SECTION XXVI.

DEATH OF HEROD.-ACTS XII. 19-25.

19 And having gone down from Judea to Cæsarea, he remained there. 20 And he was greatly enraged against the Tyrians and Sidonians but they came with one accord to him, and having conciliated Blastus the king's chamberlain, they requested peace; because their country was nourished by the king's country. 21 And on an appointed day, Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon a throne, and made an oration to them. 22 And the people cried out, The voice of a god, and not of a man. 23 And immediately an angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not the glory to God: and being eaten of worms, he expired.

24 But the word of God grew and multiplied. 25 And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, having fulfilled their ministry, taking with them John, who was surnamed Mark.

CRITICAL NOTE.

Ver. 20. After y dé the textus receptus has ó 'Hpwdns, with E. The words are wanting in A, B, D, &, and are rejected by all recent critics. They were probably inserted because ver. 20 begins a new section describing the death of Herod.

EXEGETICAL REMARKS.

Ver. 19. Καὶ κατελθὼν ἀπὸ τῆς Ἰουδαίας εἰς τὴν Καισά pelav-And having gone down from Judea to Cæsarea. Eis τὴν Καισάρειαν does not here stand for ἐν τῇ Καισάρεια (Kuinol), but is grammatically connected with kаTEXOV (Winer's Grammar, p. 434). For a description of Cæsarea, see note to Acts viii. 40. Cæsarea, when Judea was subject to the Romans, was the residence of the Roman procurator; but it was now attached to the kingdom of Herod Agrippa,

and formed the northern part of his dominions. Josephus expressly mentions that Claudius added Judea, Samaria, and Cæsarea to the other dominions of Agrippa (Ant. xix. 8. 2). The usual residence of this prince was Jerusalem; but he resided occasionally in Cæsarea, the second city of his kingdom. It was more a Gentile than a Jewish city. The object of this visit to Cæsarea is not stated by Luke. Some suppose that it was from vexation on account of the escape of Peter; because he was prevented fulfilling the promise made to the Jews, in bringing forth Peter unto the people (ver. 4). Josephus tells us that it was to celebrate games in honour of Claudius Cæsar, and that great numbers of persons of rank and distinction resorted to Cæsarea on this occasion (Ant. xix. 8. 2).

Ver. 20. 'Ην δὲ θυμομαχῶν Τυρίοις καὶ Σιδωνίοις—and he was greatly enraged against the Tyrians and Sidonians. Θυμοpaxŵv is not to be taken in the sense either that he waged war, or that he intended to wage war; for an actual war with the cities of Tyre and Sidon, which were then subject to the Romans, and constituted a part of the province of Syria, is not to be thought of, and is historically unknown. The word is to be taken in a qualified sense, as meaning that Herod was greatly enraged-highly displeased, as it is in our English version. Herod probably showed his displeasure by putting restrictions on the commerce of Tyre and Sidon, preventing them obtaining supplies from Judea, and closing his ports against them. It was because their country was nourished by the king's country, that the Tyrians and Sidonians desired peace. Perhaps also the signs of the famine which next year attacked Judea were already apparent, and made it the more necessary to procure supplies. The occasion of this difference between Herod and the Phoenicians is unknown; but probably it was something connected with commerce, as Cæsarea had now become the rival of Tyre and Sidon, Years before this, in a dispute between the Sidonians and the inhabitants of Damascus about the limits of their respective territories, Herod was bribed by the Damascenes to use his influence in their favour with Flaccus,

the governor of Syria (Joseph. Ant. xviii. 6. 3); so that it is probable there may have been always a want of amity between him and the Phoenicians. Παρῆσαν πρὸς αὐτόν they came to him; namely, by means of deputies from both cities. Καὶ πείσαντες Βλάστον - and having conciliated Blastus, probably by means of a bribe. Blastus is a Roman name; and Herod being long resident in Rome, it is not improbable that he would have a Roman as his chief steward. Τὸν ἐπὶ τοῦ κοιτῶνος τοῦ βασιλέως—the king's chamberlain ; literally, “him who was over the king's bed-chamber"—præfectus cubiculo (Suetonius, Domitian, xvi.)—perhaps treasurer, finance minister of the king. 'Ητοῦντο εἰρήνην—they desired peace. Peace is not here opposed to war, but to alienation— reconciliation. Διὰ τὸ τρέφεσθαι αὐτῶν τὴν χώραν, etc. because their country was nourished by that of the king. Phonicia being a district of narrow limits, depended upon the adjoining countries for its supplies of grain. It seems from the days of Solomon to have been specially dependent on Palestine (1 Kings v. 11). Ezekiel, in his description of the merchandise of Tyre, says that Judah and the land of Israel were her merchants, and traded with her in wheat, and honey, and oil, and balm (Ezek. xxvii. 17). Besides, Judea must have been one of the principal countries where the Phonicians disposed of their goods. The splendid harbour of Cæsarea also must have been most convenient for their numerous ships. It was therefore their policy to live on good terms with Herod Agrippa, as it was in his power to cripple their trade, and to stint them in their supplies of grain.

Ver. 21. TakTŷ dè μéрa-And on an appointed day. According to Josephus, this day was the second day of the games celebrated in honour of Claudius; and the place of assembly was the theatre of Cæsarea. Ἐνδυσάμενος ἐσθῆτα Baoiλikýv―clothed in royal apparel. Josephus makes express mention of this royal garment: στολὴν ἐνδυσάμενος ἐξ ἀργυρίου πεποιημένην πᾶσανclothed in a robe entirely made of silver (Ant. xix. 8. 2). Kabioas ènì TOû BýμATOS -sat upon the throne. Bua (in Latin, suggestus) is the ele

vated seat in the theatre set apart for the king, from which he might look at the games or address the assembly. 'Ednμηγόρει πρὸς αὐτούς—made an oration to them. Δημηγορέω, to harangue in a public assembly; πрòs aйтоús, not to the assembly, but to the deputation from Tyre and Sidon, to whom he granted a public audience, and to whose requests he graciously acceded, as is evident from the acclamations which followed his address. There is a variety of opinion with regard to the season of the year when this occurred. Josephus says that the games were celebrated in honour of the emperor for his safety : εἰς τὴν Καίσαρος τιμὴν ὑπὲρ τῆς ἐκείνου σωτηρίας. Accordingly Anger thinks that they were in honour of the safe return of Claudius from his expedition to Britain, and occurred in the month of April or May, shortly after the passover of the year 44. Wieseler controverts this opinion, and supposes that it was the festival of the Quinquennalia, instituted by Herod the Great in honour of Augustus, and celebrated on the first of August.1 There was probably only a short interval between the passover and Herod's death.

Ver. 22. Ὁ δὲ δῆμος—and the people. Δῆμος (not λαός, vers. 4, 11), the assembled people. We cannot suppose that this assembly was composed of Jews, and that they uttered this profane flattery. Cæsarea, as already observed, was a Gentile city, and therefore the audience were chiefly Gentiles; and the words are appropriate enough in the lips of idolaters. Θεοῦ φωνὴ καὶ οὐκ ἀνθρώπου-literally, God's voice, and not man's. Only, as proceeding from Gentiles, coû does not here refer to the Supreme Being, but is to be taken indefinitely-" a god's voice," or "the voice of a god.”

Ver. 23. Επάταξεν αὐτὸν ἄγγελος Κυρίου—an angel of the Lord smote him. The sudden attack of disease is represented as a divine punishment, inflicted by the instrumentality of an angel. There was no visible appearance of an angel-nothing to cause the audience to suspect his interposition, except that the disease attacked Herod at the very 1 Wieseler's Chronologie des apostolischen Zeitalters, pp. 132-136. VOL. I.

2 E

moment when he was receiving their impious flatteries: we only learn from the evangelist the fact that it was an angel who smote Herod. The idea of inspiration does not permit us to suppose, with De Wette, that this is a mere accommodation to the superstitions of the Jews, who attributed any great calamities which befell their enemies, or any great judgment inflicted on themselves, to angels (2 Sam. xxiv. 17; 2 Kings xix. 35). It is the evident doctrine of Scripture, that the angels are the instruments with which Providence works the ministers of Christ: the messengers (ayyeλoi) of mercy, as in the case of the deliverance of Peter; or of vengeance, as in the case of the death of Herod. Angelus Domini eduxit Petrum; Angelus Domini percussit Herodem (Bengel).

He

̓Ανθ' ὧν οὐκ ἔδωκεν τὴν δόξαν τῷ Θεῷbecause he gave not God the glory. It was Herod's vanity-his love of popular applause, a ruling passion of his life-that was the cause of his destruction: "Not because of Peter, but because of his arrogant speaking" (Chrysostom). Baumgarten allegorizes this account of the punishment inflicted on Herod. supposes that Herod here represents the world's ruler in his conflict with the kingdom of God; and that Nimrod and Nebuchadnezzar were also similar representatives. "It is," he observes, "not for one moment to be doubted that, by this sudden stroke, which transmuted the god Herod into a mortal man, it is intended that we should be reminded of the fate of Nebuchadnezzar.” 1 The resemblance between Nebuchadnezzar, who was certainly the ruler of the world in his day, and Herod Agrippa, a dependent prince of a small province, is too slight to warrant such fanciful notions. Sacred history is not thus to be converted into an allegory.

Καὶ γενόμενος σκωληκόβρωτος—and being eaten of worms. Luke, "the beloved physician," here gives a more exact description of the disease of which Herod died than Josephus, who merely says, γαστρὸς ἀλγήμασι διεργασθείς. This disease 1 Baumgarten's Apostolic History, vol. i. pp. 317-329.