Acts 12:23
And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.
Acts 12:23 in other translations
| BSB | Immediately, because Herod did not give glory to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died. |
|---|---|
| WEB | Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he didn’t give God the glory. Then he was eaten by worms and died. |
| ASV | And immediately an angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost. |
| YLT | and presently there smote him a messenger of the Lord, because he did not give the glory to God, and having been eaten of worms, he expired. |
| DARBY | And immediately an angel of the Lord smote him, because he did not give the glory to God, and he expired, eaten of worms. |
| BBE | And straight away the angel of the Lord sent a disease on him, because he did not give the glory to God: and his flesh was wasted away by worms, and so he came to his end. |
| Webster | And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten by worms, and died. |
What does Acts 12:23 mean?
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Acts 12:22-23
22-23. the people gave a shout, &c.--Josephus' account of his death is remarkably similar to this [Antiquities, 19.8.2]. Several cases of such deaths occur in history. Thus was this wretched man nearer his end than he of whom he had thought to make a public spectacle.
Barnes' Notes
"did neither rebuke them, [the people,] nor reject theirJosephus does not mention that it was done by an angel, but says that when he looked up, he saw an owl sitting on a rope over his head, and judging it to be an evil omen, he immediately became melancholy, and was seized with the pain.
impious flattery. A severe pain arose in his belly, and
began in a most violent manner. And when he was quite worn
out by the pain in his belly for five days, he departed this
life, in the fifty-fourth year of his age, and the seventh
of his reign."
Because he gave not God the glory. Because he was willing himself to receive the worship due to God. It was the more sinful in him as he was a Jew, and was acquainted with the true God, and with the evils of idolatry. He was proud, and willing to be flattered, and even adored. He had sought their applause; he had arrayed himself in this splendid manner to excite their admiration; and when they carried it even so far as to offer Divine homage, he did not reject the impious flattery, but listened still to their praises. Hence he was judged; and God vindicated his own insulted honour by inflicting severe pains on him, and by his most awful death.
And he was eaten of worms. The word used here is not elsewhere found in the New Testament. A similar disease is recorded of Antiochus Epiphanes, in the Apocrypha; 2 Mac. ix. 5,
"But the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, smote him with anProbably this was the disease known as morbus pedicularis. It is loathsome, offensive, and most painful. See the death of Antiochus Epiphanes, described in 2 Mac. ix. With this disease also Herod the Great, grandfather of Herod Agrippa, died. Josephus, Antiquities, b. xvii. chap. 6, 5. Such a death, so painful sudden, and loathsome, was an appropriate judgment on the pride of Herod. We may here learn,
invisible and incurable plague; for a pain in the bowels,
that was remediless, came upon him, and sore torments of the
inner parts, (yet. 9,) so that worms rose up out of the body
of this wicked man," etc.
(1.) that sudden and violent deaths are often an act of direct Divine judgment on wicked men.
(2.) That men, when they seek praise and flattery, expose themselves to the displeasure of God. His glory he will not give to another.
(3.) That the most proud, and mighty, and magnificent princes, have no security of their lives. God can in a moment--even when they are surrounded by their worshippers and flatterers--touch the seat of life, and turn them to loathsomeness and putrefaction. What a pitiable being is a man of pride receiving from his fellow-men that homage which is due to God alone! See Isa 14.
(4.) Pride and vanity, in any station of life, are hateful in the sight of God. Nothing is more inappropriate to our situation as lost, dying sinners, and nothing will more certainly meet the wrath of heaven.
(5.) We have here a strong confirmation of the truth of the sacred narrative. In all essential particulars, Luke coincides in his account of the death of Herod with Josephus. This is one of the many circumstances which go to show that the sacred Scriptures were written at the time when they professed to be; and that they accord with the truth. See Lardner's Credibility, part i. chap. 1. & 6.
(+) "gave up the ghost" "expired"
Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain
Adam Clarke's Commentary
Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Acts 12:20-25
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…
Acts 12:23 in the original Greek
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Cross references for Acts 12:23
- Psalms 115:1
Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake.
- Acts 10:25-26
And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped him. But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a man.
- 2 Thessalonians 2:4
Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
- Acts 14:14-15
Which when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of, they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out, And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein:
- Daniel 4:30-37
The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty? While the word was in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee. And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles’ feathers, and his nails like birds’ claws. …
- 1 Samuel 25:38
And it came to pass about ten days after, that the Lord smote Nabal, that he died.
- Daniel 5:18-24
O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour: And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down. But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him: And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will. …
- Isaiah 51:8
For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool: but my righteousness shall be for ever, and my salvation from generation to generation.
- Isaiah 37:23
Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed? and against whom hast thou exalted thy voice, and lifted up thine eyes on high? even against the Holy One of Israel.
- Ezekiel 28:2
Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyrus, Thus saith the Lord God; Because thine heart is lifted up, and thou hast said, I am a God, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet thou art a man, and not God, though thou set thine heart as the heart of God:
- Exodus 12:29
And it came to pass, that at midnight the Lord smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle.
- Isaiah 66:24
And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.
Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).
Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Ex 12:12,23,29; 1Sa 25:38; 2Sa 24:17; 1Ch 21:14-18; 2Ch 32:21
because.
10:25,26; 14:14,15; Ex 9:17; 10:3; Ps 115:1; Isa 37:23; Eze 28:2,9
Da 4:30-37; 5:18-24; Lu 12:47,48; 2Th 2:4
and he.
2Ch 21:18,19; Job 7:5; 19:26; Isa 14:11; 51:8; 66:24; Mr 9:44-48
Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain
Context
- Acts 12:22
And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man.
- Acts 12:23
And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.
- Acts 12:24
But the word of God grew and multiplied.
Acts 12:23 in other languages
| Spanish Reina-Valera 1909 | Y luego el ángel del Señor le hirió, por cuanto no dió la gloria á Dios; y espiró comido de gusanos. |
|---|---|
| French Bible J.N. Darby 1885 | Et à l’instant un ange du ✶Seigneur le frappa, parce qu’il n’avait pas donné la gloire à Dieu; et, étant rongé par les vers, il expira. |
| German Elberfelder 1871 | Alsbald aber schlug ihn ein Engel des Herrn, darum daß er nicht Gott die Ehre gab; und von Würmern gefressen, verschied er. |
| Latin Clementine Vulgate | Confestim autem percussit eum angelus Domini, eo quod non dedisset honorem Deo: et consumptus a vermibus, expiravit. |