rwp - Acts:12:19-23

rwp@Acts:12:19 @{He examined} (\anakrinas\). First aorist active participle of \anakrin\, old verb to sift up and down, to question thoroughly, in a forensic sense (Luke:23:14; strkjv@Acts:4:9; strkjv@12:19; strkjv@28:18|). {That they should be put to death} (\apachthnai\). First aorist passive infinitive (indirect command) of \apag\, old verb to lead away, especially to execution as in strkjv@Matthew:27:31|. Here it is used absolutely. This was the ordinary Roman routine and not a proof of special cruelty on the part of Herod Agrippa. {Tarried} (\dietriben\). Imperfect active. Herod Agrippa made his home in Jerusalem, but he went to Caesarea to the public games in honour of Emperor Claudius.

rwp@Acts:12:20 @{Was highly displeased} (\n thumomachn\). Periphrastic imperfect active of \thumomache\, late compound of \thumos\ (passionate heat) and \machomai\, to fight. Only here in the N.T., to fight desperately, to have a hot quarrel. Whether it was open war with the Phoenicians or just violent hostility we do not know, save that Phoenicia belonged to Syria and Herod Agrippa had no authority there. The quarrel may have been over commercial matters. {They came with one accord} (\homothumadon parsan\). The representatives of Tyre and Sidon. See on ¯1:14| for \homothumadon\. Tyre was a colony of Sidon and had become one of the chief commercial cities of the world by reason of the Phoenician ships. {The king's chamberlain} (\ton epi tou koitnos tou basileos\). The one over the bedchamber (\koitnos\, late word from \koit\, bed, here only in the N.T.). {Made their friend} (\peisantes\). First aorist active participle of \peith\, to persuade. Having persuaded (probably with bribes as in strkjv@Matthew:28:14|). {They asked for peace} (\itounto eirnn\). Imperfect middle of \aite\, kept on asking for peace. {Because their country was fed} (\dia to trephesthai autn tn choran\). Causal sentence with \dia\ and the articular infinitive (present passive of \treph\, to nourish or feed) and the accusative of general reference, "because of the being fed as to their country." Tyre and Sidon as large commercial cities on the coast received large supplies of grain and fruits from Palestine. Herod had cut off the supplies and that brought the two cities to action.

rwp@Acts:12:21 @{Upon a set day} (\takti hmeri\). Locative case and the verbal adjective of \tass\, to arrange, appoint, old word, here only in the N.T. Josephus (_Ant_. XVII. 6, 8; XIX. 8, 2) gives a full account of the occasion and the death of Herod Agrippa. It was the second day of the festival in honour of the Emperor Claudius, possibly his birthday rather than the _Quinquennalia_. The two accounts of Luke and Josephus supplement each other with no contradiction. Josephus does not mention the name of Blastus. {Arrayed himself in royal apparel} (\endusamenos esthta basilikn\). First aorist middle (indirect) participle of \endun\ or \endu\, common verb to put on. Literally, having put royal apparel on himself (a robe of silver tissue, Josephus says). The rays of the sun shone on this brilliant apparel and the vast crowd in the open amphitheatre became excited as Herod began to speak. {Made an oration} (\edmgorei\). Imperfect active of \dmgore\, old verb from \dmgoros\ (haranguer of the people), and that from \dmos\ (people) and \agoreu\, to harangue or address the people. Only here in the N.T. He kept it up.

rwp@Acts:12:22 @{Shouted} (\epephnei\). Imperfect active, kept on shouting, calling out to him. Old verb, but only four times in the N.T. and all by Luke. The heathen crowd (\dmos\) repeated their flattering adulation to gain Herod's favour. {The voice of a god} (\theou phn\). In the pagan sense of emperor worship, not as the Supreme Being. But it was pleasing to Herod Agrippa's vanity.

rwp@Acts:12:23 @{Smote him} (\epataxen auton\). Effective aorist active indicative of \patass\, old verb, used already in verse 7| of gentle smiting of the angel of the Lord, here of a severe stroke of affliction. Like Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel:4:30|) pride went before a fall. He was struck down in the very zenith of his glory. {Because} (\anth' hn\). \Anti\ with the genitive of the relative pronoun, "in return for which things." He accepted the impious flattery (Hackett) instead of giving God the glory. He was a nominal Jew. {He was eaten of worms} (\genomenos sklkobrtos\). Ingressive aorist middle participle, "becoming worm-eaten." The compound verbal adjective (\sklx\, worm, \brtos\, eaten, from \bibrsk\) is a late word (II Macc. strkjv@9:9) of the death of Antiochus Epiphanes, used also of a tree (Theophrastus), here only in the N.T. The word \sklx\ was used of intestinal worms and Herodotus (IV. 205) describes Pheretima, Queen of Cyrene, as having swarms of worms which ate her flesh while still alive. Josephus (_Ant_. XIX. 8, 2) says that Herod Agrippa lingered for five days and says that the rotting of his flesh produced worms, an item in harmony with the narrative in Luke. Josephus gives further details, one a superstitious sight of an owl sitting on one of the ropes of the awning of the theatre while the people flattered him, an omen of his death to him. Luke puts it simply that God smote him. {Gave up the ghost} (\exepsuxen\). Effective aorist active of \ekpsuch\, to breathe out, late verb, medical term in Hippocrates, in the N.T. only in strkjv@Acts:5:5,10; strkjv@12:23|. Herod was carried out of the theatre a dying man and lingered only five days.