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Acts 12:20

in Acts 12

Now Herod was in a furious dispute with the people of Tyre and Sidon, and they convened before him. Having secured the support of Blastus, the king’s chamberlain, they asked for peace, because their region depended on the king’s country for food.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

Now he was highly displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon: and they came with one accord to him, and, having made Blastus the king’s chamberlain their friend, they asked for peace, because their country was fed from the king’s country.

KJV

And Herod was highly displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon: but they came with one accord to him, and, having made Blastus the king’s chamberlain their friend, desired peace; because their country was nourished by the king’s country.

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This verse in Acts 12

Commentary

10 notes on this verse

A commentator

Bede

Commentary on Acts · Written before 735.

They were asking for peace because their regions were being fed by him. They needed the friendship of the neighboring king because their region was very narrow and was pressed by the boundaries of Galilee and Damascus. Whence, neither did their metropolis of Tyre have …

This site's exposition

highly displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon

on Acts 12:20-23

Herod's quarrel with Tyre and Sidon, cities dependent on his territory for grain, is patched through Blastus the king's chamberlain, and on a set day Herod addresses the delegation arrayed in royal apparel that Josephus separately describes as a robe woven of silver catching the morning sun. The people's shout, the voice of a god and not of a man, is flattery Herod does not refuse, and immediately the angel of the Lord smites him because he gave not God the glory. Josephus records the same event in the Antiquities, a sudden internal pain following the acclamation and death five days later, an outside confirmation the bench treats as one of the strongest points of contact between Luke and secular history in the whole book.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers1 voice

A commentator

John Chrysostom

Homily on Acts 27 · Written in the 5th century.

proposed

Why does he mention this history? Say, what has it to do with the Gospel, that Herod is incensed with the Tyrians and Sidonians? It is not a small matter, even this, how immediately justice seized him; although not because of Peter, but because of his arrogant speaking. "And he went down from Judea to Caesarea, and there abode. And Herod was highly displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon." He is now going to mention a matter of history: this is the reason why he adds the names, that it may be shown how he keeps to the truth in all things. "And," it says, "having made Blastus the king's chamberlain their friend, they desired peace; because their country was nourished by the king's country." For probably there was a famine. I suppose it was also to bring those men of Tyre and Sidon to apologize, that he withdrew from Jerusalem: for with those he was incensed, while paying such court to these. See how vainglorious the man is: meaning to confer the boon upon them, he makes an harangue. But Josephus says, that he was also arrayed in a splendid robe made of silver.

The Medieval Church1 voice

A commentator

Theophylact of Ohrid

Commentary on Acts · Written before 1107.

proposed

Luke mentioned this story, from which it is evident how immediately punishment overtook Herod.

The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices

A commentator

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)

And so the Christians of those parts were, by the providence of God, delivered from scarcity. Their country was nourished - Was provided with, corn, by the king's country - Thus Hiram also, king of Tyre, desired of Solomon food or corn for his household, 1 Kings v, 9. And on a set day - Which was solemnized yearly, in honour of Claudius Caesar;

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

); and this was done while Barnabas and Saul were at Jerusalem, upon the errand that the church of Antioch sent them on, to carry their charity; and therefore in the close we have an account of their return to Antioch,

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens

And Herod was highly displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon,....
3 more voices on this verse

The Nineteenth Century3 voices

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

Highly displeased with them of Tyre - On what account Herod was thus displeased is not related by any historian, as far as I have been able to ascertain. Josephus, who speaks of this journey of Herod to Caesarea, says nothing of it; and it is useless for us to conjecture. Having made Blastus - their friend - Blastus was probably a eunuch, and had considerable influence over his master Herod; and, to reach the master, it is likely they bribed the chamberlain.

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

Herod was . . . displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon--for some reason unknown; but the effect on their commercial relations made the latter glad to sue for peace. their country was nourished by the king's country--See 1Ki 5:11;
And Herod was highly displeased ... - Greek: “bore a hostile mind,” intending war. See the margin. The Greek word θυμομαχῶν thumomachōn does not occur elsewhere in the New Testament. It means to meditate war; to purpose war in the mind; or here, probably, to be enraged or angry at them. What was the cause of this hostility to the people of Tyre and Sidon is not mentioned, and conjecture is useless. It is not at all inconsistent, however, with the well known character of Herod. It was probably from some cause relating to commerce. Tyre and Sidon were under the Roman power, and had some shadow of liberty (Grotius), and it is probable that they might have embarrassed Herod in some of his regulations respecting commerce. Tyre and Sidon - See the notes on Mat 11:21. They were north of Caesarea. They came with one accord - Fearing the effects of his anger, they united in sending an embassage to him to make peace. Blastus, the king’s chamberlain - See Rom 16:23. The word “chamberlain” denotes an officer who is charged with the direction and management of a chamber or chambers, particularly a bed-chamber. It denotes here a man who had charge of the bed chamber of Herod. Because their country was nourished ... - Was supplied by the territories of Herod. The country of Tyre and Sidon included a narrow strip of land on the coast of the Mediterranean. Of course they were dependent for provisions, and for articles of commerce, on the interior country; but this belonged to the kingdom of Herod; and as they were entirely dependent on his country, as he had power to dry up the sources of their support and commerce, they were the more urgent to secure his favor.

The words behind it

31 Greek words

Every Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

18 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Ezra 3:7They gave money to the masons and carpenters, and food and drink and oil to the people of Sidon and Tyre to bring cedar logs from Lebanon to Joppa by sea, as authorized by Cyrus king of Persia.5 worksEzekiel 27:17Judah and the land of Israel traded with you; they exchanged wheat from Minnith, cakes and honey, oil and balm for your merchandise.4 worksMatthew 11:21–22“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.4 works1 Kings 5:9My servants will haul the logs from Lebanon to the Sea, and I will float them as rafts by sea to the place you specify. There I will separate the logs, and you can take them away. And in exchange, you can meet my needs by providing my household with food.”4 worksLuke 14:31–32Or what king on his way to war with another king will not first sit down and consider whether he can engage with ten thousand men the one coming against him with twenty thousand?3 worksLuke 16:8The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the sons of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the sons of light.3 works
The other 12 cross-references, with their words ▾
Acts 21:3After sighting Cyprus and passing south of it, we sailed on to Syria and landed at Tyre, where the ship was to unload its cargo.3 worksLuke 14:32And if he is unable, he will send a delegation while the other king is still far off, to ask for terms of peace.3 worksGenesis 10:19and the borders of Canaan extended from Sidon toward Gerar as far as Gaza, and then toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha.2 worksJoshua 19:29The border then turned back toward Ramah as far as the fortified city of Tyre, turned toward Hosah, and came out at the Sea in the region of Achzib,2 works2 Chronicles 2:10I will pay your servants, the woodcutters, 20,000 cors of ground wheat, 20,000 cors of barley, 20,000 baths of wine, and 20,000 baths of olive oil.”2 worksHaggai 1:8–11Go up into the hills, bring down lumber, and build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified, says the LORD.2 worksProverbs 25:8do not bring hastily to court. Otherwise, what will you do in the end when your neighbor puts you to shame?2 works2 Chronicles 2:15Now let my lord send to his servants the wheat, barley, olive oil, and wine he promised.2 worksHosea 2:8–9For she does not acknowledge that it was I who gave her grain, new wine, and oil, who lavished on her silver and gold—which they crafted for Baal.2 worksHaggai 2:16–17from that time, when one came expecting a heap of twenty ephahs of grain, there were but ten. When one came to the winepress to draw out fifty baths, there were but twenty.2 worksProverbs 17:14To start a quarrel is to release a flood; so abandon the dispute before it breaks out.2 worksIsaiah 27:4–5I am not angry. If only thorns and briers confronted Me, I would march and trample them, I would burn them to the ground.2 works

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Luke 16:8

    The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the sons of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the sons of light.

    it leads to

    • 1 Thessalonians 5:5

      For you are all sons of the light and sons of the day; we do not belong to the night or to the darkness.

    • Ephesians 5:8

      For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light,

    • John 12:36

      While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of light.” After Jesus had spoken these things, He went away and was hidden from them.

    • Luke 16:10

      Whoever is faithful with very little will also be faithful with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.

    • Proverbs 6:6–8

      Walk in the manner of the ant, O slacker; observe its ways and become wise.

  • Through

    Ezekiel 27:17

    Judah and the land of Israel traded with you; they exchanged wheat from Minnith, cakes and honey, oil and balm for your merchandise.

    it leads to

    • Judges 11:33

      With a great blow he devastated twenty cities from Aroer to the vicinity of Minnith, as far as Abel-keramim. So the Ammonites were subdued before the Israelites.

    • 1 Kings 5:9

      My servants will haul the logs from Lebanon to the Sea, and I will float them as rafts by sea to the place you specify. There I will separate the logs, and you can…

  • Through

    Ezra 3:7

    They gave money to the masons and carpenters, and food and drink and oil to the people of Sidon and Tyre to bring cedar logs from Lebanon to Joppa by sea, as authorized by…

    it leads to

    • 1 Kings 5:6

      Now therefore, order that cedars of Lebanon be cut down for me. My servants will be with your servants, and I will pay your servants whatever wages you set, for you know that there…

Where this verse is studied

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About Acts

The Ascension, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
The Ascension, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
Acts: the study guide →Read Acts 12 →
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, Commentary on Acts; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 27; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts.

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