Verse Lens · Concise explanation
Acts 19:38 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 38. 38Wherefore 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.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
Directs Demetrius and artisans toward courts and proconsuls.
Read It With
- Acts 19:23–19:41
Read Acts 19:38 with 19:23–19:41. In isolation, this contribution—directs Demetrius and artisans toward courts and proconsuls—can be mistaken for the scene's whole claim, detached from its speaker or narrator, or separated from its outcome. The complete unit establishes: Demetrius links the Way to threatened craft income and Artemis's honor, craftsmen create a confused assembly, Jews put Alexander forward, and the town clerk disperses the crowd by pointing to courts and lawful assemblies.
What Remains True
Acts 19:38's particular contribution—directs Demetrius and artisans toward courts and proconsuls—shows that faithful witness remains accountable to the verse's speaker, narrated setting, affected people, and the complete movement of Acts 19:23–19:41.
How It Can Shape Life
- Practice Acts 19:38's particular contribution—directs Demetrius and artisans toward courts and proconsuls—through this passage-controlled response: Name how economic interests can fuel public outrage, protect workers and communities from scapegoating, and use lawful assembly rather than mob pressure.
Continue in Context
The full thought-unit study remains the final contextual authority for this Verse Lens.
Read Acts 19:23–19:41 — The Ephesian economy and civic assembly collide with the WaySources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? strong
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Exact displayed KJV wording, order, paragraph metadata, supplied-word markup, and unit coverage.
Exact location: Acts 19:23–19:41, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM-derived repository corpus
Open source ↗Greek textual evidence
The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition
Michael W. Holmes, editor; Society of Biblical Literature and Logos
Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software, 2010
Supports: Greek wording and punctuation control, without pretending one edition is a complete apparatus.
Exact location: SBLGNT official text, Acts 19:23-19:41
Open the Acts Greek text file ↗Lexical and grammatical evidence
STEP Bible Data
Tyndale House Cambridge
Tyndale House Cambridge, repository snapshot verified 2026
Supports: Morphology and lexical cross-check for words explicitly discussed in this unit.
Exact location: STEP Bible Data, TAGNT rows for Acts 19:23-19:41
Open source ↗open translation and translator notes
NET Bible First Edition Notes: Acts
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, 2006
Supports: Verse-attached textual, translation, language, geography, chronology, and historical notes actually printed for the unit.
Exact location: NET Bible First Edition Acts PDF, printed pp. 2104-2205, exact tn/tc/sn entries attached to 19:23–19:41
Open source ↗