The Meaning of Acts 14:13 Explained

Acts 14:13

KJV: Then the priest of Jupiter, which was before their city, brought oxen and garlands unto the gates, and would have done sacrifice with the people.

YLT: And the priest of the Zeus that is before their city, oxen and garlands unto the porches having brought, with the multitudes did wish to sacrifice,

Darby: And the priest of Jupiter who was before the city, having brought bulls and garlands to the gates, would have done sacrifice along with the crowds.

ASV: And the priest of Jupiter whose temple was before the city, brought oxen and garlands unto the gates, and would have done sacrifice with the multitudes.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then  the priest  of Jupiter,  which  was  before  their  city,  brought  oxen  and  garlands  unto  the gates,  and would  have done sacrifice  with  the people. 

What does Acts 14:13 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Customarily the pagan Gentiles decorated animals destined for sacrifice to the Greek gods, like these oxen, with woolen garlands and then led them to the place of sacrifice.

Context Summary

Acts 14:1-13 - Varying Treatment Of The Message
From Antioch the Apostles passed to Iconium, the capital of Lycaonia. It is most illuminating to note the source of their success: The Lord bore witness unto the word of His grace. We must not expect success if that divine witness is absent. There is nothing more vital than this. The secret of joyful and successful service is the consciousness that, in every sermon and address, there is an unseen fellow-worker who is listening to each sentence and punctuating with his strong affirmation each utterance which magnifies the grace of God.
Lystra was situated in the highlands, amid a wild, mountainous country. In Paul's audience here he saw a cripple who had faith to be healed, Acts 14:9. What quick insight God gives the soul that lives in fellowship with Him! There was an old tradition that the gods had frequented this very region. Jupiter, the father of the gods, was the guardian deity of Lystra. There was, accordingly, an especial reason for the excitement among these simple and untutored folk. Man has ever longed for a daysman, and believed that there might be commerce between heaven and earth. Oh, that we were as quick to worship and adore the Son of God! [source]

Chapter Summary: Acts 14

1  Paul and Barnabas are persecuted from Iconium
8  At Lystra Paul heals a cripple, whereupon they are reputed as gods
19  Paul is stoned
21  They pass through various churches, confirming the disciples in faith and patience
26  Returning to Antioch, they report what God had done with them

Greek Commentary for Acts 14:13

Whose temple was before the city [του οντος προ της πωλεως]
The god (Zeus) is identified with his temple. He had a statue and temple there. [source]
Oxen and garlands [ταυρους και στεμματα]
Probably garlands to put on the oxen before they were slain. It was common to sacrifice bullocks to Jupiter and Mercury. Would have done sacrifice (ητελεν τυειν — ēthelen thuein). Imperfect indicative, wanted to offer sacrifice. He was planning to do it, and his purpose now became plain to Paul and Barnabas. [source]
Would have done sacrifice [ητελεν τυειν]
Imperfect indicative, wanted to offer sacrifice. He was planning to do it, and his purpose now became plain to Paul and Barnabas. [source]
Of Jupiter [τοῦ Διὸς]
Properly, the Jupiter, the tutelary deity of Lystra. It is unnecessary to supply temple, as Rev. The god himself was regarded as present in his temple. [source]
The gates [πυλῶνας]
What gates are intended is uncertain. Some say, the city gates; others, the temple gates; and others, the doors of the house in which Paul and Barnabas were residing. See on Acts 12:13. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Acts 14:13

Acts 28:6 A god []
“Observe, ” says Bengel, “the fickleness of human reasoning. He is either an assassin, say they, or a god. So, at one time bulls, at another stones ” (Acts 14:13, Acts 14:19). [source]
Revelation 21:12 Having a wall great and high [εχουσα τειχος μεγα και υπσηλον]
John returns, after the parenthesis in Revelation 21:11, to the structure in Revelation 21:10, only to use the accusative εχουσαν — echousan as before to agree with πολιν — polin but the nominative εχουσα — echousa as again with “twelve gates” Πυλων — Pulōn is an old word (from πυλη — pulē gate) for a large gate as in Luke 16:20 and six times in Rev for the gate tower of a city wall (Revelation 21:12, Revelation 21:13, Revelation 21:15, Revelation 21:21, Revelation 21:25; Revelation 22:14) as in 1 Kings 17:10; Acts 14:13. See Ezekiel 48:31. for these twelve gates, one for each tribe (cf. Revelation 7:1-8). [source]

What do the individual words in Acts 14:13 mean?

- And the priest - of Zeus being just outside the city oxen and wreaths to the gates having brought with the crowds was desiring to sacrifice
τε ἱερεὺς τοῦ Διὸς ὄντος πρὸ τῆς πόλεως ταύρους καὶ στέμματα ἐπὶ τοὺς πυλῶνας ἐνέγκας σὺν τοῖς ὄχλοις ἤθελεν θύειν

  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ἱερεὺς  the  priest 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἱερεύς  
Sense: a priest, one who offers sacrifices and in general in busied with sacred rites.
τοῦ  - 
Parse: Article, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Διὸς  of  Zeus 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: Ζεύς  
Sense: the national god of the Greeks and corresponds to the Roman Jupiter.
ὄντος  being 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: εἰμί  
Sense: to be, to exist, to happen, to be present.
πρὸ  just  outside 
Parse: Preposition
Root: πρό  
Sense: before.
πόλεως  city 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: πόλις  
Sense: a city.
ταύρους  oxen 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: ταῦρος  
Sense: a bull or ox.
στέμματα  wreaths 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Plural
Root: στέμμα  
Sense: a fillet, a garland, put upon victims.
πυλῶνας  gates 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: πυλών  
Sense: a large gate: of a palace.
ἐνέγκας  having  brought 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: φέρω  
Sense: to carry.
ὄχλοις  crowds 
Parse: Noun, Dative Masculine Plural
Root: ὄχλος  
Sense: a crowd.
ἤθελεν  was  desiring 
Parse: Verb, Imperfect Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: θέλω  
Sense: to will, have in mind, intend.
θύειν  to  sacrifice 
Parse: Verb, Present Infinitive Active
Root: θύω 
Sense: to sacrifice, immolate.

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