Acts 14:13
New International Version
The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates because he and the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices to them.

New Living Translation
Now the temple of Zeus was located just outside the town. So the priest of the temple and the crowd brought bulls and wreaths of flowers to the town gates, and they prepared to offer sacrifices to the apostles.

English Standard Version
And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds.

Berean Standard Bible
The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates, hoping to offer a sacrifice along with the crowds.

Berean Literal Bible
And the priest of Zeus, being just outside the city, having brought oxen and wreaths to the gates, was desiring with the crowds to sacrifice.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
Then the priest of Zeus, whose temple was in front of their city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, intending to sacrifice with the multitudes.

New American Standard Bible
Moreover, the priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds.

NASB 1995
The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds.

NASB 1977
And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds.

Legacy Standard Bible
And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, and was wanting to offer sacrifice with the crowds.

Amplified Bible
The priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance of the city, brought bulls and garlands to the city gates, and wanted to offer sacrifices with the crowds.

Christian Standard Bible
The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the town, brought bulls and wreaths to the gates because he intended, with the crowds, to offer sacrifice.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then the priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the town, brought oxen and garlands to the gates. He, with the crowds, intended to offer sacrifice.

American Standard Version
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.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And The Priest of The Lord of the gods, who was outside the city, brought bulls and garlands to the gates of the courtyard where they were staying and he wanted to sacrifice to them.

Contemporary English Version
The temple of Zeus was near the entrance to the city. Its priest and the crowds wanted to offer a sacrifice to Barnabas and Paul. So the priest brought some bulls and flowers to the city gates.

Douay-Rheims Bible
The priest also of Jupiter that was before the city, bringing oxen and garlands before the gate, would have offered sacrifice with the people.

English Revised Version
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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Zeus' temple was at the entrance to the city. The priest of the god Zeus brought bulls with flowery wreaths around their necks to the temple gates. The priest and the crowd wanted to offer a sacrifice [to Paul and Barnabas].

Good News Translation
The priest of the god Zeus, whose temple stood just outside the town, brought bulls and flowers to the gate, for he and the crowds wanted to offer sacrifice to the apostles.

International Standard Version
The priest of the temple of Zeus, which was just outside the city, brought bulls and garlands to the gates. He and the crowds wanted to offer sacrifices.

Literal Standard Version
And the priest of the Zeus that is before their city, having brought oxen and garlands to the porches, wished to sacrifice with the multitudes,

Majority Standard Bible
The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside their city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates, hoping to offer a sacrifice along with the crowds.

New American Bible
And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, for he together with the people intended to offer sacrifice.

NET Bible
The priest of the temple of Zeus, located just outside the city, brought bulls and garlands to the city gates; he and the crowds wanted to offer sacrifices to them.

New Revised Standard Version
The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates; he and the crowds wanted to offer sacrifice.

New Heart English Bible
The priest of Jupiter, whose temple was in front of their city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, and would have made a sacrifice along with the crowds.

Webster's Bible Translation
Then the priest of Jupiter, who was before their city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, and would have done sacrifice with the people.

Weymouth New Testament
And the priest of Zeus--the temple of Zeus being at the entrance to the city--brought bullocks and garlands to the gates, and in company with the crowd was intending to offer sacrifices to them.

World English Bible
The priest of Jupiter, whose temple was in front of their city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, and would have made a sacrifice along with the multitudes.

Young's Literal Translation
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,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Visit to Lystra and Derbe
12Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. 13 The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates, hoping to offer a sacrifice along with the crowds. 14But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul found out about this, they tore their clothes and rushed into the crowd, shouting,…

Cross References
Daniel 2:46
At this, King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face, paid homage to Daniel, and ordered that an offering of incense be presented to him.

Acts 14:12
Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes, because he was the chief speaker.


Treasury of Scripture

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

and would.

Acts 10:25
And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped him.

Daniel 2:46
Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odours unto him.

Jump to Previous
Bullocks Bulls City Company Crowd Doors Entrance Flowers Front Garlands Gates Image Intending Jupiter Multitudes Offer Offering Outside Oxen Porches Priest Sacrifice Temple Wanted Wish Wreaths Zeus
Jump to Next
Bullocks Bulls City Company Crowd Doors Entrance Flowers Front Garlands Gates Image Intending Jupiter Multitudes Offer Offering Outside Oxen Porches Priest Sacrifice Temple Wanted Wish Wreaths Zeus
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.














(13) The priest of Jupiter, which was before their city.--The latter clause probably describes the position of the Temple of Zeus, standing at the entrance of the city, as the shrine of its protecting deity. The identical phrase used by St. Luke is found in Greek inscriptions at Ephesus.

Brought oxen and garlands unto the gates.--The garlands were the well-known vittae, so familiar to us in ancient sculptures, commonly made of white wool, sometimes interwoven with leaves and flowers. The priests, attendants, doors, and altars were often decorated in the same way. The "gates" (the form of the Greek implying that they were the folding-doors of a large entrance) were probably those which led into the atrium, or court-yard, of the house where the Apostles were dwelling. The whole action is well represented in Raphael's well-known cartoon. Oxen were, in Greek ritual, the right victims for both Zeus and Hermes.

Would have done sacrifice with the people.--This would have involved cutting the throats of the oxen, catching the blood in a patera, or deep dish, and pouring it upon an altar. There may have been such an altar in the atrium, or one may have been improvised for the occasion.

Verse 13. - And for then, A.V.; whose temple was before the city for which was before their city, A.V. and T.R.; the multitudes for the people, A.V., as in ver. 12. The priest of Jupiter. The words, ὁ δὲ ἱερεὺς τοῦ Διὸς τοῦ ὄντες κ.τ.λ., may be construed in two ways - either as in the A.V., or the priest of the temple of Jupiter, etc., understanding, by a common ellipse, ἱεροῦ, or, ναοῦ, after Διός, as in the Latin phrase," Ubi ad Dianae veneris;" "When you come to the temple of Diana," etc. But it is not a Greek phrase to speak of Jupiter being before the city, meaning the temple of Jupiter. Therefore the proper way of translating is to take the full phrase as being ὁ ἱερεὺς τοῦ Διός ναοῦ or ἰεροῦ, the article τοῦ belonging to ναοῦ, and Διός being, as in so many instances, without the article (see Matthew, 'Gr. Gr.,' 281). The gates; viz. of the city. The temple was just outside the gates; the lame man, it is likely, sat inside near the gates through which men were passing in and out. Paul and Barnabas would address the -people in the square or open space inside the gates. Seeing a stir at the gates, and hearing that it was the priest of Jupiter coming with oxen and garlands to sacrifice to them, they immediately ran forward to prevent it. The ox was the proper sacrifice for Jupiter.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
The
(ho)
Article - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

priest
ἱερεὺς (hiereus)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2409: A priest, one who offers sacrifice to a god (in Jewish and pagan religions; of Christians only met.). From hieros; a priest.

of Zeus,
Διὸς (Dios)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 2203: Zeus, the Greek god of the sky in all its manifestations, corresponding to the Roman Jupiter and to the leading god of the native Lycaonians.

[whose temple] was
ὄντος (ontos)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

just outside
πρὸ (pro)
Preposition
Strong's 4253: A primary preposition; 'fore', i.e. In front of, prior to.

the
τῆς (tēs)
Article - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

city,
πόλεως (poleōs)
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 4172: A city, the inhabitants of a city. Probably from the same as polemos, or perhaps from polus; a town.

brought
ἐνέγκας (enenkas)
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5342: To carry, bear, bring; I conduct, lead; perhaps: I make publicly known. A primary verb.

bulls
ταύρους (taurous)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 5022: A bull, an ox. Apparently a primary word; a bullock.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

wreaths
στέμματα (stemmata)
Noun - Accusative Neuter Plural
Strong's 4725: A garland, wreath, crown. From the base of stephanos; a wreath for show.

to
ἐπὶ (epi)
Preposition
Strong's 1909: On, to, against, on the basis of, at.

the
τοὺς (tous)
Article - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

[city] gates,
πυλῶνας (pylōnas)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 4440: From pule; a gate-way, door-way of a building or city; by implication, a portal or vestibule.

hoping
ἤθελεν (ēthelen)
Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2309: To will, wish, desire, be willing, intend, design.

to offer a sacrifice
θύειν (thyein)
Verb - Present Infinitive Active
Strong's 2380: A primary verb; properly, to rush, i.e. to sacrifice; by extension to immolate.

along with
σὺν (syn)
Preposition
Strong's 4862: With. A primary preposition denoting union; with or together.

the
τοῖς (tois)
Article - Dative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

crowds.
ὄχλοις (ochlois)
Noun - Dative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3793: From a derivative of echo; a throng; by implication, the rabble; by extension, a class of people; figuratively, a riot.


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NT Apostles: Acts 14:13 The priest of Jupiter whose temple was (Acts of the Apostles Ac)
Acts 14:12
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