there.

Berean Literal Bible
So if indeed Demetrius and the craftsmen with him have a matter against anyone, courts are conducted, and there are proconsuls; let them accuse one another.

King James Bible
Wherefore if Demetrius, and the craftsmen which are with him, have a matter against any man, the law is open, and there are deputies: let them implead one another.

New King James Version
Therefore, if Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a case against anyone, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. Let them bring charges against one another.

New American Standard Bible
So then, if Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a complaint against anyone, the courts are in session and proconsuls are available; have them bring charges against one another.

NASB 1995
“So then, if Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a complaint against any man, the courts are in session and proconsuls are available; let them bring charges against one another.

NASB 1977
“So then, if Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a complaint against any man, the courts are in session and proconsuls are available; let them bring charges against one another.

Legacy Standard Bible
So then, if Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a complaint against anyone, the courts are in session and proconsuls are available; let them bring charges against one another.

Amplified Bible
So then, if Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a complaint against anyone, the courts are in session and proconsuls are available; let them bring charges against one another there.

Christian Standard Bible
So if Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a case against anyone, the courts are in session, and there are proconsuls. Let them bring charges against one another.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
So if Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a case against anyone, the courts are in session, and there are proconsuls. Let them bring charges against one another.

American Standard Version
If therefore Demetrius, and the craftsmen that are with him, have a matter against any man, the courts are open, and there are proconsuls: let them accuse one another.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
“But if this Demetrius and the fellows of his trade have a judgment with any, behold, the Proconsuls of the city are skilled; let them approach and dispute one with another.”

Contemporary English Version
If Demetrius and his workers have a case against these men, we have courts and judges. Let them take their complaints there.

Douay-Rheims Bible
But if Demetrius and the craftsmen that are with him, have a matter against any man, the courts of justice are open, and there are proconsuls: let them accuse one another.

English Revised Version
If therefore Demetrius, and the craftsmen that are with him, have a matter against any man, the courts are open, and there are proconsuls: let them accuse one another.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
If Demetrius and the men who work for him have a legal complaint against anyone, we have special days and officials to hold court. That's where they should bring charges against each other.

Good News Translation
If Demetrius and his workers have an accusation against anyone, we have the authorities and the regular days for court; charges can be made there.

International Standard Version
So if Demetrius and his workers have a charge against anyone, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. They should accuse one another there.

Literal Standard Version
if indeed, therefore, Demetrius and the craftsmen with him have a matter with anyone, court [days] are held, and there are proconsuls; let them accuse one another.

Majority Standard Bible
So if Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a complaint against anyone, the courts are open and proconsuls are available. Let them bring charges against one another there.

New American Bible
If Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a complaint against anyone, courts are in session, and there are proconsuls. Let them bring charges against one another.

NET Bible
If then Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a complaint against someone, the courts are open and there are proconsuls; let them bring charges against one another there.

New Revised Standard Version
If therefore Demetrius and the artisans with him have a complaint against anyone, the courts are open, and there are proconsuls; let them bring charges there against one another.

New Heart English Bible
If therefore Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a matter against anyone, the courts are open, and there are proconsuls. Let them press charges against one another.

Webster's Bible Translation
Wherefore, if Demetrius and the artificers who are with him, have a matter against any man, the law is open, and there are deputies: let them implead one another.

Weymouth New Testament
If, however, Demetrius and the mechanics who support his contention have a grievance against any one, there are Assize-days and there are Proconsuls: let the persons interested accuse one another.

World English Bible
If therefore Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a matter against anyone, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. Let them press charges against one another.

Young's Literal Translation
if indeed, therefore, Demetrius and the artificers with him with any one have a matter, court days are held, and there are proconsuls; let them accuse one another.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Riot in Ephesus
37For you have brought these men here, though they have neither robbed our temple nor blasphemed our goddess. 38So if Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a complaint against anyone, the courts are open and proconsuls are available. Let them bring charges against one another there. 39But if you are seeking anything beyond this, it must be settled in a legal assembly.…

Cross References
Acts 13:7
an attendant of the proconsul, Sergius Paulus. The proconsul, a man of intelligence, summoned Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the word of God.

Acts 13:8
But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith.

Acts 13:12
When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was astonished at the teaching about the Lord.

Acts 19:24
It began with a silversmith named Demetrius who made silver shrines of Artemis, bringing much business to the craftsmen.

Acts 19:39
But if you are seeking anything beyond this, it must be settled in a legal assembly.


Treasury of Scripture

Why if Demetrius, and the craftsmen which are with him, have a matter against any man, the law is open, and there are deputies: let them accuse one another.

Demetrius.

Acts 19:24
For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, which made silver shrines for Diana, brought no small gain unto the craftsmen;

have.

Acts 18:14
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:

Deuteronomy 17:8
If there arise a matter too hard for thee in judgment, between blood and blood, between plea and plea, and between stroke and stroke, being matters of controversy within thy gates: then shalt thou arise, and get thee up into the place which the LORD thy God shall choose;

1 Corinthians 6:1
Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints?

the law is open.

Jump to Previous
Artificers Artisans Cause Charges Complaint Contention Court Courts Craftsmen Demetrius Deputies Fellow Grievance Held However Judges Law Matter Mechanics Open Persons Press Protest Session Support Wherefore Workmen
Jump to Next
Artificers Artisans Cause Charges Complaint Contention Court Courts Craftsmen Demetrius Deputies Fellow Grievance Held However Judges Law Matter Mechanics Open Persons Press Protest Session Support Wherefore Workmen
Acts 19
1. The Holy Spirit is given by Paul's hands.
8. The Jews blaspheme his doctrine, which is confirmed by miracles.
13. The Jewish exorcists,
16. are beaten by a man who had an evil spirit.
19. Conjuring books are burnt.
21. Demetrius, for love of gain, raises an uproar against Paul;
35. which is appeased by the town clerk.














(38) The law is open.--Literally, the court, or forum, days are going on. The words may either indicate that the proconsul was then actually sitting to hold trials in the agora or forum, or may be taken as a colloquial idiom for "there are court days coming."

There are deputies.--The Greek word is (as in Acts 13:7; Acts 18:12) the equivalent for proconsul. Strictly speaking, there was only one proconsul in each province, and we must therefore assume either that here also the expression is colloquial, or that the assessors (consiliarii) of the proconsul were popularly so described, or that some peculiar combination of circumstances had led to there being two persons at this time at Ephesus clothed with proconsular authority. There are some grounds for adopting the last alternative. Junius Silanus, who was Proconsul of Asia when St. Paul arrived in Ephesus (A.D. 54), had been poisoned by Celer and Helius, the two procurators, at the instigation of Agrippina; and it seems probable that they for a time held a joint proconsular authority.

Let them implead one another.--The English word exactly expresses the technical force of the Greek. Demetrius and his followers were to lodge a formal statement of the charge they brought against the accused. They in their turn were to put in a rejoinder, and so joining issue, each side would produce its witnesses.

Verse 38. - If therefore for wherefore if, A.V.; that for which, A.V.; the courts are for the law is, A.V.; proconsuls for deputies, A.V.; accuse for implead, A.V. Against any man. Mark the skill with which the town-clerk passes from the concrete to the abstract, and avoids the mention of Paul's name. The courts are open; ἀγοραῖοι (or ἀγόραιοι) ἄγονται. Some supply the word σύνοδοι, and make the sense "judicial assemblies," "sessions," coming round at proper fixed intervals. But the verb ἄγονται, more naturally suggests ἡμέραι, as Bengel says (ἄγειν γενέσια τὰς ἡμέρας τῆς σκηνοπηγίας: Ὀλύμπια: γενέθλιον, etc.), and then the meaning is, "The regular court-days are kept, when the proconsul attends to try causes;" there is no need to have an irregular trial. So Suidas explains it, Ἡμέρα ἐνῇ ἡ ἀγορὰ. There are proconsuls. Bengel, with whom Meyer agrees, thinks the plural denotes the unbroken succession of proconsuls. But Lewin thinks it may mark the exact time of these transactions as being immediately after the poisoning of the Proconsul Junius Silanus by order of Agrippina, when the two procurators, Celer and AElius, exercised the proconsular power till the appointment of another proconsul, according to a law of Claudius to that effect. Others have other explanations.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
So
οὖν (oun)
Conjunction
Strong's 3767: Therefore, then. Apparently a primary word; certainly, or accordingly.

if
Εἰ (Ei)
Conjunction
Strong's 1487: If. A primary particle of conditionality; if, whether, that, etc.

Demetrius
Δημήτριος (Dēmētrios)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 1216: Demetrius, a silversmith of Ephesus. From Demeter; Demetrius, the name of an Ephesian and of a Christian.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

his fellow
αὐτῷ (autō)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

craftsmen
τεχνῖται (technitai)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 5079: A craftsman, artisan, architect, builder. From techne; an artisan; figuratively, a founder.

have
ἔχουσι (echousi)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 2192: To have, hold, possess. Including an alternate form scheo skheh'-o; a primary verb; to hold.

a complaint
λόγον (logon)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3056: From lego; something said; by implication, a topic, also reasoning or motive; by extension, a computation; specially, the Divine Expression.

against
πρός (pros)
Preposition
Strong's 4314: To, towards, with. A strengthened form of pro; a preposition of direction; forward to, i.e. Toward.

anyone,
τινα (tina)
Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5100: Any one, some one, a certain one or thing. An enclitic indefinite pronoun; some or any person or object.

[the] courts
ἀγοραῖοι (agoraioi)
Adjective - Nominative Feminine Plural
Strong's 60: From agora; relating to the market-place, i.e. Forensic; by implication, vulgar.

are open
ἄγονται (agontai)
Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 71: A primary verb; properly, to lead; by implication, to bring, drive, go, pass, or induce.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

proconsuls
ἀνθύπατοί (anthypatoi)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 446: A proconsul. From anti and a superlative of huper; instead of the highest officer, i.e. a Roman proconsul.

are available.
εἰσιν (eisin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

Let them bring charges against
ἐγκαλείτωσαν (enkaleitōsan)
Verb - Present Imperative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 1458: To bring a charge against, accuse. From en and kaleo; to call in, i.e. Bring to account.

one another [ there ].
ἀλλήλοις (allēlois)
Personal / Reciprocal Pronoun - Dative Masculine Plural
Strong's 240: One another, each other. Genitive plural from allos reduplicated; one another.


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NT Apostles: Acts 19:38 If therefore Demetrius and the craftsmen who (Acts of the Apostles Ac)
Acts 19:37
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