Christian Standard Bible
Acts 12:20
20Herod had been very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon. Together they presented themselves before him. After winning over Blastus, who was in charge of the king’s bedroom, they asked for peace, because their country was supplied with food from the king’s country.
Acts 12:20 in other versions
- King James Version (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.
- New International Version (NIV)He had been quarreling with the people of Tyre and Sidon; they now joined together and sought an audience with him. After securing the support of Blastus, a trusted personal servant of the king, they asked for peace, because they depended on the king’s country for their food supply.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Now Herod was angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon, and they came to him with one accord, and having persuaded Blastus, the king's chamberlain, they asked for peace, because their country depended on the king's country for food.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Now Herod had been very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon; but they came to him with one accord, and having made Blastus the king’s personal aide their friend, they asked for peace, because their country was supplied with food by the king’s country.
Context of Acts 12:20
18At daylight, there was a great commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter. 19After Herod had searched and did not find him, he interrogated the guards and ordered their execution. Then Herod went down from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there. Herod had been very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon. Together they presented themselves before him. After winning over Blastus, who was in charge of the king’s bedroom, they asked for peace, because their country was supplied with food from the king’s country. 21On an appointed day, dressed in royal robes and seated on the throne, Herod delivered a speech to them. 22The assembled people began to shout, “It’s the voice of a god and not of a man!”
Read all of Acts 12Acts 12:20 word by word
ἦν δὲ θυμομαχῶν Τυρίοις καὶ Σιδωνίοις· ὁμοθυμαδὸν δὲ παρῆσαν πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ πείσαντες Βλάστον τὸν ἐπὶ τοῦ κοιτῶνος τοῦ βασιλέως ᾐτοῦντο εἰρήνην, διὰ τὸ τρέφεσθαι αὐτῶν τὴν χώραν ἀπὸ τῆς βασιλικῆς.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Andδέde · thenG1161
- Herodὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- HerodἩρώδηςHērōdēs · HerodG2264
- wasεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- highly displeasedθυμομαχέωthumomacheō · to quarrelG2371
- with them of TyreΤύριοςTurios · TyreG5183
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- SidonΣιδώνιοςSidōnios · SidonianG4606
- they cameπάρειμιpareimi · be presentG3918
- with one accordὁμοθυμαδόνhomothumadon · unitedG3661
- toπρόςpros · to/withG4314
- himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- having madeπείθωpeithō · to persuadeG3982
- BlastusΒλάστοςBlastos · BlastusG986
- the king’sβασιλεύςbasileus · kingG935
- ·ἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
- chamberlainκοιτώνkoitōn · bedroom/chamberlainG2846
- desiredαἰτέωaiteō · to askG154
- peaceεἰρήνηeirēnē · peaceG1515
- becauseδιάdia · through/because ofG1223
- countryχώραchōra · countryG5561
- was nourishedτρέφωtrephō · to feedG5142
- byἀπόapo · away fromG575
- the king’sβασιλικόςbasilikos · royalG937
Cross-references for Acts 12:20
- Genesis 10:15Canaan fathered Sidon his firstborn and Heth,
- Joshua 19:29The boundary then turned to Ramah as far as the fortified city of Tyre; it turned back to Hosah and ended at the Mediterranean Sea, including Mahalab, Achzib,
- Isaiah 23:1A pronouncement concerning Tyre: Wail, ships of Tarshish, for your haven has been destroyed. Word has reached them from the land of Cyprus.
- Matthew 11:21“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented in sackcloth and ashes long ago.
- Proverbs 17:14To start a conflict is to release a flood; stop the dispute before it breaks out.
- Proverbs 20:18Finalize plans with counsel, and wage war with sound guidance.
- Proverbs 25:8Don’t take a matter to court hastily. Otherwise, what will you do afterward if your opponent humiliates you?
- Ecclesiastes 10:4If the ruler’s anger rises against you, don’t leave your post, for calmness puts great offenses to rest.
- Isaiah 27:4I am not angry. If only there were thorns and briers for me to battle, I would trample them and burn them to the ground.
- Luke 14:31“Or what king, going to war against another king, will not first sit down and decide if he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand?
- 1 Kings 5:9My servants will bring the logs down from Lebanon to the sea, and I will make them into rafts to go by sea to the place you indicate. I will break them apart there, and you can take them away. You then can meet my needs by providing my household with food.”
- 2 Chronicles 2:10I will give your servants, the woodcutters who cut the trees, one hundred twenty thousand bushels of wheat flour, one hundred twenty thousand bushels of barley, one hundred twenty thousand gallons of wine, and one hundred twenty thousand gallons of oil.
- Ezra 3:7They gave money to the stonecutters and artisans, and gave food, drink, and oil to the people of Sidon and Tyre, so they would bring cedar wood from Lebanon to Joppa by sea, according to the authorization given them by King Cyrus of Persia.
- Ezekiel 27:17Judah and the land of Israel were your merchants. They exchanged wheat from Minnith, meal, honey, oil, and balm, for your goods.
- Hosea 2:8She does not recognize that it is I who gave her the grain, the new wine, and the fresh oil. I lavished silver and gold on her, which they used for Baal.
- Amos 4:6I gave you absolutely nothing to eat in all your cities, a shortage of food in all your communities, yet you did not return to me. This is the Lord’s declaration.
Commentaries on Acts 12:20
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20Highly 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…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20And Herod was highly displeased - Greek: “bore a hostile mind,” intending war. See the margin. The Greek word ͂ thumomachōndoes 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…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 20-25Verses 20-25 Many heathen princes claimed and received Divine honours, but it was far more horrible impiety in Herod, who knew the word and worship of the living God, to accept such idolatrous honours without rebuking the blasphemy. And such men as Herod, when puffed with pride and vanity, are ripening fast for signal vengeance. God is very jealous for his own honour, and will be glorified upon those whom he is not glorified by. See what vile bodies we…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 18-23When Peter was missing after a thorough search, Herod questioned the guards and executed them (see 16:27). However, Herod himself then experienced a painful death. God punished him for his pride when he accepted the people's worship. The ancient Jewish historian Josephus provides more details about the death of Herod Agrippa I (Josephus, Antiquities 19.8.1–2).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 20-2520. 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; Ezr 3:7; Eze 27:17. Perhaps the famine (Ac 11:28) made them the more urgent for reconciliation.Read the comment
Topics related to Acts 12:20
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Acts 12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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