Diana

How Nave’s arranged it

• Goddess of the EphesiansActs 19:24Acts 19:27Acts 19:28Acts 19:35

The passages, in Bible order (4)

The same references, sorted Genesis to Revelation. The first 4 are quoted in full; the rest are one click beneath them, book by book.

1. Acts 19:24

   It began with a silversmith named Demetrius who made silver shrines of Artemis, bringing much business to the craftsmen.

   ›Commentary on Acts 19:242 voices

   “A certain Demetrius, a silversmith, etc. This Demetrius, who tries to disturb the way of the Lord, fulfills his name by his actions. For it means "excessive persecutor." Hence, accordingly, the temples he makes for Diana are built of nothing else but silver metal since …

   “Silver shrines for Diana - It is generally known that the temple of Diana at Ephesus was deemed one of the seven wonders of the world, and was a most superb building. It appears that the silver shrines mentioned here were small portable representations of this temple, which were bought by strangers as matters of curiosity, and probably of devotion.

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2. Acts 19:27

   There is danger not only that our business will fall into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited and her majesty deposed—she who is worshiped by all the province of Asia and the whole world.”

   ›Commentary on Acts 19:272 voices

   “The great goddess was one of the standing titles of Diana. Her majesty destroyed - Miserable majesty, which was capable of being thus destroyed! Whom all Asia and the world - That is, the Roman empire, worshippeth - Although under a great variety of titles and characters.

   “Its very site is now a matter of uncertainty. The little wooden image of Diana was as primitive and rude as its shrine was sumptuous; not like the Greek Diana, in the form of an imposing huntress, but quite Asiatic, in the form of a many-breasted female (emblematic of the manifold ministrations of Nature to man), terminating in a shapeless block.

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3. Acts 19:28

   When the men heard this, they were enraged and began shouting, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

   ›Commentary on Acts 19:282 voices

   “Were full of wrath - Were greatly enraged - probably at the prospect of losing their gains. Great is Diana ... - The term “great” was often applied by the Greeks to Diana. Thus, in Xenophon (Ephes. i.), he says, “I adjure you by your own goddess, the great (τὴν μεγάλην tēn megalēn) Diana of the Ephesians.” The design of this clamor was doubtless to produce a persecution against Paul, and thus to secure a continuance of their employment.

   “They became enraged upon hearing about Artemis and the undermining of their craft, because it is characteristic of the rabble to become agitated and inflamed by any matter, even a trivial one. They had gods in the city; and they assumed a threatening posture, so …

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4. Acts 19:35

   Finally the city clerk quieted the crowd and declared, “Men of Ephesus, doesn’t everyone know that the city of Ephesus is guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image, which fell from heaven?

   ›Commentary on Acts 19:352 voices

   “The register - Probably the chief governor of the public games. The image which fell down from Jupiter - They believed that very image of Diana, which stood in her temple, fell down from Jupiter in heaven. Perhaps he designed to insinuate, as if falling down from Jupiter, it was not made with hands, and so was not that sort of idols which Paul had said were no gods.

   "With this we may compare various legends concerning images and pictures in the Romish Church, such as the traditional likenesses of Christ, which were said to be "not made with hands"" [WEBSTER and WILKINSON].

   Everything gathered on Acts 19:35→

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