Acts 17:18

King James Version (KJV)

Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection.

Translations

Acts 17:18 - Amplified Bible

And some also of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered him {and} began to engage in discussion. And some said, What is this babbler with his scrap-heap learning trying to say? Others said, He seems to be an announcer of foreign deities--because he preached Jesus and the resurrection.

Acts 17:18 - American Standard Version

And certain also of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered him. And some said, What would this babbler say? others, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached Jesus and the resurrection.

Acts 17:18 - Bible in Basic English

And some of those who were supporters of the theories of the Epicureans and the Stoics, had a meeting with him. And some said, What is this talker of foolish words saying? And others, He seems to be a preacher of strange gods: because he was preaching of Jesus and his coming back from the dead.

Acts 17:18 - Darby Bible

But some also of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers attacked him. And some said, What would this chatterer say? and some, He seems to be an announcer of foreign demons, because he announced the glad tidings of Jesus and the resurrection [to them].

Acts 17:18 - English Standard Version

Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said, "What does this babbler wish to say?" Others said, "He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities"–because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection.

Acts 17:18 - King James Version

Acts 17:18 - La Biblia de las Americas

También disputaban con él algunos de los filòsofos epicùreos y estoicos. Y algunos decìan: ¿Qué quiere decir este palabrero? Y otros: Parece ser un predicador de divinidades extrañas -porque les predicaba a Jesùs y la resurrecciòn.

Acts 17:18 - The Message

Acts 17:18 - New American Standard Bible

And also some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were conversing with him. Some were saying, "What would this idle babbler wish to say?" Others, "He seems to be a proclaimer of strange deities,"--because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection.

Acts 17:18 - Nueva Biblia Latinoamericana de Hoy

También discutìan con él algunos de los filòsofos Epicùreos y Estoicos. Y algunos decìan: "¿Qué quiere decir este palabrero?" "Parece ser un predicador de divinidades extrañas," decìan otros; porque les predicaba a (anunciaba el evangelio de) Jesùs y la resurrecciòn.

Acts 17:18 - World English Bible

Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also encountered him. Some said, "What does this babbler want to say?" Others said, "He seems to be advocating foreign demons," because he preached Jesus and the resurrection.

Acts 17:18 - Young's Living Translation

And certain of the Epicurean and of the Stoic philosophers, were meeting together to see him, and some were saying, `What would this seed picker wish to say?` and others, `Of strange demons he doth seem to be an announcer;` because Jesus and the rising again he did proclaim to them as good news,

Acts 17:18 - Additional Comments

Epicurean philosophers were those who embraced the teachings of Epicurus, 342-270 BC. They held that pleasure is the highest end to living, i.e. "eat, drink, and be merry". They denied the immortality of the soul, and therefore the consequences. They also denied the gods had control in human affairs.
Stoic philosophers followed what was originally taught by Zeno of Cyprus (died 264 BC at the age of 96). "Stoic" means "porch", because that is from where Zeno often taught. This philosophy was well-known in Tarsus, so Paul was probably very familiar with it. They taught the world was created by Zeus, that all were subject to the "Fates", and that self-denial led to the highest end in life. Passions and affections were to be restrained. They denied the immortality of the soul, believing it would be destroyed at the end of the earth of be absorbed in the deity.
These philosophies were attempts to explain the great questions of life.
A babbler, literally a "seed-picker."
" Applied by the Greeks to the poor people who, after a harvest, would collect the seeds that were left in the fields, and then to the men who hung around the shops and the markets, picking up scraps, which fell from the loads of food, and living off them.
" It was also a name given to a little bird who hopped here & there picking up the scattered kernels of grain.
" The word then came to be applied to men who picked up scraps of information here and there and then tried to palm them off as their own.
" They were dismissing Paul as a man who had picked up bits of philosophy here & there, and was proclaiming merely a syncretistic philosophy.
"Babbler" means one who speaks excessively without much meaning.
The terms for gods means deities, or "demons" superior to men, but inferior to the gods. These demons were men who became exalted to this superior place after being heroes or distinguished men in this life.
They referred to "gods" as plural, some say because they thought he was talking about 2 gods, Jesus and Resurrection (for they had the gods Pity, Piety, Modesty, Harmony, Shame, Famine, and Desire).

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