Acts 12:22 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And the people were shouting, "The voice of a god, and not of a man!"

NIV: They shouted, "This is the voice of a god, not of a man."

NASB: The people repeatedly cried out, 'The voice of a god and not of a man!'

CSB: The assembled people began to shout, "It’s the voice of a god and not of a man!"

NLT: The people gave him a great ovation, shouting, 'It’s the voice of a god, not of a man!'

KJV: And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man.

NKJV: And the people kept shouting, “The voice of a god and not of a man!”

Herod Agrippa I is addressing a gathered crowd. According to the ancient historian Josephus (Antiquities 19.8.2 343–361), this was the second morning of the games Agrippa was holding in Caesarea Maritima in honor of Caesar. It's not certain what Tyre and Sidon have to do with this speech (see Acts 12:20). Josephus says he is wearing a silver garment that catches the sun's rays. The people respond, "Be thou merciful to us; for although we have hitherto reverenced thee only as a man, yet shall we henceforth own thee as superior to mortal nature." Luke translates this more directly here in Acts 12:22.

It's not clear if Agrippa is wearing the robe because he likes it or if he's intentionally trying to look like the Phoenician sun god. Since Tyre and Sidon are in Phoenicia this would be a grand insult, but Agrippa has spent his career in Judea and its environs respecting the God of the Jews, protecting the temple and even reading the Law out loud to the people.

So, it's possible Agrippa is not trying to be idolatrous, but he still hesitates. Josephus says Agrippa sees an owl—a harbinger of death—and realizes he has taken praise that is not his and he will die for it. He purportedly tells the people:

"I, whom you call a god, am commanded presently to depart this life; while Providence thus reproves the lying words you just now said to me; and I, who was by you called immortal, am immediately to be hurried away by death. But I am bound to accept of what Providence allots, as it pleases God; for we have by no means lived ill, but in a splendid and happy manner." - Josephus, Antiquities

Five excruciating days later, he is dead of some kind of abdominal infection, his guts eaten by worms (Acts 12:23).

Paul and Barnabas will later prove to be Agrippa's foil. When they heal a lame man in Lystra the people will shout that Barnabas, who is likely older, is the chief deity, Zeus, and Paul, who speaks the most, is the messenger deity, Hermes. The people will even try to sacrifice to them. Barnabas and Paul immediately tear their clothes and reject the identification (Acts 14:8–18).

Acts 12:20–23 describes some of the details of the death of Herod Agrippa I. He was the first true king since his grandfather, Herod the Great, and ruled over nearly as much territory. He had an abnormally good relationship with the Jewish leadership and was one of the few Roman rulers of the area to persecute the church. But his favor with the Jews evidently contributed to his pride. He accepted the glory due only to God and died while his bowels were eaten by worms. Josephus, an ancient historian, provides some details Scripture does not.

Acts 12 starts with the first death of an apostle and ends with the death of a king. Herod Agrippa I beheads James and imprisons Peter. An angel rescues Peter and he quickly lets the church in Jerusalem know before he goes into hiding. Agrippa, grandson of Herod the Great and friend to the Pharisees, accepts glory due only to God and dies, likely a few days later, of internal worms. Meanwhile, the church continues to grow, and Barnabas and Saul return to Syrian Antioch. The scene is set for Paul's extensive ministry to the Gentiles.

When Acts 12 opens, at least some of the apostles are in Jerusalem, and Barnabas and Saul are in Syrian Antioch, collecting support so the church in Jerusalem can survive the coming famine (Acts 11:27–30). The church is established in Jerusalem and growing in the regions on the east coast of the Mediterranean Sea. When the chapter closes, Barnabas and Saul are poised for their missionary trip in modern-day Asia Minor. Saul will take on the Greek version of his name, Paul, and the story of Jesus will spread to Rome and beyond.

The summary of the book of Acts is provided in Jesus' words in Acts 1:8: ''But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.'' In Acts 2:1–13, the Christ-followers receive the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:14—7:60 describes the rapid growth of the church in Jerusalem. Chapters 8—12 find Jewish persecution inadvertently spreading the gospel throughout Judea and Samaria. And in chapters 13—28, Paul and his companions spread the good news throughout the Roman Empire.