And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man.
At a festival in Caesarea Herod Agrippa I appeared in great pomp in glittering robes of silver and gold and addressed the people in eloquent oration, and the assembly dazzled by his appearance and oratory and clouded by feasting and wine shouted that his voice was divine and not human and that he should be worshiped as a god. With triumph and gratified pride he accepted that idolatrous adulation as his due instead of denying it, though he knew he deserved none of the praise, and by receiving worship he committed idolatry and blasphemy in direct violation of having no other gods before the Lord. An angel jealous for Jehovah's honor smote him in the sight of the multitude even before the shouts had died away, and he was eaten of worms while still alive and died a horrible death under swift and terrible vengeance as evidence of God's displeasure. That judgment came also for his crimes against God's servants, for to please the Jews and secure his offices he had taken the life of James and seized Peter intending to put him to death, but God delivered Peter while speedy disaster befell Herod as it had the other Herods for the massacre of Bethlehem's children and the murder of John. The shout exposes a corrupt reversal, for the same voices that glorified Herod had a few years before cried for Jesus to be taken away and crucified, refusing to discern under His humble exterior and travel-stained garments the Lord of life and glory, yet worshiping this vile sinner for his splendid appearance without looking to his corrupt and cruel heart.
Herod's Pomp and Acclaim
The Herod who received the shout was Agrippa I, who governed Judea subject to the Roman emperor Claudius and also held the position of tetrarch of Galilee. He professed to be a proselyte to the Jewish faith and appeared very zealous in carrying out the ceremonies of the law. His moves against the church were made to obtain the favor of the Jews in order to make secure his offices and honors.
The shout took place at a festival in Caesarea, where he appeared in great pomp in glittering robes sparkling with silver and gold and addressed the people in an eloquent oration. He was Agrippa I, the father of Agrippa II and a more powerful monarch than his son. He stood in the same city where Paul would later be heard before Agrippa II.
The assembly was dazzled by his decorations, imposing appearance, deportment and oratory and was charmed and carried away with enthusiasm. Their senses were perverted and their judgment distorted and clouded by feasting and wine-drinking. So affected, they failed to see his corrupt character. The people shouted that his voice was divine and not human, declaring that no mortal could look or speak as he did. While they had respected him as ruler, they now moved to declaring that he should be worshiped as a god and that they would worship him.
Acceptance, Judgment, and Contrast
Herod exalted himself before the great multitude, and with triumph and gratified pride and vainglory he accepted the idolatrous adulation of the shout as his due instead of denying it. He knew he deserved none of the praise and homage, yet he received their worship. By accepting that worship he committed idolatry and blasphemy against Jehovah. It was a direct violation of having no other gods before the Lord, and it showed God avenging insult to His honor with just wrath.
An avenging angel jealous for Jehovah's honor smote Herod in the sight of the multitude while he was exalting himself before them, even before the admiring shouts had died away. He was eaten of worms while still alive and died a horrible death, struck down by swift and terrible vengeance as evidence of God's displeasure. The judgment came for his crimes against God's servants, including the martyrdom of James, and his heart had grown still harder so that hearing that Jesus had risen did not trouble him. To please the Jews he had taken the life of James and then seized Peter also intending to put him to death, but God had a work for Peter to do and sent His angel and delivered him from prison and death. Just as speedy disaster befell the other Herods for the massacre of the children of Bethlehem and the murder of John the Baptist, so it befell him.
The shout exposes a corrupt reversal, for the same crowd and the same voices that glorified Herod had a few years before cried for Jesus to be taken away and crucified. They refused to receive Christ, failing to discern under His humble exterior and coarse, travel-stained garments the Lord of life and glory whose heart was divine love and whose power was revealed in works that no mere man could do. Yet they worshiped this vile sinner because of his splendid appearance without looking past it to his corrupt and cruel heart. News of this judgment upon the persecutor spread widely and led many to believe in Christ. The pomp and display surrounding Paul's hearing before Agrippa II in that same city of Caesarea should have reminded Agrippa II of his father's fate, of God's displeasure against persecuting kings, and warned him against pride and self-importance banishing nobler thoughts.
At a festival in Caesarea Herod Agrippa I appeared in great pomp in glittering robes of silver and gold and addressed the people in eloquent oration, and the assembly dazzled by his appearance and oratory and clouded by feasting and wine shouted that his voice was divine and not human and that he should be worshiped as a god. With triumph and gratified pride he accepted that idolatrous adulation as his due instead of denying it, though he knew he deserved none of the praise, and by receiving worship he committed idolatry and blasphemy in direct violation of having no other gods before the Lord. An angel jealous for Jehovah's honor smote him in the sight of the multitude even before the shouts had died away, and he was eaten of worms while still alive and died a horrible death under swift and terrible vengeance as evidence of God's displeasure. That judgment came also for his crimes against God's servants, for to please the Jews and secure his offices he had taken the life of James and seized Peter intending to put him to death, but God delivered Peter while speedy disaster befell Herod as it had the other Herods for the massacre of Bethlehem's children and the murder of John. The shout exposes a corrupt reversal, for the same voices that glorified Herod had a few years before cried for Jesus to be taken away and crucified, refusing to discern under His humble exterior and travel-stained garments the Lord of life and glory, yet worshiping this vile sinner for his splendid appearance without looking to his corrupt and cruel heart.
Herod's Pomp and Acclaim
The Herod who received the shout was Agrippa I, who governed Judea subject to the Roman emperor Claudius and also held the position of tetrarch of Galilee. He professed to be a proselyte to the Jewish faith and appeared very zealous in carrying out the ceremonies of the law. His moves against the church were made to obtain the favor of the Jews in order to make secure his offices and honors.
The shout took place at a festival in Caesarea, where he appeared in great pomp in glittering robes sparkling with silver and gold and addressed the people in an eloquent oration. He was Agrippa I, the father of Agrippa II and a more powerful monarch than his son. He stood in the same city where Paul would later be heard before Agrippa II.
The assembly was dazzled by his decorations, imposing appearance, deportment and oratory and was charmed and carried away with enthusiasm. Their senses were perverted and their judgment distorted and clouded by feasting and wine-drinking. So affected, they failed to see his corrupt character. The people shouted that his voice was divine and not human, declaring that no mortal could look or speak as he did. While they had respected him as ruler, they now moved to declaring that he should be worshiped as a god and that they would worship him.
Acceptance, Judgment, and Contrast
Herod exalted himself before the great multitude, and with triumph and gratified pride and vainglory he accepted the idolatrous adulation of the shout as his due instead of denying it. He knew he deserved none of the praise and homage, yet he received their worship. By accepting that worship he committed idolatry and blasphemy against Jehovah. It was a direct violation of having no other gods before the Lord, and it showed God avenging insult to His honor with just wrath.
An avenging angel jealous for Jehovah's honor smote Herod in the sight of the multitude while he was exalting himself before them, even before the admiring shouts had died away. He was eaten of worms while still alive and died a horrible death, struck down by swift and terrible vengeance as evidence of God's displeasure. The judgment came for his crimes against God's servants, including the martyrdom of James, and his heart had grown still harder so that hearing that Jesus had risen did not trouble him. To please the Jews he had taken the life of James and then seized Peter also intending to put him to death, but God had a work for Peter to do and sent His angel and delivered him from prison and death. Just as speedy disaster befell the other Herods for the massacre of the children of Bethlehem and the murder of John the Baptist, so it befell him.
The shout exposes a corrupt reversal, for the same crowd and the same voices that glorified Herod had a few years before cried for Jesus to be taken away and crucified. They refused to receive Christ, failing to discern under His humble exterior and coarse, travel-stained garments the Lord of life and glory whose heart was divine love and whose power was revealed in works that no mere man could do. Yet they worshiped this vile sinner because of his splendid appearance without looking past it to his corrupt and cruel heart. News of this judgment upon the persecutor spread widely and led many to believe in Christ. The pomp and display surrounding Paul's hearing before Agrippa II in that same city of Caesarea should have reminded Agrippa II of his father's fate, of God's displeasure against persecuting kings, and warned him against pride and self-importance banishing nobler thoughts.