Acts 14:12

Acts 14:12

And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker.

a. NLT: They decided that Barnabas was the Greek god Zeus and that Paul was Hermes, since he was the chief speaker.

b. NIV: Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker.

c. YLT: They were calling also Barnabas Zeus, and Paul hermes, since he was the leader in speaking.

d. Amplified Bible Classic: And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker.

e. Worrell Translation: And they were calling Barnabas Jupiter; and Paul Mercury, since he was the chief speaker.

f. Wuest Translation: And they began calling Barnabas, Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, since he himself was the leader in the discourse.

1. “And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker.”

a. And [Strong: 5037 te teh a primary particle (enclitic) of connection or addition; both or also (properly, as correlation of 2532):--also, and, both, even, then, whether. Often used in composition, usually as the latter participle.]

b. they called [Strong:2564 kaleo kal-eh'-o akin to the base of 2753; to "call" (properly, aloud, but used in a variety of applications, directly or otherwise):--bid, call (forth), (whose, whose sur-)name (was (called)).]

c. Barnabas [Strong: 921 Barnabas bar-nab'-as of Chaldee origin (1247 and 5029); son of Nabas (i.e. prophecy); Barnabas, an Israelite:--Barnabas.]

d. [Strong: 3303 men men a primary particle; properly, indicative of affirmation or concession (in fact); usually followed by a contrasted clause with 1161 (this one, the former, etc.):--even, indeed, so, some, truly, verily. Often compounded with other particles in an intensive or asseverative sense.]

f. Jupiter [Strong: 2203 Zeus dzyooce of uncertain affinity; in the oblique cases there is used instead of it a (probably cognate) name Dis deece, which is otherwise obsolete Zeus or Dis (among the Latins, Jupiter or Jove), the supreme deity of the Greeks:--Jupiter.]

g. and [Strong: 1161 de deh a primary particle (adversative or continuative); but, and, etc.:--also, and, but, moreover, now (often unexpressed in English).]

h. Paul [Strong: 3972 Paulos pow'-los of Latin origin; (little; but remotely from a derivative of 3973, meaning the same); Paulus, the name of a Roman and of an apostle:--Paul, Paulus.]

i. Mercurius [Strong: 2060 Hermes her-mace' perhaps from 2046; Hermes, the name of the messenger of the Greek deities; also of a Christian:--Hermes, Mercury.]

j. because [Strong: 1894 epeide ep-i-day' from 1893 and 1211; since now, i.e. (of time) when, or (of cause) whereas:--after that, because, for (that, -asmuch as), seeing, since.]

k. he [Strong: 846 autos ow-tos' from the particle au (perhaps akin to the base of 109 through the idea of a baffling wind) (backward); the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative 1438) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons:--her, it(-self), one, the other, (mine) own, said, (self-), the) same, ((him-, my-, thy- )self, (your-)selves, she, that, their(-s), them(-selves), there(-at, - by, -in, -into, -of, -on, -with), they, (these) things, this (man), those, together, very, which.]

l. was [Strong: 2258 en ane imperfect of 1510; I (thou, etc.) was (wast or were):--+ agree, be, X have (+ charge of), hold, use, was(-t), were.]

m. the [Strong: 3588 ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.]

n. chief [Strong: 2233 hegeomai hayg-eh'-om-ahee middle voice of a (presumed) strengthened form of 71; to lead, i.e. command (with official authority); figuratively, to deem, i.e. consider:--account, (be) chief, count, esteem, governor, judge, have the rule over, suppose, think.]

o. speaker [Strong: 3056 logos log'-os from 3004; something said (including the thought); by implication, a topic (subject of discourse), also reasoning (the mental faculty) or motive; by extension, a computation; specially, (with the article in John) the Divine Expression (i.e. Christ):--account, cause, communication, X concerning, doctrine, fame, X have to do, intent, matter, mouth, preaching, question, reason, + reckon, remove, say(-ing), shew, X speaker, speech, talk, thing, + none of these things move me, tidings, treatise, utterance, word, work.]

1). The miracle was misinterpreted by the pagan Gentiles be be that the gods had come down to them. A similar effect occurred later in Paul’s ministry when Paul was bit by a poisonous snake. When natives of the island watched to see Paul die and when he did not they believed he was a god.

a). Acts 28:3-6 And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand.

28:4 And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live.

28:5 And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm.

28:6 Howbeit they looked when he should have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly: but after they had looked a great while, and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god.