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Act 17:30. Χρόνους) the long times, which both ye, and other nations older than you, have spent. For that the Athenians, a colony of the Egyptians, derived that inscription, to the unknown God, from Isis and her robe (peplo: the πέπλος or robe of state worn by the gods), which was never taken off her so as to reveal her, is shown by Gottfr. Olearius Diss. de Gestis Pauli in urbe Athen.-τῆς ἀγνοίας, of ignorance) Is ignorance brought as an objection against the Athenians? (“Whom ye ignorantly worship,” Act 17:23.) They themselves have confessed it. Ἀγνώστῳ Θεῷ, “to the unknown God;” answering to which is the ἀγνοοῦντες, ye ignorantly, of Paul, Act 17:23.-ὑπεριδὼν) A frequent verb in the LXX. Transl., applied to a thing which is not attended to, and is left without favourable help (propitious aid) or without severe punishment (animadversion). For it is a verb of a middle signification between good and bad, most suitable to this passage: Gen 42:21, ὑπερείδομεν τὴν θλίψιν, “we overlooked, or did not regard, the distress of our brother,” etc.; Lev 20:4; Num 22:30; Deu 21:16; Deu 22:1; Deu 22:3-4; Job 31:19. And God is said ὑπεριδεῖν, Lev 26:44, οὐχ ὑπερεῖδον αὐτοὺς, “I did not disregard them;” with which comp. Lev 26:43, ἀνθʼ ὧν τὰ κρίματά μου ὑπερεῖδον, “because they disregarded My judgments:” Deu 3:26; Zec 1:12; Psa 55:1; Psa 78:59; Psa 78:62; Job 6:14. Therefore Paul means to say this: God passed over the times of ignorance, without any preaching of repentance, faith, and the judgment to come, as if He Himself did not animadvert upon (take notice with a view to punishment) or feel much displeased at the error of mankind, which was so great. Comp. Mat 20:7, “No man hath hired us” (the parable of the labourers called at different hours of the day), and Act 14:16, “God in times past suffered (εἴασε) all nations to walk in their own ways:” although Paul speaks more severely at Athens, than he had spoken to the Lycaonians: for he had courteously invited the latter, whereas here, at Athens, he speaks in atone of threatening.-τὰ νῦν, now) This day, this hour, saith Paul, brings with it the termination of the Divine connivance [dissimulationis, overlooking the times of ignorance, as though they had no existence, acting as if He did not see them], and a season of greater grace or else of greater punishment.-παραγγέλλει, plainly enjoins) even by Paul.-πανταχοῦ, everywhere) Repentance is preached everywhere: because all shall be judged. The penitent escape.-μετανοεῖν) to repent, to cease from their ignorance, etc. Paul, though drawing his discourse from natural Theology, yet blends with it some things out of revealed Theology. Comp. Act 17:27-28. For even the Gentiles are to be won over by the doctrines which are above nature.