23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.



Ver. 23. I found an altar] A high altar, âùìïò , seems to come from áîä a high place. St Paul, as he preached without a pulpit, Act_17:17, so he takes his text off one of their altars. Anything serves turn, so he may do good.



To the unknown God] That uncertainty that attends idolatry caused those mariners to call every man to his God, Jon_1:5. And lest they might all mistake the true God, they awaken Jonas also to call upon his God. Hence these Athenians worship an unknown God; and hence, the heathens generally closed their petitions with Diique Deaeque omnes. All gods and godesses. (Serv. in Georg. i.)



Pausanias (in Attic.) mentioneth this altar, To the unknown God. Lucian saith the neighbour countries would swear by him unknown at Athens. The cause of erecting this altar some affirm to have been a fearful vision appearing to Philippides (sent ambassador to the Lacedaemonians concerning aid against the Persians), and complaining that he (that is, the great god Pan) was neglected and other gods worshipped, promising likewise his help. They therefore being victorious, and fearing the like event, built a temple and altar to the unknown God. Others say, that the plague being hot at Athens, and no help to be had from their gods, they surmising some other power to have sent and set on the disease, set up this altar, on which was written, To the gods of Asia, Europe, and Africa, to the unknown and strange God. (Justin Martyr, Oecumen. èåïéò Áóéáò êáé åõñùðçò êáé Ëéâõçò, èåùáãíùóôùêáéîåíù ..