The Meaning of Acts 19:28 Explained

Acts 19:28

KJV: And when they heard these sayings, they were full of wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.

YLT: And they having heard, and having become full of wrath, were crying out, saying, 'Great is the Artemis of the Ephesians!'

Darby: And having heard this, and being filled with rage, they cried out, saying, Great is Artemis of the Ephesians.

ASV: And when they heard this they were filled with wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesus.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  when they heard  [these sayings], they were  full  of wrath,  and  cried out,  saying,  Great  [is] Diana  of the Ephesians. 

What does Acts 19:28 Mean?

Study Notes

Diana
Gr. Artemis. Not anciently of the Greek pantheon, but an Eastern goddess. Cf. Judges 2:13 .
But "Diana of the Ephesians" was rather a particular image of Artemis, reputed to have fallen from heaven; Acts 19:35 .
Ashtaroth
Ashtaroth, plural of Ashtoreth 1 Kings 11:5 were figures of Ashtoreth the Phoenician goddess (the Astarte of the Greeks), which were worshipped as idols during times of spiritual declension in Israel.; Judges 10:6 ; 1 Samuel 7:3 ; 1 Samuel 7:4 ; 1 Samuel 12:10 ; 1 Samuel 31:10 ; 1 Kings 11:5 ; 1 Kings 11:33 ; 2 Kings 23:13 . Jeremiah refers Jeremiah 44:18 ; Jeremiah 44:19 to Ashtoreth as the "queen of heaven."

Context Summary

Acts 19:13-29 - The Power Of Jesus' Name
Where God's spirit is mightily at work, Satan is not far away. Here the enemy's emissaries were mean enough to use the name of Jesus to get themselves a few more shekels. But the name is useless apart from the living power of the Spirit. It is terrible when the very demons flout those who profess religion. Who are ye? meant, "You do not count." The demons knew Christ as the Holy One of God and Paul as His representative, but these exorcist Jews were hollow as sounding brass. Cast into the balances, they were altogether lighter than vanity, Psalms 62:9.
The outcome of all this was a mighty revival. The name of the Lord Jesus was magnified, and a searching work of grace led to the confession of sin and the cleansing of heart and life in many who had followed vain superstitions.
So deep was the work of God in that great city of Ephesus that the trade in charms and amulets, sold in the neighborhood of the temple, began to fall off. The crowd of worshippers in Diana's temple was also perceptibly less. People who came in from the seaboard would find their way to the Apostle, who preached the gospel with a power that could not be withstood. Regenerated souls therefore, in turn, carried the gospel throughout the whole region. [source]

Chapter Summary: Acts 19

1  The Holy Spirit is given by Paul's hands
8  The Jews blaspheme his doctrine, which is confirmed by miracles
13  The Jewish exorcists,
16  are beaten by a man who had an evil spirit
19  Conjuring books are burnt
21  Demetrius, for love of gain, raises an uproar against Paul;
35  which is appeased by the town clerk

Greek Commentary for Acts 19:28

They were filled with wrath [γενομενοι πλερεις τυμου]
Having become full of wrath. [source]
Cried out [εκραζον]
Inchoative imperfect, began to cry out and kept it up continuously. Reiteration was characteristic of the orgiastic exercises. The Codex Bezae adds after τυμου — thumou (wrath): Δραμοντες εις την αμποδον — Dramontes eis tān amphodon (running into the street), which they certainly did after the speech of Demetrius. Great is Artemis of the Ephesians (Μεγαλη η Αρτεμις Επεσιων — Megalā hā Artemis Ephesiōn). D (Codex Bezae) omits η — hā (the) and makes it read: “Great Artemis of the Ephesians.” This was the usual cry of the votaries in their orgies as the inscriptions show, an ejaculatory outcry or prayer instead of an argument as the other MSS. have it. That is vivid and natural (Ramsay, Church in the Roman Empire, pp. 135ff.). Yet on this occasion the artisans were making an argumentative protest and plea against Paul. An inscription at Dionysopolis has “Great is Apollo.” [source]
Great is Artemis of the Ephesians [Μεγαλη η Αρτεμις Επεσιων]
D (Codex Bezae) omits η — hā (the) and makes it read: “Great Artemis of the Ephesians.” This was the usual cry of the votaries in their orgies as the inscriptions show, an ejaculatory outcry or prayer instead of an argument as the other MSS. have it. That is vivid and natural (Ramsay, Church in the Roman Empire, pp. 135ff.). Yet on this occasion the artisans were making an argumentative protest and plea against Paul. An inscription at Dionysopolis has “Great is Apollo.” [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Acts 19:28

Matthew 1:1 Christ [Χριστός]
Properly an adjective, not a noun, and meaning anointed ( Χρίω , to anoint). It is a translation of the Hebrew Messiah, the king and spiritual ruler from David's race, promised under that name in the Old Testament (Psalm 2:2; Daniel 9:25, Daniel 9:26). Hence Andrew says to Simon, “We have found the Messiah, which is, being interpreted, Christ (John 1:41; compare Acts 4:27; Acts 10:38; Acts 19:28). To us “Christ “has become a proper name, and is therefore written without the definite article; but, in the body of the gospel narratives, since the identity of Jesus with the promised Messiah is still in question with the people, the article is habitually used, and the name should therefore be translated “the Christ.” After the resurrection, when the recognition of Jesus as Messiah has become general, we find the word beginning to be used as a proper name, with or without the article. In this passage it omits the article, because it occurs in the heading of the chapter, and expresses the evangelist's own faith in Jesus as the Messiah. Anointing was applied to kings (1 Samuel 9:16; 1 Samuel 10:1), to prophets (1 Kings 19:16), and to priests (Exodus 29:29; Exodus 40:15; Leviticus 16:32) at their inauguration. “The Lord's anointed” was a common title of the king (1 Samuel 12:3, 1 Samuel 12:5; 2 Samuel 1:14, 2 Samuel 1:16). Prophets are called “Messiahs,” or anointed ones (1 Chronicles 16:22; Psalm 105:15). Cyrus is also called “the Lord's Anointed,” because called to the throne to deliver the Jews out of captivity (Isaiah 45:1). Hence the word” Christ” was representative of our Lord, who united in himself the offices of king, prophet, and priest. -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
It is interesting to see how anointing attaches to our Lord in other and minor particulars. Anointing was an act of hospitality and a sign of festivity and cheerfulness. Jesus was anointed by the woman when a guest in the house of Simon the Pharisee, and rebuked his host for omitting this mark of respect toward hint (Luke 7:35, Luke 7:46). In the Epistle to the Hebrews (Hebrews 1:8, Hebrews 1:9), the words of the Messianic psalm (Psalm 45:7) are applied to Jesus, “God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.”-DIVIDER-
Anointing was practised upon the sick (Mark 6:13; Luke 10:34:; James 5:14). Jesus, “the Great Physician,” is described by Isaiah (Isaiah 61:1, Isaiah 61:2; compare Luke 4:18) as anointed by God to bind up the broken-hearted, and to give the mournful the oil of joy for mourning. He himself anointed the eyes of the blind man (John 9:6, John 9:11); and the twelve, in his name, “anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them” (Mark 6:13). -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
Anointing was practised upon the dead. Of her who brake the alabaster upon his head at Bethany, Jesus said, “She hath anointed my body aforehand for the burying” (Mark 14:8; see, also, Luke 23:56). [source]

Mark 11:4 A colt tied at the door without in the open street [πωλον δεδεμενον προς τυραν εχω επι του αμποδου]
A carefully drawn picture. The colt was outside the house in the street, but fastened (bound, perfect passive participle) to the door. “The better class of houses were built about an open court, from which a passage way under the house led to the street outside. It was at this outside opening to the street that the colt was tied” (Gould). The word αμποδος — amphodos (from αμπω — amphō both, and οδος — hodos road) is difficult. It apparently means road around a thing, a crooked street as most of them were (cf. Straight Street in Acts 9:11). It occurs only here in the N.T. besides D in Acts 19:28. It is very common in the papyri for vicus or “quarter.” [source]
Luke 18:39 Cried [ἔκραζεν]
A stronger word than ἐβόησεν , cried, in the previous verse, which is merely to cry or shout, while this is to cry clamorously; to scream or shriek. Compare Matthew 15:23; Mark 5:5; Acts 19:28-34. [source]
Acts 19:34 An with one voice cried out [πωνη εγενετο μια εκ παντων κραζοντων]
Anacoluthon or construction according to sense. Literally, “one voice arose from all crying.” Κραζοντων — Krazontōn agrees in case (ablative) with παντων — pantōn but Aleph A have κραζοντες — krazontes This loose construction is not uncommon (Robertson, Grammar, pp. 436f.). Now at last the crowd became unanimous (one voice) at the sight of a hated Jew about to defend their attacks on the worship of Artemis. The unanimity lasted “about the space of two hours” (οσει επι ωρας δυο — hosei epi hōras duo), “as if for two hours.” Their creed centred in this prolonged yell: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians” with which the disturbance started (Acts 19:28). [source]
Romans 9:27 Crieth [κράζει]
An impassioned utterance. See on Luke 18:39; compare John 7:28, John 7:37; Acts 19:28; Acts 23:6. Mostly of an inarticulate cry. “The prophet in awful earnestness, and as with a scream of anguish, cries over Israel” (Morison). [source]
Hebrews 11:10 Builder and maker [τεχνίτης καὶ δημιουργὸς]
Τεχνίτης artificerarchitect. Comp. Acts 19:24(note), Acts 19:28; Revelation 18:22, and lxx, 1 Chronicles 29:5; Song of Solomon 7:1; Wisd. 8:6; 14:2; Sirach 9:17 Δημιουργὸς N.T.ooriginally a workman for the public ( δῆμος ); generally, framer, builder. It is used by Xenophon and Plato of the maker of the world (Xen. Mem. i. 4,9; Plato, Tim. 40 C; Repub. 530 A). It was appropriated by the Neo Platonists as the designation of God. To the Gnostics, the Demiurge was a limited, secondary God, who created the world; since there was no possibility of direct contact between the supreme, incommunicable God and the visible world. [source]

What do the individual words in Acts 19:28 mean?

Having heard then and having become full of rage they were crying out saying Great [is] - Artemis of [the] Ephesians
Ἀκούσαντες δὲ καὶ γενόμενοι πλήρεις θυμοῦ ἔκραζον λέγοντες Μεγάλη Ἄρτεμις Ἐφεσίων

Ἀκούσαντες  Having  heard 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: ἀκουστός 
Sense: to be endowed with the faculty of hearing, not deaf.
γενόμενοι  having  become 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Middle, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: γίνομαι  
Sense: to become, i.
πλήρεις  full 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: πλήρης  
Sense: full, i.e. filled up (as opposed to empty).
θυμοῦ  of  rage 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: θυμός  
Sense: passion, angry, heat, anger forthwith boiling up and soon subsiding again.
ἔκραζον  they  were  crying  out 
Parse: Verb, Imperfect Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: κράζω  
Sense: to croak.
λέγοντες  saying 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: λέγω 
Sense: to say, to speak.
Μεγάλη  Great  [is] 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Feminine Singular
Root: μέγας  
Sense: great.
  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Feminine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Ἄρτεμις  Artemis 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Feminine Singular
Root: Ἄρτεμις  
Sense: Artemis, that is to say the so called Tauric or Persian or Ephesian Artemis, the goddess of many Asiatic people, to be distinguished from the Artemis of the Greeks, the sister of Apollo.
Ἐφεσίων  of  [the]  Ephesians 
Parse: Adjective, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: Ἐφέσιος  
Sense: a native or inhabitant of Ephesus.