Acts 12:22
in Acts 12And they began to shout, “This is the voice of a god, not a man!”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the people shouted, saying, The voice of a god, and not of a man.
KJV
And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man.
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This verse in Acts 12
Commentary
10 notes on this verseThe flatterers immediately began calling him a god, adding: "Be gracious; if until now we feared you as a man, from this time we acknowledge that you are above human nature." Notice how they flattered, but turn your gaze also to the greatness of spirit …
This site's exposition
Herod was in a furious dispute
on Acts 12:20-23
Tyre and Sidon make peace through Blastus, because their region depended on the king’s country for food, and Herod donned his royal robes on the appointed day, which Josephus describes as woven of silver. The crowd shouts that this is the voice of a god, not a man, and because Herod did not give glory to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down. Josephus's Antiquities records the same acclamation, a sudden pain and death five days later.
This site's exposition
This is the voice of a god
The people shout at Herod the honour Peter refused at 10:26 when he raised Cornelius from his knees, and Paul and Barnabas refuse it in 14:14. Herod accepts the voice of a god. Josephus reports the flatterers calling the king more than mortal.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
Immediately the flatterers cried out from different places, as if addressing a god and declaring him to be caring. Although until now we feared him as a man, from this point we confess him superior to nature. The king, however, did not rebuke them, nor …
And yet, it may be said, if those shouted, what is that to him? Because he accepted the acclamation, because he accounted himself to be worthy of the adoration. Through him those most receive a lesson, who so thoughtlessly flattered him. Observe again, while both parties deserve punishment, this man is punished. For this is not the time of judgment, but He punishes him that had most to answer for, leaving the others to profit by this man's fate. Observe both what flatterers those were, and what a high spirit was shown by the Apostles: the man whom the whole nation so courted, the same they held in contempt.
But if this man, because it was said to him, "It is the voice of God and not of a man" although he said nothing himself, suffered such things: much more should Christ, had He not Himself been God, have suffered for saying always as He did, "These words of mine are not Mine" and, "Angels minister to Me," and such like. But that man ended His life by a shameful and miserable death, and thenceforth no more is seen of him. And observe him also, easily talked over even by Blastus, like a poor creature, soon incensed and again pacified, and on all occasions a slave of the populace, with nothing free and independent about him.
"The people cried out." And what of this, if those men had cried out? That he accepted the shout, thinking himself worthy of flattery. But if this man, having heard that the voice was of a god and not of a man, and yet saying …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
); 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
2 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And the people gave a shout,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
And the people gave a shout - A loud applause. It is the voice of a god ... - It is not probable that the Jews joined in this acclamation, but that it was made by the idolatrous Gentiles. Josephus gives a similar account of their feelings and conduct.
The words behind it
9 Greek wordsEvery 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.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ὁ | ho | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| δὲ | de | And | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| δῆμος | demos | the people | G1218 → | 4 times |
| ἐπεφώνει· | epephonei | were crying out; | G2019 → | 4 times |
| θεοῦ | theou | Of a god | G2316 → | 1312 times |
| φωνὴ | phone | [this is the] voice | G5456 → | 139 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| οὐκ | ouk | not | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| ἀνθρώπου. | anthropou | of a man! | G444 → | 549 times |
ὁ<the>
hoG3588 →19766 times
δὲAnd
deG1161 →2765 times
δῆμοςthe people
demosG1218 →4 times
ἐπεφώνει·were crying out;
epephoneiG2019 →4 times
θεοῦOf a god
theouG2316 →1312 times
φωνὴ[this is the] voice
phoneG5456 →139 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
οὐκnot
oukG3756 →1664 times
ἀνθρώπου.of a man!
anthropouG444 →549 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach 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
Jude 1:16These men are discontented grumblers, following after their own lusts; their mouths spew arrogance; they flatter others for their own advantage.
it leads to
- 2 Peter 2:18
With lofty but empty words, they appeal to the sensual passions of the flesh and entice those who are just escaping from others who live in error.
- Philippians 2:14
Do everything without complaining or arguing,
- 2 Peter 2:10
Such punishment is specially reserved for those who indulge the corrupt desires of the flesh and despise authority. Bold and self-willed, they are unafraid to slander glorious beings.
- 1 Timothy 6:5
and constant friction between men of depraved mind who are devoid of the truth. These men regard godliness as a means of gain.
- 2 Peter 2:18
Through
Psalms 12:2They lie to one another; they speak with flattering lips and a double heart.
it leads to
- Romans 16:18
For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.
- Jeremiah 9:8
Their tongues are deadly arrows; they speak deception. With his mouth a man speaks peace to his neighbor, but in his heart he sets a trap for him.
- Psalms 41:6
My visitor speaks falsehood; he gathers slander in his heart; he goes out and spreads it abroad.
- Romans 16:18
Through
Revelation 13:4They worshiped the dragon who had given authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can wage war against it?”
it leads to
- Revelation 13:2
The beast I saw was like a leopard, with the feet of a bear and the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority.
- Revelation 13:2
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Acts
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); 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); Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews; Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews 19.8.2; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, Commentary on Acts and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts.