Acts 14:8-20

Mistaken for Gods in Lystra

8 And in Lystra a certain man was sitting powerless in his feet, lame from {birth}, who had never walked.
9 This man listened [while] Paul was speaking. {Paul}, looking intently at him and seeing that he had faith to be healed,
10 said with a loud voice, "Stand upright on your feet!" And he leaped up and began walking.
11 And [when] the crowds saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices in the Lycaonian language, saying, "The gods have become like men [and] have come down to us!"
12 And they began calling Barnabas Zeus and Paul Hermes, because he was the {principal speaker}.
13 And the priest of the [temple] of Zeus that was just outside the city brought bulls and garlands to the gates [and] was wanting to offer sacrifice, along with the crowds.
14 But [when] the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard about [it], they tore their clothing [and] rushed out into the crowd, shouting
15 and saying, "Men, why are you doing these [things]? We also are men with the same nature as you, proclaiming the good news [that] you should turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all the things [that are] in them--
16 who in generations that are past permitted all the nations to go their [own] ways.
17 And yet he did not leave himself without witness [by] doing good, giving you rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying [you] with food and your hearts with gladness."
18 And [although] they said these [things], [only] with difficulty did they dissuade the crowds from offering sacrifice to them.
19 But Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium, and [when they] had won over the crowds and stoned Paul, they dragged [him] outside the city, thinking he was dead.
20 But [after] the disciples surrounded him, he got up [and] went into the city. And on the next day he departed with Barnabas for Derbe.

Footnotes 21

  • [a]. Literally "his mother's womb"
  • [b]. *Here "[while]" is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle ("was speaking")
  • [c]. Literally "who"
  • [d]. *The imperfect tense has been translated as ingressive here ("began walking")
  • [e]. *Here "[when]" is supplied as a component of the participle ("saw") which is understood as temporal
  • [f]. *Here "[and]" is supplied because the previous participle ("have become like") has been translated as a finite verb
  • [g]. *The imperfect tense has been translated as ingressive here ("began calling")
  • [h]. Literally "leader of the message"
  • [i]. *The word "[temple]" is not in the Greek text but is implied
  • [j]. *Here "[and]" is supplied because the previous participle ("brought") has been translated as a finite verb
  • [k]. *Here "[when]" is supplied as a component of the participle ("heard about") which is understood as temporal
  • [l]. *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  • [m]. *Here "[and]" is supplied because the previous participle ("tore") has been translated as a finite verb
  • [n]. Or "Gentiles"; the same Greek word can be translated "nations" or "Gentiles" depending on the context
  • [o]. *Here "[by]" is supplied as a component of the participle ("doing good") which is understood as means
  • [p]. *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  • [q]. *Here "[although]" is supplied as a component of the participle ("said") which is understood as concessive
  • [r]. *Here "[when]" is supplied as a component of the participle ("had won over") which is understood as temporal
  • [s]. *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  • [t]. *Here "[after]" is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle ("surrounded")
  • [u]. *Here "[and]" is supplied because the previous participle ("got up") has been translated as a finite verb
Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.