Acts 14:19
in Acts 14Then some Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium and won over the crowds. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, presuming he was dead.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
But there came Jews thither from Antioch and Iconium: and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul, and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead.
KJV
And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and, having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead.
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This verse in Acts 14
Commentary
12 notes on this verseAnd there came thither certain Jews,.... Either just at the same time, or however whilst the apostles were in this city: in four manuscripts of Beza's, and in some other copies, it is read, "as they abode there, and taught, there came", &c.
This site's exposition
having stoned Paul
on Acts 14:19-20
Certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium arrive and persuade the same people who had moments before called Paul a god to turn on him, and having stoned Paul they draw him out of the city supposing him dead. Howbeit, as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up, and came into the city, Luke's spare wording leaving open whether this is recovery from a beating meant to kill or something nearer resurrection, a question the text does not settle and the bench holds open. The next day he departs with Barnabas to Derbe still, the mission unbroken by the stoning Paul later counts among his sufferings at 2 Corinthians 11:25.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
"But there came," it says, "certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium." Indeed children of the devil, that not in their own cities only, but also beyond them, they did these things, and as much made it their study to make an end of the preaching, as the Apostles were in earnest to establish it! "And having persuaded the multitude and stoned Paul, they dragged him out of the city." So then, the Gentiles regarded them as gods, but these "dragged" him, "out of the city, supposing he had been dead. Having persuaded the multitude"-for it is not likely that all thus reverenced them. In the very city in which they received this reverence, in the same were they thus terribly ill treated. And this also profited the beholders.
"And there came thither certain Jews," etc. O that Jewish madness! Among a people that had so honored the Apostles, they had the hardihood to come, and to stone Paul. "And they dragged him out of the city," being afraid of those others,-"Supposing he had been dead."
The Medieval Church2 voices
But some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium. In Greek, the narrative begins thus: While they were staying and teaching, some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium.
Look at the frenzy of the Jews: they infiltrated the people who had shown such honor to the apostles and "persuaded" them to stone Paul. And they dragged him out of the city because they were afraid. Moreover, they were only trying to undermine the …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Popular breath turns like the wind. If Paul would have been Mercury, he might have been enthroned, nay, he might have been enshrined; but, if he will be a faithful minister of Christ, he shall be stoned, and thrown out of the city.
5 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
So strong is the bias of the corrupt and carnal heart to that which is evil, even in contrary extremes, that, as it is with great difficulty that men are restrained from evil on one side, so it is with great ease that they are persuaded to evil on the other side.
However, their being persecuted here is a known indication to them to seek for opportunities of usefulness elsewhere, and therefore for the present they quit Lystra. They went to break up and sow fresh ground at Derbe. Thither the next day Paul and Barnabas departed, a city not far off; there they preached the gospel, there they taught many,
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
The words seem to imply that it was the Jews who did this; and no doubt they took the lead (Ac 14:19), but it was the act of the instigated and fickle multitudes along with them. drew him out of the city--By comparing this with Ac 7:58 it will be seen that the Jews were the chief actors in this scene.
There came thither certain Jews from Antioch - Those were, no doubt, the same who had raised up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, at Iconium and Antioch, before: they followed the apostles with implacable malice; and what they could not do themselves they endeavored to do by others, whose minds they first perverted, and then irritated to deeds of fell purpose. And having stoned Paul - Alas! of what real worth is popular fame? How uncertain, and how unworthy to be counted! These poor heathens acted just like the people of Malta, Act 28:4-6. When the viper fastened on the hand of Paul, they concluded he was a murderer: when they found it did him no damage, they changed their minds, and said he was a God! When the Lycaonians saw the miracles that Paul did, they said he was the god Mercury: when the persecuting Jews came, they persuaded them that he was an impostor; and then they endeavored to stone him to death. Supposing he had been dead - They did not leave stoning him till they had the fullest evidence that he was dead; and so, most probably, he was.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
And there came thither certain Jews - Not satisfied with having expelled them from Antioch and Iconium, they still pursued them. Persecutors often exhibit a zeal and perseverance in a bad cause which it would be well if Christians evinced in a holy cause. Bad people will often travel further to do evil than good people will to do good; and wicked people often show more zeal in opposing the gospel than professed Christians do in advancing it. Antioch and Iconium - See the notes on Act 13:14, Act 13:
The words behind it
22 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ἐπῆλθαν | epelthan | Came | G1904 → | 9 times |
| δὲ | de | however | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| ἀπὸ | apo | from | G575 → | 640 times |
| Ἀντιοχείας | antiocheias | Antioch | G490 → | 18 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| Ἰκονίου | ikoniou | Iconium | G2430 → | 6 times |
| Ἰουδαῖοι, | ioudaioi | Jews, | G2453 → | 192 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| πείσαντες | peisantes | having persuaded | G3982 → | 51 times |
| τοὺς | tous | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ὄχλους | ochlous | crowds | G3793 → | 175 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| λιθάσαντες | lithasantes | having stoned | G3034 → | |
| τὸν | ton | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Παῦλον | paulon | Paul | G3972 → | 158 times |
| ἔσυρον | esuron | they were dragging [him] | G4951 → | 5 times |
| ἔξω | exo | outside | G1854 → | 63 times |
| τῆς | tes | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| πόλεως | poleos | city | G4172 → | 163 times |
| νομίζοντες | nomizontes | supposing | G3543 → | 15 times |
| αὐτὸν | auton | him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| τεθνηκέναι. | tethnekenai | to have died. | G2348 → |
ἘπῆλθανCame
epelthanG1904 →9 times
δὲhowever
deG1161 →2765 times
ἀπὸfrom
apoG575 →640 times
ἈντιοχείαςAntioch
antiocheiasG490 →18 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἸκονίουIconium
ikoniouG2430 →6 times
Ἰουδαῖοι,Jews,
ioudaioiG2453 →192 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
πείσαντεςhaving persuaded
peisantesG3982 →51 times
τοὺςthe
tousG3588 →19766 times
ὄχλουςcrowds
ochlousG3793 →175 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
λιθάσαντεςhaving stoned
lithasantesG3034 →
τὸν<the>
tonG3588 →19766 times
ΠαῦλονPaul
paulonG3972 →158 times
ἔσυρονthey were dragging [him]
esuronG4951 →5 times
ἔξωoutside
exoG1854 →63 times
τῆςthe
tesG3588 →19766 times
πόλεωςcity
poleosG4172 →163 times
νομίζοντεςsupposing
nomizontesG3543 →15 times
αὐτὸνhim
autonG846 →5565 times
τεθνηκέναι.to have died.
tethnekenaiG2348 →
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
2 Timothy 3:11my persecutions, and the sufferings that came upon me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. What persecutions I endured! Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them.
it leads to
- Psalms 34:19
Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him from them all.
- Acts 14:5–6
But when the Gentiles and Jews, together with their rulers, set out to mistreat and stone them,
- 2 Corinthians 11:23–28
Are they servants of Christ? I am speaking like I am out of my mind, but I am so much more: in harder labor, in more imprisonments, in worse beatings, in frequent danger of…
- Acts 13:45
But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy, and they blasphemously contradicted what Paul was saying.
- Psalms 34:19
Through
Acts 13:45But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy, and they blasphemously contradicted what Paul was saying.
it leads to
- Jude 1:10
These men, however, slander what they do not understand, and like irrational animals, they will be destroyed by the things they do instinctively.
- Acts 18:6
But when they opposed and insulted him, he shook out his garments and told them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent of it. From now on I will go to…
- Acts 5:17
Then the high priest and all his associates, who belonged to the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. They went out
- Acts 19:9
But when some of them stubbornly refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way, Paul took his disciples and left the synagogue to conduct daily discussions in the lecture hall of Tyrannus.
- Jude 1:10
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Acts
This page draws on 9 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, Retractions on Acts; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 31; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts.