God’s Word Translation
Acts 12:20
20Herod was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon. They were going to meet with Herod. They had agreed on what they wanted to do: They enlisted the help of Blastus to ask Herod for terms of peace. This was because their cities depended on Herod for their food supply. (Blastus was in charge of the king’s living quarters.)
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
18In the morning the soldiers were in an uproar over what had happened to Peter. 19Herod searched for Peter but couldn’t find him. So he questioned the guards and gave orders to have them executed. Then Herod left Judea and went to Caesarea, where he stayed for a while. Herod was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon. They were going to meet with Herod. They had agreed on what they wanted to do: They enlisted the help of Blastus to ask Herod for terms of peace. This was because their cities depended on Herod for their food supply. (Blastus was in charge of the king’s living quarters.) 21The appointed day came. Herod, wearing his royal clothes, sat on his throne and began making a speech to them. 22The people started shouting, “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 was the father of Sidon his firstborn, then Heth,
- Joshua 19:29Then it turns at Ramah and goes on to the fortified city of Tyre. The border then turns to Hosah and ends at the Mediterranean Sea. The territory includes Meheleb, Achzib,
- Isaiah 23:1This is the divine revelation about Tyre. Cry loudly, you ships of Tarshish! Your port at Tyre is destroyed. Word has come to the ships from Cyprus.
- Matthew 11:21“How horrible it will be for you, Chorazin! How horrible it will be for you, Bethsaida! If the miracles worked in you had been worked in Tyre and Sidon, they would have changed the way they thought and acted long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
- Proverbs 17:14Starting a quarrel is ⌞like⌟ opening a floodgate, so stop before the argument gets out of control.
- Proverbs 20:18Plans are confirmed by getting advice, and with guidance one wages war.
- Proverbs 25:8Do not be in a hurry to go to court. What will you do in the end if your neighbor disgraces you?
- Ecclesiastes 10:4If a ruler becomes angry with you, don’t resign your position. If you remain calm, you can make up for serious offenses.
- Isaiah 27:4I am no longer angry. If only thorns and briars would confront me! I would fight them in battle and set all of them on fire.
- Luke 14:31“Or suppose a king is going to war against another king. He would first sit down and think things through. Can he and his 10,000 soldiers fight against a king with 20,000 soldiers?
- 1 Kings 5:9My workers will bring logs from Lebanon to the sea, and I will have them make them into rafts to go by sea to any place you specify. There I will have them taken apart, and you can use them. You can pay me by providing food for my palace.”
- 2 Chronicles 2:10I will give your lumberjacks 120,000 bushels of ground wheat, 120,000 bushels of barley, 200,000 gallons of wine, and 200,000 gallons of olive oil.”
- Ezra 3:7So they gave money to the stonecutters and carpenters. Then they gave food, drink, and olive oil to the men from Sidon and Tyre in exchange for cedar, which the men would bring by sea from Lebanon to Joppa as King Cyrus of Persia had authorized them to do.
- Ezekiel 27:17Judah and Israel traded with you. They exchanged wheat from Minnith, baked goods, honey, olive oil, and balsam for your goods.
- Hosea 2:8“She doesn’t believe that I gave her grain, new wine, and olive oil. I gave her plenty of silver and gold, but she used it to make statues of Baal.
- Amos 4:6I left you with nothing to eat in any of your cities. I left you with no food in your entire land. And you still didn’t return to me, declares the Lord.
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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