Alexander (Jew of Ephesus)

Biblical Account

Alexander appears only in Acts 19:33–34. The passage is set during a riot that broke out while Paul was staying in Ephesus.

Demetrius, a silversmith, made and sold shrines of Artemis (called "Diana" in the KJV). He stirred up others in the same trade, claiming that Paul's preaching threatened both their livelihood and the worship of Artemis (Acts 19:24–27). The whole city was thrown into confusion, and the crowd rushed into the theater (Acts 19:29).

At this point the Jews pushed Alexander forward. He motioned with his hand and attempted to make a defense before the people; in the words of the KJV, he "would have made his defence unto the people" (Acts 19:33). The crowd, however, recognized that he was a Jew, and "all with one voice about the space of two hours cried out, Great is Diana of the Ephesians" (Acts 19:34). In the end, Alexander was unable to speak. The riot ended later, when the town clerk calmed the crowd and dismissed the assembly (Acts 19:35–41).

The text says nothing about Alexander's occupation, his faith, or his later life.

Significance Within Scripture

The scene illustrates how intense the Ephesian riot was. The crowd made no real distinction between Jews and Christians, showing hostility simply because both groups believed in one God and rejected idols. That Alexander's defense could not even begin reveals a crowd given over to idolatry and impervious to reasoned explanation. The scene stands in contrast to the town clerk's speech that follows.

Interpretation and Points of Debate

• Purpose of putting him forward: The text does not explain why the Jews put Alexander forward. Many commentators believe the Jewish community was attempting to show that it had no connection with Paul and his companions. Others suggest that they intended to accuse Paul. Some interpretations raise the possibility that Alexander was a Jewish Christian, but the text offers no basis for this.
• Translation issues: The meaning of the Greek in verse 33 is unclear. As a result, translations differ in how they render the part of the verse describing how Alexander was prompted or put forward, particularly regarding who did what to whom.
• Relationship to other Alexanders: The same name appears several times in the New Testament. There is the Alexander mentioned together with Hymenaeus in 1 Timothy 1:20, and Alexander the coppersmith in 2 Timothy 4:14. Because Timothy was in Ephesus (1 Timothy 1:3), some identify these figures with the same person. However, Alexander was a common name at the time, so no firm conclusion can be drawn. Many scholars regard them as separate individuals or consider the question impossible to determine. Alexander the son of Simon of Cyrene (Mark 15:21) and the Alexander of the high priest's family (Acts 4:6) are regarded as different people.

In Korean Churches

In Korean Protestant churches, sermons or teaching focused on Alexander himself are rare. He is mentioned mainly as part of the scene in sermons and Bible studies dealing with the Ephesian riot of Acts 19 or with Paul's missionary journeys.