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Acts 19:34

in Acts 19

But when they realized that he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison for about two hours: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

But when they perceived that he was a Jew, all with one voice about the space of two hours cried out, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.

KJV

But when they knew that he was a Jew, all with one voice about the space of two hours cried out, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.

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This verse in Acts 19

Commentary

12 notes on this verse
But when they knew that he was a Jew,.... And so equally an enemy to their idolatry, as Paul and his companions were, whether he was a Christian or not. All with one voice about the space of two hours cried out; all that were in the theatre lift up their voices at once to prevent Alexander's apology, or at least its being heard; and which they continued about two hours, which was a long time to keep hallooing out, great is Diana of the Ephesians; See Gill on Act 19:28.

This site's exposition

the assembly was confused

on Acts 19:32-34

The assembly is confused, some crying one thing and some another, and Luke notes plainly that most of the crowd did not even know why they had gathered, the mob's energy entirely disconnected from its reason. The Jews put Alexander forward, perhaps to distance the Jewish community from Paul and the Christians by publicly disowning the Way, but once the crowd recognizes him as a Jew they drown him out, shouting great is Diana of the Ephesians for two straight hours. Luke's use of ekklesia for this unruly civic gathering, the same word the church uses of itself, is a reminder that the term simply meant a called assembly in ordinary Greek before the church gave it its distinct sense. The bench reads the two-hour chant as a study in mob psychology that needs no theological gloss, since Luke lets the scene's own absurdity make its point.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers5 voices

A commentator

John Chrysostom

Homily on Acts 42 · Written in the 5th century.

proposed

Seest thou how God permits trials, and by them stirs up and awakens the disciples, and makes them more energetic? Then let us not sink down under trials: for He Himself will "also make the way of escape, that we may be able to bear them." Nothing so makes friends, and rivets them so firmly, as affliction: nothing so fastens and compacts the souls of believers: nothing is so seasonable for us teachers in order that the things said by us may be heard. For the hearer when he is in ease is listless and indolent, and seems to suffer annoyance from the speaker: but when he is in affliction and distress, he falls into a great longing for the hearing. For when distressed in his soul, he seeks on all sides to find comfort for his affliction: and the preaching brings no small comfort.

A commentator

John Chrysostom

Homily on Acts 42 · Written in the 5th century.

proposed

Afflictions cut us off from the sympathy we have for the present world, as appears in this, that we wish for death immediately, and cease to be loving of the body: which very thing is the greatest part of wisdom, to have no hankering, no ties to the present life. The soul which is afflicted does not wish to be concerned about many things: repose and stillness are all it desired, content for its part to have done with the things present, even though there be nothing else to follow.

A commentator

John Chrysostom

Homily on Acts 42 · Written in the 5th century.

proposed

A great good is affliction: and we learn this from our own children: for without affliction a boy would learn nothing useful. But we, more than they, need affliction. For if there, when the passions as yet are quiet, chastisement benefits them, how much more us, especially possessed as we are by so many! Nay, we behoove rather to have schoolmasters than they: since the faults of children cannot be great, but ours are exceeding great. Our schoolmaster is affliction. Let us then not draw it down willingly upon ourselves, but when it is come let us bear it bravely, being, as it is, always the cause of numberless good things; that so we may both obtain grace from God, and the good things which are laid up for them that love Him, in Christ Jesus our Lord.

A commentator

John Chrysostom

Homily on Acts 42 · Written in the 5th century.

proposed

"But when they knew that he was a Jew, all with one voice about the space of two hours cried out, Great is Diana of the Ephesians." Do you mark the inordinate rage?

A commentator

John Chrysostom

Homily on Acts 42 · Written in the 5th century.

proposed

"But when they knew that he was a Jew, all with one voice about the space of two hours cried out, Great is Diana of the Ephesians." A childish understanding indeed! as if they were afraid, lest their worship should be extinguished, they shouted without intermission. For two years had Paul abode there, and see how many heathen there were still!
5 more voices on this verse

The Medieval Church1 voice

A commentator

Theophylact of Ohrid

Commentary on Acts · Written before 1107.

proposed

Why did Alexander want "to speak to the people" in his defense? After all, he was not being accused? In order to seize the moment, give everything a different turn, and calm the anger of the people.

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

A commentator

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)

proposed

But when they knew that he was a Jew - And consequently an enemy to their worship of images; they prevented him, by crying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.

The Nineteenth Century3 voices

But when they knew - When they perceived or ascertained. That he was a Jew - There was a general prejudice against the Jews. They were disposed to charge the whole difficulty on Jews - esteeming Christians to be but a sect of the Jews. They were, therefore, indiscriminate in their wrath, and unwilling to listen to any defense. With one voice - Unitedly, in one continued shout and clamor. About the space of two hours - The day, from sunrise to sunset, among the Greeks and Romans, was divided into twelve equal parts, Joh 11:

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

proposed

when Paul would have entered in--with noble forgetfulness of self. unto the people--the demos, that is, the people met in public assembly. the disciples suffered him not--The tense used implies only that they were using their efforts to restrain him; which might have been unavailing but for what follows.

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

proposed

But when they knew he was a Jew, all with one voice, for the space of two hours, cried out, Great is Diana, &c.--The very appearance of a Jew had the opposite effect to that intended.

quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:81%@v34-37

The words behind it

19 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

8 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.

Acts 19:28When the men heard this, they were enraged and began shouting, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”5 worksActs 16:20They brought them to the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews and are throwing our city into turmoil3 worksRevelation 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?”3 worksMatthew 6:7And when you pray, do not babble on like pagans, for they think that by their many words they will be heard.3 worksActs 19:26And you can see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in nearly the whole province of Asia, Paul has persuaded a great number of people to turn away. He says that man-made gods are no gods at all.2 works1 Kings 18:26And they took the bull that was given them, prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, shouting, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no sound, and no one answered as they leaped around the altar they had made.2 works
The other 2 cross-references, with their words ▾
Romans 2:22You who forbid adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?2 worksMark 15:14“Why?” asked Pilate. “What evil has He done?” But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify Him!”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

    Matthew 6:7

    And when you pray, do not babble on like pagans, for they think that by their many words they will be heard.

    it leads to

    • Ecclesiastes 5:2–3

      Do not be quick to speak, and do not be hasty in your heart to utter a word before God. After all, God is in heaven and you are on earth. So let your…

    • Ecclesiastes 5:7

      For as many dreams bring futility, so do many words. Therefore, fear God.

    • 1 Kings 18:26–29

      And they took the bull that was given them, prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, shouting, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no sound, and no…

    • Matthew 6:32

      For the Gentiles strive after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.

    • Matthew 26:44

      So He left them and went away once more and prayed a third time, saying the same thing.

  • Through

    Revelation 13:4

    They 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.

  • Through

    Acts 19:26

    And you can see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in nearly the whole province of Asia, Paul has persuaded a great number of people to turn away. He says that man-made…

    it leads to

    • Acts 17:29

      Therefore, being offspring of God, we should not think that the Divine Being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by man’s skill and imagination.

    • 1 Corinthians 8:4

      So about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world, and that there is no God but one.

Where this verse is studied

About Acts

The Ascension, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
The Ascension, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
Acts: the study guide →Read Acts 19 →

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; 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 42; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts and William Ramsay, St. Paul the Traveller and the Roman Citizen.

Read on in Acts 19 →